• Question: How would you describe the impact Darwin's theory had on society when it was first introduced? How do you think people's opinions in general have changed over the years?

    Asked by ashleigh93 to Ed, Katie, Sam, Steve, Vera on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Steven Daly

      Steven Daly answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      When it was first introduced it caused quite a fuss, especially amongst the religious community because it contrdicts that God created all the animals. When it was first introduced it did not have anywhere near the level of confirmation as the theory does today – in fact there was no method of inheritance back then, so it was open to criticism and debate. All science should be open to this, until there is enough evidence to be sure it is right. In science you are wrong until you can proove you are right.

      I think that the majority of people now accept evolution. However I think there is a lot of misunderstandings going on, which is to be expected with any scientific theory, they are never as simple as they look, and to someone who has not learnt about them a lot they can be very confused. I think the obvious area where there has been no change in opinion, or the wront sort is in the fundamental religious arguements againsr evolution. These are usually poor arguements but they confuse the issue and make people question the science. That is a shame because evolution is the one thing that genuinely does link every single person and other living thing on this planet.

    • Photo: Vera Weisbecker

      Vera Weisbecker answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Darwins theory didn’t find people totally unprepared – other workers also had figured out or were starting to figure out what was going on (famously, Darwin actually only published his idea when he realized that someone else – Alfred Wallace – had come up with the same idea). So while there was a lot of debate and a lot of resistance from the religious quarter, many academics weren’t that surprised and the so-called “lower classes” loved the idea because it suggested that people are all equally evolved from the same ancestor, and not subject to some god-given “pecking order” like the class system.

      Like Steven said, the Theory of Evolution overall took hold very quickly and today the overwhelming majority of people now agree that evolution is a fact, although some creationists will tell you that this isn’t so.

    • Photo: Ed Morrison

      Ed Morrison answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      One of the most important implications of Darwin’s ideas on evolution was there is continuuity bewteen humans and other species of animals. Because we are all related, and humans are not created separately, we can see links between us and other species.

      This idea helped to overturn the so-called “great chain of being”, which had simple insects and spiders at the bottom, then fish, then mammals, then humans, then angels, then God, in order of importance. Or as Borat puts it, “God, man, horse, dog, then woman, then rat.” LOL.

      I would also disagree a litle with Steven. Evolution does not mean that God didn’t create animals (and other life). It just means that they weren’t created as they look now all at the same time. And many religious people even in Darwin’s accepted his ideas pretty quickly. Not all though.

    • Photo: Katie Marriott

      Katie Marriott answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      I think Darwin would have been very nervous about it because it was very different to the way people believed humans had existed on Earth. People then were a lot more religious and it would have challenged them in the way that they thought about the Earth and even thier religion.

      I think people opinions have changed a lot over the years and people are more accepting to the theory. It has become easier to communicate ideas due to the intevention of the printing press, telephones and more recently the internet. This makes it easier for scientists to share their evidence and therefore people have more knowledge to base their opinions on.

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