To C. J. F. Bunbury 9 February [1860]
Summary
Responds to CJFB’s criticisms of the Origin [see 2669].
If CD’s theory is a satisfactory explanation of the "principles of Homology, and of Embryology, and Rudimentary organs", the difficulty in imagining the transitions between classes of beings should not weigh against the understanding it provides such large classes of facts. Defends natural selection against criticism that it is not a vera causa. Comments on "Degeneracy", extinction of intermediate forms, and the effect of theory in natural history in opening up new fields of inquiry and giving rational instead of theological explanations of facts.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles James Fox Bunbury, 8th baronet |
| Date: | 9 Feb [1860] |
| Classmark: | Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds (Bunbury Family Papers E18/700/1/9/6) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2690 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … different geographical areas. See letter from Asa Gray, 23 January 1860 . CD’s view of the …
- … letter: with respect to admitting representative species to be descendants of one species & not extending the same view to whole classes, the point seems to me to turn whether you think the explanation which I offer of the classification of all Beings, the principles of Homology & of Embryology, & Rudimentary organs are satisfactorily explained. The explanation seems to me to be nearly satisfactory; & this being so, I can to myself allow of no difficulties in imagining what were the steps of transition to weigh against the understanding such large classes of facts. — It is curious how differently different men view the same subject; Asa Gray …
Darwin in Conversation exhibition
Summary
Meet Charles Darwin as you have never met him before. Come to our exhibition at Cambridge University Library, running from 9 July to 3 December 2022, and discover a fascinating series of interwoven conversations with Darwin's many hundreds of…
Matches: 1 hits
- … 9 July – 3 December 2022 Milstein Exhibition Centre, Cambridge University …
