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Thomas Lamarck and Charles Darwin
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Thomas Henry Huxley
Thomas Henry Huxley was born May 4, 1825 in Ealing England. Although he was the son of a schoolmaster, Huxley never had a real education as a child. He did however read plenty of books and started studying medicine at a young age. He later entered Charing Cross Hospital medical school, taking his degree in 1845 (Huxley 1992).
Huxley was made assistant surgeon aboard the H.M.S. Rattlesnake after passing the Royale College of Surgeons exam in 1846 (Huxley 1992). He spent four years on this scientific exploration of the southern seas around Australia, during which he did extensive studies of local marine life, which were published with great acclaim, these as well as his detailed investigations into comparative anatomy, paleontology, and evolution made his reputation as one of England's foremost scientist and controversialist.
Thomas Huxley met Charles Darwin in 1851, after Darwin's publication of The Origins of Species, which he was greatly impressed by. Huxley was one of the first adherents to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, and did more than anyone else to advance its acceptance among scientists and the public alike. As is evident from the letter quoted below written by Huxley to Darwin in 1859,
I finished your book yesterday. . . Since I read Von Baer's Essays nine years ago no work on Natural History Science I have met with has made so great an impression on me & I do most heartily thank you for the great store of new views you have given me. . .
As for your doctrines I am prepared to go to the Stake if requisite. . .
I trust you will not allow yourself to be in any way disgusted or annoyed by the considerable abuse & misrepresentation which unless I greatly mistake is in store for you. . . And as to the curs which will bark and yelp -- you must recollect that some of your friends at any rate are endowed with an amount of combativeness which (though you have often & justly rebuked it) may stand you in good stead --
I am sharpening up my claws and beak in readiness (Di Gregorio 1984:143).
Because of his passionate defense of Darwin's theory, Huxley became known as "Darwin's Bulldog".
However Huxley did not believe all of Darwin's conclusions, Huxley was un persuaded by Darwin's arguments explaining away the missing fossils. Huxley believed in Saltation, a drastic change in a species.
Becoming a professor at Neuchâtel in 1832, and later at Harvard in 1846, Agassiz held a notable reputation as a scientist, teacher, and natural historian. Throughout his work at Harvard, he performed a great amount of research in efforts to construct the largest chronology of fishes known in North America. In 1850, he reported on the fishes of Lake Superior, laying the foundation for the approach to natural history at the time (Jackson 511). In addition, he made large contributions to the Museum of Comparative Zoology and later helped to establis...
At Christ’s College, Darwin had a professor named John Stevens Henslow who in time became his mentor. After Darwin graduated Christ’s College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle.The HMS Beagle was a ship that was to take a five year long trip around the world. Charles Darwin took the opportunity knowing that the up close experience with collecting natural specimen would teach and interest him greatly. Darwin uncovered many unknown thoughts about the specimens he discovered during his journey (Price, 2006). Other naturalists believed that all species either came into being at the start of the world, or were created over the course of natural history. Darwin however, noticed similarities among species all over the globe...
There were quite a few changes made from Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World to turn it into a “made for TV” movie. The first major change most people noticed was Bernard Marx’s attitude. In the book he was very shy and timid toward the opposite sex, he was also very cynical about their utopian lifestyle. In the movie Bernard was a regular Casanova. He had no shyness towards anyone. A second major deviation the movie made form the book was when Bernard exposed the existing director of Hatcheries and Conditioning, Bernard himself was moved up to this position. In the book the author doesn’t even mention who takes over the position. The biggest change between the two was Lenina, Bernard’s girlfriend becomes pregnant and has the baby. The screenwriters must have made this up because the author doesn’t even mention it. The differences between the book and the movie both helped it and hurt it.
Today, in 21st century United States, people are concerned with the fast pace of new and growing technology, and how these advances should be used. In the last decade alone we have seen major advancements in technology; in science, cloning has become a reality, newer, more powerful drugs have been invented and, in communications, the Internet has dominated society. There is a cultural lag due to the fast rate of increasing technology, and while the governments of the world are trying to keep up their role as censors and lawmakers, we as individuals are trying to comprehend the effects it has on our lives. Will these advances enhance our lives to an unprecedented level of comfort, or lead to the loss of actual happiness? In the early 1930's, when Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World, this was a question he felt was worth asking.
Darwin took copious notes, captured insects and animals and selected plants. These he preserved in jars and took them back to England where he thought about the implications of what he had seen. for almost three decades. What occurred to him was a simple notion: animals, plants, insects, fishes, etc., which were obviously related differed slightly and these differences seemed to be tied in with their ability to survive. Differences, which he called "adaptations," were often related to geographical factors. He also saw something similar in fossils: certainly some fish, sea shells, etc., that died and were covered up by sand, gradually turned to stone, and were caught forever in fossil form. There seemed to b...
Well, our next guest is a man who needs no introduction. He is a literary genius, scientist, philosopher and the author of his times, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. Aldous Leonard Huxley.
