By the second half of the 19th century, all the prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory matured. What was needed was a bright and courageous scientist who could formulate a new idea about the origin of species. In general, these premises can be divided into two groups - scientific and socio-economic.
Criticism of creationists
Charles Darwin formulated the main points of the theory of evolution in his book The Origin of Species, published in 1859. There he first used the term "natural selection." Darwin's ideas became a real revolution in science and public consciousness. The secular public argued violently, someone agreed with the scientist, someone doubted. Church theory of evolution was instantly condemned.
And this is not surprising, because for many centuries people believed that the whole world and its creatures were created by God. For Christians, this story is described in the Bible. The theory of the involvement of a certain Absolute in the creation of life in a scientific language was called creationist. These views have not been questioned for centuries. It was only in the 18th century that creationism as a theory was first seriously criticized by philosophers and thinkers. Then the first prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory appeared.
Ideas for the Variability of Nature
In the XVIII century, the philosopher Emanuel Kant came to the conclusion that the Earth did not always exist, but appeared at a certain point in time. He disclosed his point of view in detail in the book "General Natural History and Theory of Heaven." This was one of the first attacks on the Church and its creationist views.
In 1830, the founder of modern geology - the natural scientist Charles Lyell - substantiated the theory that the Earth’s surface changed over time depending on climate fluctuations, volcanic activity and other factors. Lyell was the first to timidly suggest that the organic world was not always the same. His idea was confirmed by paleontological studies of the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. These prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory gave rise to new research.
Theory of Environmental Unity
The first half of the 19th century was marked by discoveries that proved that nature is one. So, for example, the Swedish chemist Jens Berzelius proved that plants and animals consist of the same elements as inorganic bodies. The German chemist and physician Friedrich Wöhler then experimentally first received oxalic acid and then urea for the first time. This researcher proved that organic substances can be synthesized from inorganic. For their occurrence, some divine life-giving force was not needed, as creationists believed.
By the 19th century, Europeans had penetrated the farthest corners of the planet. Research expeditions set off into the tropical forests of Africa and the polar tundra of America. Scientists returning home shared their observations. In educated Europe, they increasingly understood how diverse and complex the world was. These prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory allowed the English scientist to generalize a huge layer of information about different species of animals and plants from around the planet.
Anatomical discoveries
In 1807, the German zoologist Alexander von Humboldt became the founder of the theory that the territorial distribution of living organisms depends on the conditions of their existence. His followers continued to study the relationship between fauna and the environment.
New scientific prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory appear. New disciplines arose, including comparative morphology. Anatomists who studied the internal structure of different species came to the conclusion that they have common features. Botanists at the same time made a breakthrough in comparative embryology.
Agricultural Breeding Development
In addition to scientific, there were also socio-economic prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory. Before the publication of his most famous book, The Origin of Species, a British scientist studied agricultural breeding a lot. It originated in the 19th century thanks to the economic development of the British Empire.
Her colonial acquisitions increased. This allowed farmers to use a variety of crops in the economy. The socio-economic prerequisites for the emergence of Darwin's theory were that particularly prolific farm owners began to artificially improve crops to produce a larger crop. This was done using selection. Changing cultures for their greater adaptability to new conditions in the economy prompted Darwin to the idea that a similar process could occur in nature.
The impact of market economics
The English scientist was greatly influenced by the views of economist Adam Smith. He created a theory about a market economy. It emphasized the importance of competition between different manufacturers. Due to rivalry, companies needed to constantly improve the quality of their products in order to be bought.
Darwin's theory of the origin of man and all other species is based on a similar principle. This rule has been called natural selection. Darwin noted that only those species that are more adapted to changing conditions survive in nature. Everything was in the environment, as in a market economy. The theory of Darwin (the origin of man) insisted on this.
Malthus Demographic Theory
Well-known provisions of the theory of Darwin appeared also thanks to the studies of the English demographer Thomas Malthus. This scientist in his writings substantiated the idea that the human population is growing too fast compared to increased food production. The thought of Malthus was that this contradiction should ultimately lead to mass hunger and a decrease in population.
The theory of the origin of species transfers this principle to all nature in general. Limited resources, sooner or later, should lead to a struggle between representatives of the living world, ”Charles Darwin concluded, drawing on the ideas proposed by Thomas Malthus. The scientist believed that nature independently maintains a balance between species so that everyone has enough food, territory, etc.
Darwin's Observations
Finally, the last prerequisite for Darwin's theory was his own trip around the world on the Beagle ship. The voyage lasted nearly five years (1831-1836). The researcher took part in an expedition whose purpose was to study the outlines of the coast of South America. Thus, Darwin had a unique opportunity to look with his own eyes at the nature of the most mysterious and distant places on the planet.
The Englishman collected a significant number of facts that enabled him to verify the correctness of evolutionary theory. Firstly, he discovered a similarity between the armadillos and sloths of South America and the untouched fossils that the scientist discovered during stops on the mainland. Secondly, Darwin was personally convinced that with the change of geographical zones, the fauna is changing. Some species that lived on the South American shores no longer came across in the tropics, closer to the equator.
On the Galapagos Archipelago, Darwin discovered a different pattern. On each of the islands of this group there was at least one own unique species of animals (owls, lizards, etc.). This observation allowed the English scientist to suggest that in each isolated zone development proceeds in its own way. Darwin summarized all his conclusions, putting them in the form of a new theory in the book “The Origin of Species” (1859). His idea of evolution turned the scientific world upside down.