The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America - Part 2, Chapter 6 Brazil, Section 2 Summary & Analysis

Louis Menand
This Study Guide consists of approximately 79 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Metaphysical Club.
Study Guide

The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America - Part 2, Chapter 6 Brazil, Section 2 Summary & Analysis

Louis Menand
This Study Guide consists of approximately 79 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Metaphysical Club.
This section contains 593 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
Buy The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America Study Guide

Part 2, Chapter 6 Brazil, Section 2 Summary

Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, was published in 1859. He had discovered the process of natural selection in 1838 and had theorized on the mutability of a species by 1844. However, not once throughout the whole book is the word "evolution" found. This is because the book was not about evolution, but it focused on taking supernatural intelligence out of the equation.

Many people believed that evolution was a tool used by God. These evolutionists followed either Jean Baptist Lamarck's theory of "progressive adaptation," or Herbert Spencer's theory of "mind and behavior."

Darwin's theory was based on the fact that all animals and people evolve to survive, and this change was natural, generated by chance and was blind to other influences around the animal. He had created a whole new way of thinking about the human race...

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This section contains 593 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
Buy The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America Study Guide
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