" The differences between Darwin and Lamarck's theories primarily stem from the second category, under content, dealing with how "organisms progress from 'lower' to 'higher' forms'" (Firenze 1997).
The key difference between Lamarck's and Darwin's ideas occurs when a variation appears concerning this progression from lower to higher. Lamarck's position is that acquired characteristics arise after the environment changes. That is, a change in the environment will lead to a change in the organism. But Darwin, on the other hand, believed that variations are present in a population before the environment changes. Lamarck saw evolution in terms of individuals, but Darwin realized that populations are important. Darwin stated that random differences between individuals affect fitness, and that more fit individuals tend to survive and reproduce. In contrast, Lamarck theorized that organisms become more fit in response to their environment. Although abandoned over 150 years ago, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck's theory of…...
mlaReferences
Firenze, Richard 1997, 'Lamarck vs. Darwin: Dueling Theories,' Reports of the National Center for Science Education, vol.17, no.4, pp. 9-11, viewed 12 August 2005, http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:TcH7RBNIZrMJ:www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/lam.dar.pdf+comparing+darwin+and+lamarck&hl=en .
Wikipedia 2005, "Darwin" and "Lamarck." Separate Searches, viewed 12 August, 2005, http://www.wikipedia.org .
Darwin Kant
Darwin and Kant
British physicist Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species was published in 1859 to widespread and heated discourse. hile the text offers a wide range of ideas on the biological advancement of our species as well as the general development of the ecologies of the world, it is almost certainly its exploration of the concept of Natural Selection that would lend the text importance not just scientifically and intellectually but indeed to our sociological advancement as well. This joins Darwin's work into a conversation sparked some 70 years prior by German philosopher Immanuel Kant with the equally controversial Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose. The discussion here considers their respective implications to the human condition.
Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection:
Natural Selection presumes that all creatures are biologically driven to evolve toward the means to survive their respective environments. This notion gives over to the…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Landry, Peter. (2001). Charles Darwin. Biographies.
Kant, I. (1784). Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point-of-View. Translation by Lewis White Beck. From Immanuel Kant, "On History," The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
Darwin's Children: Book Review
Bear, Greg. Darwin's Children. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
No, it's not a story of the children of the famous 19th century British naturalist and author of The Origin of Species. Rather, Darwin's Children is a sequel to science fiction author Greg Bear's previous novel, Darwin's Radio and expands upon some of the political and sociological issues raised by this master of high-quality sociological science fiction. This particular instillation in Bear's saga chronicles the results of human evolution, but in the far future rather than in the natural world of the past.
According to author Bear, the next stage of human evolution has arrived with the birth of a new form of human being, a generation of virus children, children whom are hypersensitive to stimulus and have strange, marked faces that immediately give them away as other and alien, even to their own parents. This specific installation in Bear's…...
Darwin's Theory And Arguments
The existence of life on earth, the multitude of life forms, and the variations within each have intrigued man since times immemorial. The explanations ended where they were supposed to begin, 'The Origin'. When the religions took over the philosophical mindsets of the masses, they sought to offer the origin through divinity and supernaturalism. The various scientific and logical theologies until such time had tried and failed to capture the enormity of the creation into natural laws even in isolated parts. The various branches of thoughts tried to accumulate and present proofs that supported their explanations but found little resonance in those times. The firm grip of eligion on masses was a vehicle on which the Genesis rode and it was accepted as a rule that the divine power breathed life into living beings of each species and man. It was a conviction that was accepted by…...
mlaReferences
Campbell, J.A., 2003. Why Was Darwin Believed? Darwin's Origin and the Problem of Intellectual Revolution. Configurations 11, 203 -- 237. doi:10.1353/con.2004.0016
Cosans, C., 2005. Was Darwin a Creationist? Perspect. Biol. Med. 48, 362 -- 371. doi:10.1353/pbm.2005.0071
Darwin, C. 1859. On the origin of species. London: John Murray. Rpt. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1964.
Darwin, C. 2002. The Origin of Species W.W. Norton & Company; 2nd abridged edition.
Darwinism and militarism. Darwin' ideas will first be discussed, and the implications of Darwin's theories on society will then be discussed, particularly in terms of the development of eugenics, which was so influential on Hitler and his political and social aims. The paper will then look at how Hitler used his understanding of Darwinism, and how this in turn led to increasing militarism in the world.
