1. Of the given individuals Thomas Malthus was the
most influential in Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Malthus presented one
of the key aspects of natural selection in his own theory of the relationship
between population and resources.
2. Thomas Robert Malthus was an English
economist who published an essay in 1978 on population and its principle in
which he introduced the Malthusian Theory. This theory states that no matter
how much the human population grows population growth would remain in check by
the lack of resources. Humans can produce more food although ultimately as
population grows resources do not they stay basically the same. He used animal
population growth in nature compared to resources to state that resource availability
holds population size in check. MacRae, Donald Gunn. "Malthusian Theory." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia
Britannica, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.
3. What is preventing organisms from reproducing
at their potential? And resources
are limited. Malthus theory gave a platform on which Darwin built upon for
both of these bullet points, as Malthus’s theory essentially says that resources
will not be able to keep up with a rapid growth in population and without the capability
of recourses to keep up with the growth it would just be a matter of time
before population would forced to balance itself to the ration of resources
available. Malthus clearly helped Darwin explain in natural selection that “all
species are capable of producing off spring at a faster rate that food supplies
increase” and “In each generation more off spring are produced then survive,
and because of limited resources, there is a completion among individuals.”( "Pg,38." Introduction to Physical
Anthropology.)
4. Malthus theory made it possible for Darwin to
explain selection in nature and set forth the stepping stone for one of natural
selections main rules. Although, Charles Darwin would have eventually been able
to have made his theory, but without these ideals learned from Malthus it would
have taken him longer.
5. The attitude of the church is to have been said
to have highly affected Darwin’s publication.
Darwin new that because of the religious views at the time his work was
highly controversial and seen as a threat. Thus, the church and its religious views
and teachings held Darwin from releasing his work earlier out of caution.
Great background on Malthus and you did a good job of connecting the dots between Malthus' and Darwin's work, using several sources. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI understand the hesitancy of saying Darwin couldn't have developed his theory with any theoretician in particular. But in Malthus' case, it may actually be true. Even Darwin acknowledges in his writings how important Malthus was to his theory:
"...it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. The results of this would be the formation of a new species. Here, then I had at last got a theory by which to work".
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/malthus.html
I'm a little unclear about your point in the last section. Did Darwin self-censor himself, delaying publication, or did the church convince him to delay? Regardless, what might Darwin have concerned about? What repercussions did he fear for himself and his family?
Thank you. I was trying to keep it brief I felt my post was a bit long already, but too answer your question Darwin censored himself more than anything. Their were people around him pushing him to release his work but he worried about his family especially his wife who was very religious. He did not want to be kicked out of the inner circle he was part of.
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