Introduction
The question of the origin of life has been of great interest to many and this has led to the creation and evolution theory. Charles Darwin made great contributions to the evolutionary theory. He expressed his view that a being cannot originate from a non-being. His argument is that complex beings can develop from very small beings and all beings have a common origin. However, his theory of evolution has been faced with many objections and misinterpretations. His film on the origin of species has been rejected in the United States where it is argued that only a small percentage of the population believes in evolution. Before producing the movie, Charles Darwin had published a book but he took thirty years before releasing the book. He did not publish this book for a long period of time for personal reasons. His survival for the fittest and natural selection theories have affected the lives of many and have also affected politics and philosophy in many countries. Genocides and terrorism have been carried out on minority groups from specific countries and natural selection has been used as a justification for the actions. This paper will seek to analyze Darwin’s evolutionary theory and the way it has been misunderstood.
Darwin’s Hypothesis
The theory of evolution by Darwin argues that all life in the world originates from a common ancestor (Charles and Joseph, 2003). This implies that all life is related since it has a common origin. Both plants and animals have a common ancestral origin. Over time, a simple organism undergoes evolution and develops into a very complex being (Charles 1997). There are many inferences and facts that are derived from the theory. The species in the world are fertile to reproduce. If all these species grew to reproduce, the population would grow rapidly. However, all the species do not survive to reproduce making the population remain roughly the same. Resources are limited but with time the supply stabilizes. All the living things that exist in the world struggle for survival. Every individual in the world is different from all other individuals. Individuals inherit some traits from their origin. In natural selection, only the fittest survive, and their traits are passed on to later generations. Those that are less suited do not survive or reproduce. They die and their traits are eliminated. Individuals in a given population adapt to the environment around them. The accumulation of these variations over time leads to the development of new species (Eldredge 2000). The theory has been rejected by many individuals who believe in creation. It was described as a theory that misleads and Darwin was described as a racist and a mass murderer. Adolf Hitler is thought to have employed the theory of natural selection as advocated for by Darwin during his tenure as the German leader.
Publication of Origin of Species by Darwin
Darwin had his theory of natural selection ready by the year 1838 but for personal reasons, he did not publish the book for about thirty years. Many have tried to give their views on the reasons as to why he never revealed the information immediately it was ready. Research that has been done shows that the reasons that could have led to the delay are mostly personal. Some have argued that publishing the theory could have brought social and familial upheaval on Darwin (Wyhe n. d). The theory could have brought disturbance to many believers. One such person who would have been disturbed includes his wife as well as other close friends. He also had a good relationship with his father who had been widowed and publishing the work at this time could have affected him. He, therefore, found it important to keep the information private until such time as when he felt it was safe and efficient. Some other commentators argue that he needed more time to test his ideas with other evidence that he would later on come across. This would help him have many references to support his work before it was released. The more the evidence that he provided, the more the people were likely to see some sense in the work. Darwin could also have feared religious persecution, bearing in mind that most of the individuals are against the theory. Individuals who believed in creation saw Darwin as a sinner who was opposing God. They saw the theory as a cause of the problem, especially for the politicians. Revealing his ideas would have led to religious prosecution. He also feared social disgrace by individuals in society. During his adult life, Darwin fell ill frequently, meaning that he would frequently be bedridden. These illnesses distracted his normal life and they could also have caused the delay in publishing the theory. Previously, Darwin had done a paper on Glen Roy. This paper was embarrassingly wrong. Maybe he did not want to make such a mistake of producing a wrong paper and therefore needed much time to prove his idea right. The time that he took to produce the theory could also have made him doubt the efficiency of the theory. Darwin’s theory of natural selection was not published for a long period of time mainly for personal reasons.
Darwin’s Theory and the Society
The vision of Darwin’s theory that has had a great impact on society is the one on natural selection. This is also referred to as survival for the fittest. This affects the lives of individuals every day. Only those individuals that adapt to the environment can survive in case of any changes (Spencer 1983). Different individuals in society assume different roles and some roles that are played by certain individuals cannot be played by others. Each individual has what he or she can do best. Those that are best suited to perform a certain role are selected by nature. If an individual joins a field that is not his or her, he or she cannot survive due to a lack of the necessary traits required in that field. Also, individuals in a given society compete for resources in the society. Those who are fit enough make use of these resources while those that are not fit go without the resources. A good example of these communications is education where some individuals excel well and assume higher positions in organizations while those that do not perform well assume other lower positions in society. Investors get into business offering similar products to the same customers. The strategies that an investor employs and the quality of products that he or she offers determine the customers that he or she is will attract. Some investors will make losses and give up. Competition however leads to improvement because individuals produce the best so as to beat their opponents. The theory of natural selection has many impacts on society.
