Re: Evolution in the news

[Christopher D. Green]

Allen Esterson wrote: Chris Green writes re Darwin [snip]: Public controversy threatened not only his own rather comfy social position, but also the commericial empire of his wife's family, the Wedgewood China buisness. Chris, what evidence do you have that this played any role in Darwin’s reluctance to publish his ideas until he had built a solidly-built case using information concerning a wide variety of flora and fauna (much of it obtained from correspondents around the world)? I don't have time right now to go look all this stuff up, but it is all very well known and documented in history of science circles. You're the one who quoted Janet Browne's biography, however. I'd have a look at that, esp pp. 457-470 of vol. 1. As well, have a look at Jim Secord's _Victorian Sensation_ and at John Van Wyhe's recent book on phrenology and the impact on  George Combe's life of being the leading advocate of the practice (and more importantly, in his _Constitution of Man_, of the "natural explanation" of mental phenomena). Finally, consider the conqesuences for John Eliotson (lost his position at UC London) for defending mesmerism and advocating materialism. Or the effect on Andrew Crosse's reputation of having found living things (tiny insects) apparently emerge spontaneously from an electrically-charged chemical solution. These were so well known at the time and so drastic in their results for the men involved that the burden of proof would seem to be on the person who DENY that they had any effect on Darwin? (They certainly had and effect on people such as the famed physiologist William Carpenter.) And, let us not forget, it is most assuredly NOT the case that Darwin eventually published only when he thought he had collected enough material. He published because his priority in the matter was threatened by Alfred Russel Wallace's paper (which Wallace unknowingly sent to Darwin before publishing it). Darwin's friends -- Hooker and Lyell -- hastily arranged that Wallace's paper be read along with a couple of old unpublished peices of Darwin's, at the same session of the same conference in 1858 (without Wallace's knowledge). _Origin_ was hastily compiled immediately afterwards in order to solidify Darwin's claim to priority, and Darwin was so unhappy with it -- so fearful of the possible response -- that he referred to it as a mere "abstract" of his theory. Had it been up to Darwin alone, he would have waited much longer to publish. And what evidence is there that such controversy would have "threatened" the Wedgwood China business? Did their sales go down after the publication of *On the Origin of Species*? What sort of evidence do you want? A specific entry in Darwin's journal that he's not publishing because he's afraid that his wife's family business might be affected? It is manifestly evident that lives, reputations, careers and businesses were often destroyed by controversies of this kind. Chambers' decision to publish _Vestiges_ anonymously wasn't a bit of eccentric paranoia. It is clear that immediately after publication there were people busily seeking out the author of _Vestiges_ precisely in order to expose and destroy him or her (Ada Lovelace was suggested as a possible candidate). Darwin would have to have been a social idiot (which he certainly was not) to have not considered the effect on his family of the scandal that might well surround the publication of his "Big Book on Species" (as he liked to call it before he published).  Was there an effect on the Wedgewood business when he finally published? Not to my knowledge, but (as you well know, being an Englishman) 1859 was a long time after 1844 -- the political climate had changed considerably. In 1859 they were on the verge of the Second Reform Act (1867, but first introduced by Russell in 1860), whereas only "radical" Chartists defended such "crazy ideas"as letting working class men vote  back in 1844. The difference was that between between Peel and Disraeli (or should Gladstone really get the credit?).  Again, in what way could public controversy threaten Darwin’s "comfy social position" when he had independent means? Note I said "social" rather than "economic." The threat was mainly to his reputation (which he worried over constantly) and that of his family. He also held public office in Down, of which he might have been embarassingly stripped had the controversy gotten out of hand. Note also that (despite his own abandonment of religious conviction) he never denounced the Church or its teachings publicly. Indeed, he and his circle (Hucley, Hooker, Lyell, and others) seem to have strategically constructed for him a kind of cocoon in which the others would run public interference (attacking his opponents) while Darwin himself could appear "detached" from it all (again, read Janet Browne's biography, though this is not an idea that is held by her alone by any means). In fact, of course, there *was* tremendous public controversy when he published *On the Origin of Species* Although scientists like to celebrate it, the controversy surrounding the publication of _Origin_ was rather smaller than those surrounding the publications of _Constitution of Man_ and _Vestiges_ (in no small part because sales of _Origin_, big as they were, were dwarfed by sales of _Constitution_ and _Vestiges_ -- see the chart in Van Wyhe's book. And Darwin had a lot more "respectable" people on his side than did Combe or Chambers -- partly because of his obviously better evidence, but also because scientific (and social) progressivism was much more respectable by the time he published. Herbert Spencer  also played a critical role here. Although he had been an evolutionist long before Darwin published, and was never much of a natural selectionist, because of the important *social* implications he drew from the idea of evolution, he ended up absorbing a lot of the criticism that might otherwise have been turned Darwin's way. Regards, -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-5115 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo ============================= --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]