Born on July 26, 1894, in Godalming, Surrey, Aldous Leonard Huxley grew up as part of a brilliantly educated family. As a result of being raised in a privileged family, he aspired to get a collegiate level education and set out to do so (Liukkonen). With such a high level of education that he received, throughout many years, Huxley became an accomplished writer; however, as a result of a multitude of hardships, like the involvement of drug substances including LSD and the death of his wife in 1955, it became apparent that the end of his career was forthcoming (Liukkonen). In 1963 on November 22, Aldous Huxley died in Los Angles, California (“Aldous”).
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society.
Every society around the world offers different jobs and roles for an individual to succeed in and define them. Whether you are a garbage man, doctor, teacher or a celebrity, you have distinct qualities define someone. Adlous Huxley wrote Brave New World, a dystopian novel based on a utopian society with the ultimate goal of universal happiness. The futuristic novel was written in the midst of the great depression. Huxley may have created a society through his work to abolish the problems like unemployment, debt, poverty and war but there was no humanity and there definitely was no individuality. The government stripped everyone of any chance of being an individual by restricting religion, literature, family unit, and control over their life.
During the past few weeks my class and I have been reading your book, “ Brave New World”. While reading your book I have discovered a few captivating issues. These issues include the destruction of the family, the use of drugs, and polygamy (obligatory sex). These issues are interesting because of their implications in life today, and the frequent times they are shown in the book. The ways they are used to control people and make their life easier, and the fact that our world seems to be falling into the same state.
Oscar Wilde and Robert L. Stevenson didn’t necessarily agree with Darwin’s observations, but they must have been impressed by the theory of evolution and animals undergoing a transformation.
Science was just a hobby of his, as well as some of his family members (92). He did make huge contributions to science even though it was just a hobby of his. An example is, Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859 (ProQuest Staff). In this book, “Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution states that humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor” (ProQuest Staff). As resources lesson some organisms did not adapt fast enough to survive (Darwin 92). This was one of the earliest ideas of evolution. In 1860, Thomas Henry Huxley coined “Darwinism” as a term to refer to Darwin’s evolutionary theory (ProQuest Staff). Theologian Charles Hodge, however, says that Darwinism is atheism (ProQuest Staff). It is not though, science and religion are separate things making that statement irrelevant. In 1859, the scientific community accepts evolution due to some contributions from Darwin (ProQuest Staff). In 1871, Darwin publishes his second book The Descent of Man, which applies his original theories to human evolution (ProQuest Staff). Once again disproving religious beliefs that humans and apes are not
The impact these men had on religious thought was tremendous. Some of them are the starting points for many of the controversies existing today. Of all the scientists, historians, and philosophers in the nineteenth century, the most influential and controversial was Charles Darwin. Born in 1809, Charles Darwin always had an interest in the nature, so he chose to study botany in college. His strengths in botany led him to become the naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle. On a trip to South America, he and the rest of the crew visited the near by Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was there he noticed many different variations of the same general plants and birdshe saw previously in South America. He also observed ancient fossils of extinct organisms that closely resembled modern organisms. By 1859, all of these observations inspired him to write down his theories. He wanted to explain how evolution had occurred through a process called natural selection. In his published work, On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, or On the Origin of Species for short, Darwin stated that, "new species have come on the stage slowly and at successive intervals."(1) He also said, "old forms are supplanted by new and improved forms," and all organisms play a part in the "struggle for life.
Aldous Huxley was a unique individual in his thinking and in his courage to express ideas not always popular within mainstream media. His views were seen as extreme by many conservatives and inspirational by the new breed of free thinkers coming up in his shadow. His influence can be seen in many prominent "Beat" generation figures and 60s icons such as Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsburg and others. It is this deification by his successors that have led many to discount him as a quack the same as the others. But for one who has truly read The Doors of Perception with an open mind, it becomes readily apparent that Huxley was no drug fiend or pseudo-psychologist. He is rather a brilliant writer with a good sense of history and the needs of man who found in a substance something more than Dope.
Herbert George Wells was an English author from the 19th century who was born in London, England. H.G. Wells was born on September 21st, 1866 in the county of Kent. He was the youngest child of four in his family and was called Bertie from a young age. Wells wrote in many genres including politics, history, social commentary and contemporary novels. He is best known for his work in the Science Fiction genre, sometimes referred to as “The Father of Science Fiction”. His father, Joseph Wells was a shopkeeper and played cricket professionally at the time H.G. Wells was born. His mother, Sarah Neal worked as a domestic servant. The family received an inheritance which they used to purchase a shop that sold sporting goods and china. Although Joseph Wells worked as a shopkeeper and played professional cricket, the family was not wealthy. The family’s shop was in a bad location and the merchandise they sold was poor quality. Wells learned to read at the age of five and in 1874, when he was seven years old he was involved in an accident. He broke his leg, leaving him bedridden for many months. While Wells was recovering he had a chance to read many books which gave him the opportunity to explore new worlds. During this time, Wells also began to write. At the age of eight, Wells entered a private school called Thomas Morley's Commercial Academy. He then attended the Midhurst grammar school where he became proficient in science and Latin. Wells was granted a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London in 1883 where he studied Biology and Darwinism under the professor Thomas Henry Huxley. After losing his scholarship for insufficient graduation requirements, Wells moved to Fitzroy road in London to live with h...