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Darwinism is a term used to
describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist
Charles Darwin; 1809–1882 and others.
It might not be a religion, but it sure collides and challenges with a lot of
them. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through
the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the
individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Also called Darwinian
theory, it originally included the broad concepts of transmutation of species or
of evolution which gained general scientific acceptance after Darwin published
On the Origin of Species in 1859, including concepts which predated Darwin's
theories. English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley coined the term Darwinism in
April 1860.
Darwinism subsequently referred to the specific concepts of natural
selection, the Weismann barrier, or the central dogma of molecular biology.[2]
Though the term usually refers strictly to biological evolution, creationists
have appropriated it to refer to the origin of life or to cosmic evolution, that
are distinct to biological evolution,[3] and therefore consider it to be the
belief and acceptance of Darwin's and of his predecessors' work, in place of
other concepts, including divine design and extraterrestrial origins.[4][5]
English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (prophet?) coined the term Darwinism in
April 1860. It was used to describe evolutionary concepts in general, including
earlier concepts published by English philosopher Herbert Spencer. Many of the
proponents of Darwinism at that time, including Huxley, had reservations about
the significance of natural selection, and Darwin himself gave credence to what
was later called Lamarckism. The strict neo-Darwinism of German evolutionary
biologist August Weismann gained few supporters in the late 19th century. During
the approximate period of the 1880s to about 1920, sometimes called "the eclipse
of Darwinism", scientists proposed various alternative evolutionary mechanisms
which eventually proved untenable. The development of the modern synthesis in
the early 20th century, incorporating natural selection with population genetics
and Mendelian genetics, revived Darwinism in an updated form.
My Icon: A small statue of Charles Darwin, reading his book. |