Autobiography of Charles Darwin (Great Minds)

First published in 1892, this autobiography of the great naturalist, compiled and edited by his son Francis, offers fascinating glimpses into the mind and personal experiences of the man whose discoveries have had such a profound influence on science, philosophy, and the modern world view.

In the first half of the book Darwin reminisces about his early life, his family and upbringing, and his five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, during which he made the many observations that were later to prove so critical to his formulation of evolutionary theory.

The second half is devoted mainly to the Origin of Species: its foundations, development, the writing and publication process, its varied critical reception, and the gradual acceptance and growth of evolutionary theory. Also included are thoughts on his lesser-known work in geology and the fertilization of flowers, plus a selection of his letters.

This autobiography is a an intriguing behind-the-scenes look into the personal life of a great scientist and the development of one of the most powerful ideas of the modern era.

Those who read this reissue of Charles Darwin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY (1876), first published in 1887, will surely benefit from this great naturalist's own recollections of the development of his scientific theory of organic evolution. Furthermore, the included letters, edited by his son Francis Darwin, offer salient insights into the personal life and scientific research of this famous Victorian geobiologist. Within these pages, one reads about Darwin's fortuitous global voyage on the HMS Beagle and subsequent productive life at Down House (despite chronic illness). Five chapters focus on the preparation, publication, and critical reviews of ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES (1859), the naturalist's major contribution to evolutionary thought.

Unfortunately, his wife, Emma Wedgwood Darwin, had deleted the references to God and Christianity from the posthumously published AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Not until 1958 did an unexpurgated version of this work appear in print!

Fortunately, Chapter 3 does include some of Darwin's final ideas on religion and theology. It is clear that this evolutionist was always an agnostic reticent to express or publish his thoughts on religion and theology. Even so, his personal beliefs neither verify nor falsify the evolved claims of religionists and theologians. It suffices that Darwin's theory of evolution is atheistic, both in principle and intent.