Darwin, and after darwin

An examination of post-darwinian theories on heredity and utility

George John Romanes

234 pages, parution le 15/02/2024

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Résumé

The text is an excerpt from "Darwin, and After Darwin" by George John Romanes, focusing on the second volume which discusses post-Darwinian questions related to heredity and utility. Romanes explores the evolution of Darwin's theory, emphasizing that Darwin himself did not view natural selection as the sole mechanism of evolution. Instead, Darwin acknowledged the role of other factors, such as the inheritance of acquired characteristics and the direct influence of environmental conditions. Romanes contrasts Darwin's views with those of Alfred Russel Wallace and the Neo-Darwinian school, which argue for the exclusivity of natural selection in adaptive evolution. The text also touches on the Neo-Lamarckian school, particularly in the United States, which attributes greater importance to the inheritance of acquired traits. Additionally, Romanes critiques various post-Darwinian theories, including those of Geddes, Cope, and Henslow, which propose alternative mechanisms for evolution but often lack empirical support or fail to provide a comprehensive explanation. The text concludes with a discussion on Wallace's views on human evolution, where he diverges from Darwin by suggesting that certain human traits, both physical and mental, cannot be explained by natural selection alone and may require the intervention of a higher intelligence.