Charles Darwin and Evolution Lesson

​Reactions to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the only scientific explanation for the spectacular diversity of life on Earth. It provides a powerful framework for understanding nature and is one of the essential theories at the very core of science.

Yet from the moment it was first published, Darwin's theory of evolution has been engulfed in controversies, some of which persist to this day. Indeed the current controversy is strongly rooted in the objections first expressed 150 years ago. As Darwin himself anticipated, some people have held to the conviction that species are the result of special creation through the action of a Creator. Some find incompatible with their religious beliefs the concept that humans share a common ancestry with earlier primates, and that humans and other species evolved over immense spans of time.

Others see the process of evolution itself as one of the qualities of a universe created by a God. Some also embrace the notion, as expressed for example in a statement by Pope John Paul II, that evolution may be a valid scientific explanation for the origins of body form and other aspects of the material world, but that God alone is responsible for the origin of the human soul.

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Certain expressions of Creationism--for example, the view known as Intelligent Design--hold that Darwinian evolution is not sufficient to explain the origins of complex structures, such as the eye, or complex organisms, such as humans. They assert that such innovations must be the act of an Intelligent Designer.

Social controversy over Darwin's theory is long-standing and will doubtless persist. Yet, objections to the theory based on spiritual or philosophical perspectives do not undermine its scientific validity, importance, and impact. For 150 years since the publication of Darwin's Origins of Species, the theory of evolution by natural selection has not been seriously challenged by any other scientific explanation. Evolution serves as the foundation for all of modern biology, including research critical to human welfare, medicine, and the fight against disease.

​Let's learn more about the reactions to Darwin's Theory of Evolution..

Important ideas presented and supported by On the Origin of Species

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• Natural Selection

• Scientific Naturalism

• Evolutionary Adaptation

On November 24, 1859, Charles Darwin published one of the most important scientific theories regarding evolution: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. This book is viewed by many as the work that laid much of the groundwork for evolutionary biology. In it, Darwin introduced a number of fascinating ideas and observations about how species evolve. The vast majority of these were based on his time exploring the Galapagos Islands. Ultimately these ideas influenced the way we view evolution and led to the adoption of scientific naturalism as a valid point of view for many prominent thinkers and academics.

​If we ask someone what Charles Darwin’s essential contribution to science was, they are likely to respond that he was the English naturalist who discovered that humans are descended from monkeys. In fact, not only did Darwin never propose that humans are descended from monkeys, but the very idea is erroneous. For some reason, 150 years later, the work of the father of the theory of evolution has remained one of the most misunderstood in the history of science. 🙈🙉🙊

Though Darwin had prepared himself for negative responses from critics, the pushback he received for his ideas was largely what he had expected, though not to the degree that he had anticipated. He largely brushed off critiques from Christian thought-leaders and the Church and showed genuine concern for standing behind his theories and work.

The idea that humans are the result of evolution and chance rather than fate and purpose represented a significant threat to some of the principle ideas behind Christianity. While many of Darwin’s critics used religious debates to negate Darwin’s hypothesis, stating that concepts such as natural selection were incompatible with Christianity and did not allow for essential species, others criticized the work itself.​