Darwin set out on a worldwide voyage of discovery, with ideas about the development of life on earth in his head, and an inquisitive nature; the study of the specimens from the voyage of the eagle convinced Darwin that modern species had evolved from a few earlier ones (Coyne, 2003). Years later, after much deliberation, he documented the evidence and first presented his theories on evolution to a meeting of scientists in 1858 (Coyne, 2003); the work presented in this meeting was jointly presented…...
mlaBibliography
Berenbaum, B. (2003). The Holocaust. World Book Encyclopedia for Macintosh, Version 7.1.1.
Coyne, J.A. (2003). Charles Darwin. World Book Encyclopedia for Macintosh, Version 7.1.1.
Foard, J.M. (1996). The Darwin Papers; Darwin at Nuremburg. Accessible at Accessed on 11th May 2004.http://www.*****/oldsite/number13.html.
Hartl, D.L. (2003). Eugenics. World Book Encyclopedia for Macintosh, Version 7.1.1.
Secondly Bethell argues against the propensity of Darwin and his contemporaries to summarily compare natural processes with the artificial selection used by breeders. This, according to the author, appears to be the result of a cultural paradigm of "industrial capitalism," which saw all change as inherently progressive.
Gould opens his first argument by admitting that Bethell's theory correlate well with current technical writings on natural selection. Indeed, many of these focus on the numbers of survivors rather than their differentiation. Gould however continues to state that nature is hardly submissive to computer manipulation, and that while the superiority of a certain animal may be expressed as differential survival, it is not defined by it. Survival is then a result of fitness rather than its definition.
Gould's second argument relates to the environment in which survival takes place. Fitness for survival then is also a response to changing environments. The greater the…...
This, of all Darwin's contributions, was the most significant, Mayr reports. "The Living world," he says, "can [now] be explained without recourse to supernaturalism." An underlying implication of this situation was a kind of democratization of natural science -- a distribution of scientific knowledge that could be tested, verified, and explained by unscientific people. At the end of the article, Mayr asserts that "almost every component in modern man's belief system is somehow affected by Darwinian principals."
While Mayr's article offered a well-rounded review of Darwin's most important contributions to natural science, it was not without its pitfalls. The most notable pitfall was that it didn't seem to reach out to 'the other side.' It felt similar to a press release for Darwinism -- a "puff-piece." This is illustrated by Mayr's language: "No educated person any longer questions the validity of the so-called theory of evolution." Indeed if Mayr wrote to…...
mlaReferences
Mayr, Ernst. "Darwin's Influence on Modern Thought." Scientific American July (2000): 79-83.
Marx, Darwin, Heraclitus, And Parmenides
Charles Darwin and Karl Marx were separated geographically and sociologically. These two individuals had much in common in their youth. They were both born to wealthy European families and were thus privileged with the chance to receive a good education without having to worry about supporting their family or the fear of survival. Despite the comfort into which they were born, both men sought out ways to increase their own understanding of the world and to share that understanding with the rest of humanity. In so doing, both men changed the world by exposing unknown facts and exploring unrealized realities. One man was primarily a scientist who became embroiled in controversial philosophy because of his scientific observations. The other man held equally controversial views, but based on a study of humanity and human interaction rather than scientific inquiry. Both men hypothesized about the world in terms…...
mlaWorks Cited
Darwin, Charles. The Origin of the Species. Ed. Charles Eliot. The Harvard Classics. New York,
NY: PF Collier & Son. Vol. 11, 1909. Print.
Harris, William. Heraclitus: the Complete Fragments: Translation and Commentary and the Greek Text. Middlebury College.
Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Jones Gareth. The Communist Manifesto. London: Penguin,
Gould vs. Bethell
DAWIN'S UNTIMELY BUIAL
Stephen Jay Gould, "Darwin's Untimely Burial," Natural History 85 (Oct. 1976): 24-30. ]
Ever since Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, individuals involved with science and religion have tried to negate his thesis. Some scholars, such as British philosopher Tom Bethell, have seen "something very, very wrong with this idea," and hoped to contain it to the sphere of biology and ban its spread into cosmology, psychology, the arts, ethics and religion. Others, such as scientist Jay Gould, recognize Darwin as one of the most brilliant people in history. In the essay, "Darwin's Untimely Burial," Gould refutes Bethell and claims (paraphrasing Mark Twain) "Despite reports to the contrary, the theory of natural selection remains very much alive." Bethell finds Darwinian theory rotten to the core while Gould finds a pearl of great price at the center.