Political and Philosophical Interpretations
The theory of natural selection has been interpreted by some politicians from various countries and races in a way that brings conflicts to other countries and races that are believed to be minor. Nations have engaged in conflicts and the weaker ones have been destroyed and some of their citizens even killed. Also, individuals from some minor races and other minority groups have been discriminated against and killed in the name of natural selection (Rama 2001). Natural selection does not mean that those who have the capacity to eliminate others do so. The unfit should be eliminated naturally by other forces in society. The Europeans in the nineteenth century for example used Africans as slaves and later conquered the African countries. Politicians argue that these behaviors are natural and inevitable. Some races were seen to be less evolved than the Europeans. These individuals- especially the Africans- were seen to be closer to the apes than all other beings. Terrorist activities were conducted on the minority groups and individuals would justify their activities on the basis of natural selection (Sewell 2009). The theory of natural selection had it that the civilized man could replace the savaged races. Adolf Hitler used this theory to perform a mass destruction on individuals he believed to be unfit when he formed a socialist state. The theory has been a source of conflicts and destruction on humans and property (Kent 2004).
The theory of natural selection is known to affect human and animal behavior. The theory affects the social and spiritual behaviors of individuals who study it (Brem and Ranney 2003). This knowledge acts as a deterrent to cohesion of human races and a threat to spiritual freedom. An individual from a race regarded as a minor would feel threatened by the existence of other major races. The theory is against the creation and the existence of sins. Actions that individuals refer to as sins according to the theory are just a way of eliminating the individuals who are not fit. Many people live pure lives because they expect to be rewarded after their struggle here on earth. The theory may make individuals lack a reason for struggling if there is no reward and god does not exist.
Traditional Darwinism and the Modern views on Evolution
Approaches to the Darwinism theory – especially the traditional ones and the current – at times contrast. Darwin’s theory argues that species evolve gradually to form complex species. He argues that it takes quite some time but the theory has recently been challenged by some people. There is the recent punctuated equilibrium theory which discusses how new species of organisms suddenly originate in speciation (Eldredge 2002). This view is at odds with what Darwinism had propagated and hence a departure from the previous traditional belief. The theory presumes that evolution takes hundreds or thousands of years to achieve speciation, unlike in Darwin’s evolution which requires millions of years.
The punctuated equilibrium theory argues that minimal or no change in an organism takes place after speciation but Darwinism theory argues that evolution occurs gradually and constantly over time (Geoff 2000). Increased populations and limited resources lead to natural selection but the according to the punctuated theory, isolation of a section of population and limitation of food are the main drivers of speciation. The theory of punctuated equilibrium also asserts that mutation occurs in the population faster and favorably due to the small numbers of the members of that group (Hannah 2006). The two theories also have differences in the way organisms are formed. Darwin asserts that the species transform into a morphologically and genetically improved species while the punctuated theory asserts that a split of the species occurs leading to the formation of two species with distinct features which they retain until they become extinct.
Molecular Genetics
Many scientists today are concentrating on the study of molecular genetics. The field of molecular genetics deals with unearthing the mystery surrounding the morphology and the physiology in relation to genes particularly at the molecular level. It also tries to give an explanation of how the movement of these genes takes place in the molecules and how they are passed down the generations (Gould 2002). The study of molecular genetics has helped biologists in the understanding of how hereditary variations could be explained by genetic mutations which occur as a result of the discontinuous variations in the species. Evolution is believed to occur over many years and it was not possible to document all their anatomical features. The future of evolution therefore lies in integration of molecular genetics in drawing up of the phylogenetic trees. New technologies have been used to utilize DNA sequencing in the determination of phylogenies (Evolution n. d).
Conclusion
Darwin’s theory argues that all species have a common origin. Complex species develop from simple species. The process of evolution is gradual and takes place over a long period of time. His theory on the origin of species took too long to be published mainly for personal reasons. The theory affects the society in many ways because it affects their behaviors and beliefs. The theory has been used by politicians to justify their genocide and terrorist actions. Some theories such as the punctuated equilibrium theory differ with the theory of Darwin in some areas.
References
Brem, S. K and Ranney, M., 2003. The Perceived Consequences of Evolution: College Students Perceive Negative Personal and Social Impact in Evolutionary Theory. Sci Edu 3(87):181–206.
Charles, D and Joseph, C., 2003. On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection. Canada: national library of Canada. Xv-xviii.
Charles l., 1997. Principles of Geology. New Jersey: Princeton Press, 23-35.
Eldredge, Niles., 2000. The Pattern of evolution. New York: W. H. Freeman, 24-38.
Eldredge, Niles., 2002. Species, Speciation, and Environment. Web.
Evolution., n. d. Phylogenetic Systematics: Reconstructing Evolutionary History. 2010. Web.
Geoff, H. (2000). The Theory of Evolution: Charles Darwin. Web.
Gould, S. J., 2002. The structure of Evolutionary Theory. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 112-126.
Hannah, R., 2006. The Origin of Totalitaism 1951: The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, New York: Atlas Books, 21-29.
Kent, R., 2004. Scientific Facts Proving Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is Wrong, False, and Impossible. Web.
Rama, S. S., 2001. Thinking about evolution: historical, philosophical, and political perspectives. London: McMillan Publishers, 54-65.
Sewell, D., 2009. The Political Gene: How Darwin’s Ideas Changed Politics. New Statesman Articles. Web.
Spencer, C.H., 1983.On the Darwinian Hypothesis of the Significance of Tristyly. Toronto. University of Toronto Press. Web.
Wyhe, J., n. d. Mind the Gap: Why Did Darwin avoid publishing his Theory for many Years? Royal Society Article. 2010. Web.