On the Origin of Species: Importance of Charles Darwin's Ideologies
Ricardo Martinez
Dr. Lam
World in the 20th Century
31 January 2014
The Modern World What many currently consider modern was completely futuristic to many who came before us. Similarly, our impression of what’s modern may soon be considered outdated by those yet to come. The term “modern” is difficult to define because the meaning is often used in a relative manner. This comes as a problem when noting history as a result of the constantly changing modernity of the world. The idea of the modern world can ideally be described as the circumstances and ideas of the present age. This removes the limitation of time as these circumstances and ideas may have originated in any time period. It is also a key factor in presently defining the modern world. In order to do so, we must note the occasions in which the ideas of the modern world came about. Upon close examination, it’s easy to see that the modern world was mainly brought about as a result of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, the Industrial Revolution, and the French Revolution. Some of the most important modern day ideologies originated in Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. For example, Darwin made significant contributions to the field of evolutionary biology. In On the Origin of Species, he notes the nonconstancy of species—every individual within a species is genetically different, though not different enough to constitute a new species.1 He also notes the descent of all organisms from a common ancestor, the fact that evolution is a gradual process which happens slowly over a considerable period of time, the fact that species will undergo speciation, and the idea of natural selection.2 These ideas were developed by Darwin, introduced to the world in his most famous publication in 1859, and now make up the modern idea of evolution.3 Evolution is the basis for many modern ideologies and is often utilized as a primary argument to religion. Another key contribution Darwin made to the modern
Dr. Lam
World in the 20th Century
31 January 2014
The Modern World What many currently consider modern was completely futuristic to many who came before us. Similarly, our impression of what’s modern may soon be considered outdated by those yet to come. The term “modern” is difficult to define because the meaning is often used in a relative manner. This comes as a problem when noting history as a result of the constantly changing modernity of the world. The idea of the modern world can ideally be described as the circumstances and ideas of the present age. This removes the limitation of time as these circumstances and ideas may have originated in any time period. It is also a key factor in presently defining the modern world. In order to do so, we must note the occasions in which the ideas of the modern world came about. Upon close examination, it’s easy to see that the modern world was mainly brought about as a result of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, the Industrial Revolution, and the French Revolution. Some of the most important modern day ideologies originated in Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. For example, Darwin made significant contributions to the field of evolutionary biology. In On the Origin of Species, he notes the nonconstancy of species—every individual within a species is genetically different, though not different enough to constitute a new species.1 He also notes the descent of all organisms from a common ancestor, the fact that evolution is a gradual process which happens slowly over a considerable period of time, the fact that species will undergo speciation, and the idea of natural selection.2 These ideas were developed by Darwin, introduced to the world in his most famous publication in 1859, and now make up the modern idea of evolution.3 Evolution is the basis for many modern ideologies and is often utilized as a primary argument to religion. Another key contribution Darwin made to the modern
Cited: Curth, Louise. "Industrial Revolution." In World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2001-. Accessed January 31, 2014. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/. Darwin, Charles, and David Quammen. On the origin of species. Illustrated ed. New York: Sterling, 2008. Print. "Modern History Sourcebook: Leeds Woollen Workers Petition, 1786 ." Internet History Sourcebooks. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2014. . World History: The Modern Era, s.v. "Agricultural Innovations (Overview)," accessed January 31, 2014. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/. World History: The Modern Era, s.v. "communication revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries," accessed January 31, 2014. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/. World History: The Modern Era, s.v. "factory system," accessed January 31, 2014. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/. World History: The Modern Era, s.v. "French Revolution," accessed January 31, 2014. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/.