Bethell says he does not support Darwin's theory of evolution and…...
mlaReference Cited:
Gould, Jay. Darwin's Untimely Burial. Dispite reports to the contrary, the theory of natural selection remains very much alive. Stephen Jay Gould Archive.
Retrieved 13 February, 2005.
User's Manual
Darwin Meeting Timer Model No.1 -- User's Manual
You have taken a step toward maximizing effectiveness and time efficiency for you and your organization through the purchase of the Darwin Meeting Timer Model No.1. Never before have meetings progressed at a better pace and achieved more optimal results. Enclosed is information to ensure that you and your organization receive the most benefit from the use of your Darwin Meeting Timer.
Index
Technical specifications
Frequently Asked
Further esources
Technical Specifications
Start Button
Details: Small rectangular button located on the top left side of the Darwin Meeting Timer.
Function: Commences the timing function of the device.
Usage: Depress the start button one time at the start of a meeting in order to commence the timing function.
End Button
Details: Small rectangular button located in the middle on the top of the Darwin Meeting Timer.
Function: Ends the timing function of the device.
Usage: the end button one time at the end of a meeting in…...
mlaResources
Any further questions or concerns regarding the function and usage of the Darwin Meeting Timer can be addressed to the Manufacturer at 774-1685.
Darwin's Finches And Natural Selection
Polymorphism pertains to the existence of two distinctly different groups of a species that still belong to the same species. Alleles for these organisms over time are governed by the theory of natural selection, and over this time the genetic differences between groups in different environments soon become apparent, as in the case of industrial melanism." (Biology Online, 2000) Darwin's finches are an excellent examples of such polymorphism, "of the way in which species' gene pools have adapted in order for long-term survival via their offspring." (Biology Online, 2000)
The finches Darwin studied were a species of small Galapagos finches and were only found on the Galapagos Islands. They were geographically isolated and without competition from similar species but these finches developed distinctive anatomy. Darwin noted how finches in some areas had completely different shaped beaks than other finches. Even though all were of the same…...
mlaWorks Cited
Darwin, Charles. The Galapagos Islands. London, England; New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1995.
Darwin's Finches and Natural Selection. (2000) Biology Online. http://www.biology-online.org/pfriendly.htm?tutorial=15
Evolution: Darwin
The purpose of this work is to explore the "Theory of Evolution" as set forth by Darwin and to further explore what is termed as "natural selection" as well as that of "artificial selection." This paper will further examine Darwin's Theory as to the workings of evolution as well as exploring exactly how natural selection works to produce evolution.
Finally, the role of individual genetic variations in relation to evolution and natural selection will be researched. The evolving of traits in species will also be examined as well as the applicable use of those theories.
Having first traveled throughout the world, on a ship, exploring both land and water, in the role of a "Naturalist," and having observed the wonders of the Andes and witnessed the result of Chilean earthquakes, crossed hundreds of miles, trekking through unknown regions, Charles Darwin, returned to England.
Darwin continued to study and after having read…...
mlaBibliography:
Bennett, Albert F. et al. (nd) "Relevance of Evolutionary Biology to the National Research Agenda " Executive Summary [Online] available at: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~ecolevol/fulldoc.html
Ballyntyne, Paul, Ph.D (nd) "Evolution and Psychology In Darwin, Romanes, Morgan, James, Dewey, and the Chicago Functionalists" [Online] available at: http://www.coment.ca/~pballan/section4(210).htm
Williams James and Functionalism (nd) available [Online] at: http://www.psych.utah.edu/gordon/Classes/Psy4905Docs/PsychHistory/Cards/James.html
Bennett, Albert F. et al. (nd) "Relevance of Evolutionary Biology to the National Research Agenda "
The utilitarian perspective focuses on the broad impacts of the actions, rather than just how the actions affect specific individuals (Andre & Velasquez, 2010). From the utilitarian perspective, genetic testing has the potential to do great harm to many, and to benefit many. The utilitarian arithmetic points out that the benefits to the companies in utilizing genetic testing is that profits increase. The argument can also be made that wealthier companies provide more jobs and wealthier insurance companies are better able to pay out to those who do receive payments. The counter to the former point is that this employment is theoretical -- not only may it not occur, but it may not occur in the United States. The counter to the latter is that insurance is largely price inelastic, so there is no improvement in coverage likely from handing more profits to insurance companies.
