How respectable was Darwin?

I am sure it is not just me but many times during my research I am confronted with the Victorians and their views on the world which appear to still influence how we think about many subjects today, notably race, culture, classification, history... I am sure I could go on. Which is why I saw with interest some research done by Dr Gowan Dawson which looks at Darwin from the perspective of was he respectable. Apparently he was accused (through his theories) of encouraging sexual impropriety. Not that I am in any way seeking to discredit our illustrous 19th century forebears...

http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2007/05/nparticle.2007-05-16.0468628735

Comments

The Attic said…
It seems to me that, rightly or wrongly, Darwin is almost single-handedly responsible for the enormous social and cultural mindshifts that have made the world what it is today. Whether we subscribe to his theoretical perspectives (that's a nod to any creationists out there) I don't think anyone can deny that his contribution to knowledge was revolutionary.

Popular Posts