Charles Darwin
English Biologist and Philosopher
18??-1883
Charles Darwin is best known for his book, On the Origin of Species, first
published in 1859, in which he set forth the theory that the earth's species
evolved over time through a process of natural selection. Though earlier
thinkers had defended various versions of evolutionism, Darwin's well documented
account of the mechanism of species change was revolutionary. It offered the
first serious prospect of explaining the complexity and functional organization
of life without appeal to the intentional design of a creator. Darwin was
extremely prolific, publishing numerous books and papers in his own lifetime.
Other works of philosophical interest include The Descent of Man, in which he
offers an account of the evolution of the "moral sense," and The Expression of
the Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin's work has had a profound influence in
many areas of philosophy, including the philosophy of science, the philosophy of
mind, the philosophy of religion, and ethics. An interesting recent work on
Darwin, among others, is Robert J. Richards' Darwin and the Emergence of
Evolutionary Theories of Mind and Behavior.