On the harm side, many…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Andre, C. & Velasquez, M. (2010). Calculating consequences: The utilitarian approach to ethics. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v2n1/calculating.html
Cline, a. (2011). Deontology and ethics: What is deontology, deontological ethics? About.com. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://atheism.about.com/od/ethicalsystems/a/Deontological.htm
Miller, P. (2007). Genetic testing and the future of disability insurance: Thinking about discrimination in the genetic age. The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. Vol. 35 (2) 47-52.
Schafer, S. (2001). Railroad agrees to stop gene-testing workers. Washington Post. In possession of the author.
Darwin
Had the Enlightenment adequately prepared 19th century readers for Darwin's Origin of the Species? The Enlightenment view of the science of life was neatly summed up by Diderot in his Encyclopedia, in many ways a signature product of the Enlightenment's dedication to setting forth the foundations of human knowledge. As Diderot notes in his prefaratory comments, what we call biology falls under the heading of "Natural History":
The divisions of natural history derive from the existing diversity of the facts of nature, and the diversity of the facts of nature from the diversity of the states of nature. Either nature is uniform and follows a regular course, such as one notes generally in celestial bodies, animals, vegetables, etc.; or it seems forced and displaced from its ordinary course, as in monsters; or it is restrained and put to different uses, as in the arts. Nature does everything, either in its ordinary…...
mlaWorks Cited
Campbell, John Angus. Why Was Darwin Believed? Darwin's Origin and the Problem of Intellectual Revolution. Configurations 11.2 (2003) 203-237.
Cosans, Chris. Was Darwin a creationist? Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 48.3 (2005) 362-371.
Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Sixth Edition. Project Gutenberg. Accessed 25 March 2012 at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2009/2009-h/2009-h.htm
Diderot, Denis. "Detailed Explanation of the System of Human Knowledge." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Translated by Richard N. Accessed 25 March 2012 at: http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.084
Darwin's Theory Of Evolution
The construct of irreducible complexity is a pivotal aspect of genetic theory and of Darwinian theory. Irreducible complexity is a nexus of the older science of biology from which Darwin built his theory and modern genetic engineering. Darwin's words for irreducible complexity, most commonly associated with his argument about the construction of the eye, were "Organs of extreme perfection and complication," and Darwin further explicates,
"Reason tells me, that if numerous gradations from a simple and imperfect eye to one complex and perfect can be shown to exist, each grade being useful to its possessor, as is certainly the case; if further, the eye ever varies and the variations be inherited, as is likewise certainly the case and if such variations should be useful to any animal under changing conditions of life, then the difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural…...
mlaWorks Cited
Abalaka, M.E. & Abbey, F.K. (2011). Charles Darwin theory of evolution and modern genetic engineering. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Opinion, 1(7):174-177. 12 December 2014. Web. Retreived from http://innovativejournal.in/index.php/jpro/article/viewFile/685/592
Bergman, G. Pangenesis as a source of new genetic information. The history of a now disproven theory. Rivista di Biologia, 99(3): 425-43. 2006, September-December. Web. Retreived from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299698
Darwin, Charles. "Difficulties on theory." Chapter 6. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. (1st edition). 1859. Retrieved from http://friendsofdarwin.com/docs/origin-1/chapter-06/
Liu, Y. Darwin and Mendel: who was the pioneer of genetics? Rivista di Biologia, 98(2); 305-322. 2005. 12 December 2014. Web. Retreived from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16180199
I. Introduction
- Hook: Start with an attention-grabbing statement or anecdote related to biology.
- Background information: Provide a brief overview of biology as a scientific discipline.
- Thesis statement: State the main argument or focus of your essay.
II. Body Paragraph 1: Branches of Biology
- Explanation of different branches of biology (e.g., zoology, botany, microbiology, genetics).
- Descriptions of key concepts and research areas within each branch.
- Examples of how each branch contributes to our understanding of living organisms.
III. Body Paragraph 2: Importance of Biology
- Discuss the relevance and significance of biology in everyday life.
- Highlight the impact of biological research on human health,....
No, scientific revolutions are not necessarily irrational. In fact, they are often the result of carefully conducted experiments, observations, and logic. Scientific revolutions involve the overthrow of old theories or paradigms in favor of new ones that better explain the natural world. This process is based on evidence and reasoning, making it a rational and systematic way of advancing scientific knowledge. While scientific revolutions can be disruptive and challenging to existing beliefs, they are ultimately grounded in the pursuit of truth through rigorous inquiry and experimentation.
One example of a scientific revolution that was not irrational is the discovery of heliocentrism....
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now