Evolution, Old & New / Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, / as compared with that of Charles Darwin

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23427

Title

Evolution, Old & New / Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, / as compared with that of Charles Darwin

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Samuel Butler challenges the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, arguing instead for a teleological view where organisms actively adapt to their environments. This work compares the theories of Buffon, Erasmus Darwin, and Lamarck against Charles Darwin, asserting that 'survival of the fittest' is a truism rather than a mechanism of modification, and that design and purpose remain evident in nature.

Summary up to 500 words

In 'Evolution, Old & New,' Samuel Butler mounts a rigorous defense of pre-Darwinian evolutionary theories, specifically those of Buffon, Erasmus Darwin, and Lamarck, against the prevailing interpretation of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Butler argues that Darwin fundamentally misinterprets the mechanism of evolution by conflating a necessary fact with a causal theory. He contends that the 'survival of the fittest' is not an active force or a 'means of modification' but merely a truism: organisms best suited to their conditions naturally survive. To claim this survival drives modification is to mistake a condition for a cause, much like claiming that the heat of steam is the primary cause of a train's motion, rather than the engine driving it. Butler proposes that the true engine of evolution is the active power and desire of organisms to adapt to their circumstances. He asserts that earlier thinkers correctly understood that living beings fashion themselves to fit their environments through use and disuse, driven by an inherent purpose or teleology. In contrast, he accuses Darwin of attributing complex biological adaptations to 'lucky accidents' and blind selection, a view Butler finds intellectually dishonest given the evident design in nature. He maintains that the apparent complexity of biological structures, such as the eagle's eye, cannot be explained solely by the accumulation of accidental variations; rather, they imply a living mind or a purposive process. The work serves as a substantial rehabilitation of the 'old' theories, emphasizing that evolution is not a random walk but a directed process where organisms actively respond to their needs. Butler defends the validity of teleology, arguing that the unity and adaptation seen in nature point to a design that Darwin's theory of blind chance fails to account for. By distinguishing between the fact of survival and the theory of how modification occurs, Butler seeks to clear the misconceptions surrounding early evolutionists and restore the concept of purpose as central to understanding biological development.

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