To B. J. Placzek 15 September 1878
Down. | Beckenham. Kent.
Sep: 15. 1878.
Dear Sir.
I thank you for your extremely courteous letter & for your kind remarks about what I have been able to do in Science—1 The history of every new view is interesting & sometimes highly instructive. & whenever I receive the work; which you are so good as to say that you will send me—I will read it.2 But you are mistaken about my knowledge of German for I read it only with difficulty. As I am at present much engaged on other subjects, I shall probably be unable to read your essay for some little time. I may mention that a learned Jew in Poland (whose name I have at present forgotten) has published a small volume in Hebrew, shewing that evolution is an ancient belief & that orthodox Jews may safely accept it—3
Wishing you success in your labours— I remain | Dear Sir. | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Chambers: The Chambers dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers. 1998.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Lewy, Naphtali. 1874. Toldot adam. Ha-Shahar 6: 3–60.
Placzek, Baruch. 1878. Die Agada und der Darwinismus / Der Darwinismus in der Agada.Jüdische Literaturblatt, 1 January 1878, pp. 1–2; 6 February 1878, pp. 21–2; 13 February 1878, pp. 29–30; 20 February 1878, pp. 34–5; 27 February 1878, pp. 41–2; 13 March 1878, pp. 49–50; 17 April 1878, pp. 62–3; 5 June 1878, pp. 89–90; 12 June 1878, pp. 93–4; 19 June 1878, pp. 97–8; 26 June 1878, pp. 101–2; 3 July 1878, pp. 105–6; 10 July 1878, pp. 109–10; 17 July 1878, pp. 113–14; 24 July 1878, pp. 117–18; 31 July 1878, pp. 121–2.
Summary
Will be interested to read BP’s work on history [of evolution?].
A learned Jew in Poland [Napthali Lewy?] has published a volume showing that evolution is an ancient belief.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11694
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Baruch Jakob Placzek
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 147: 244
- Physical description
- C 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11694,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11694.xml