Blog 1: Survival of the Fittest

Blog 1: Survival of the Fittest

Thomas Robert Malthus

 

1.       Thomas Malthus influenced most over the Darwin’s development of his Natural selection theory. Natural Selection is the beginning of Darwin’s’ theory. Darwin was inspired and amused by the book the Malthus’s essay on the principle of Population, on how the individual survive in which the idea of the survival of the fittest. Darwin was fascinated by Malthus idea about survival “only individuals of a species that had favorable adaptations would survive long enough to pass down those traits to their offspring. This is the cornerstone of natural selection.” (Scoville)

 2.       Thomas Robert Malthus wrote the book, “The Essay of Population on the Principle of Population as It Affects the future Improvement of Society”, through his essay it was given a lot of attention and showed an impact on the British social aspect. The Poor Laws was created which “encouraged large families with their doles. If they had “never existed,” wrote Malthus, “though there might have been a few more instances of severe distress, the aggregate mass of happiness among the common people would have been much greater than it is at present. These laws limited the mobility of labor, he said, and encouraged fecundity and should be abolished. For the most unfortunate it might be reasonable to establish workhouses—not “comfortable asylums” but places in which “fare should be hard” and “severe distress . . . find some alleviation.” (Britannica Encyclopedia). I believe Malthus; “Poor Laws” has a contribution to the scientific community. I came from a country where human population where exceeding the land space of the country and I believe that his theory has a scientific basis to the community. Too much population created severe problems not only in the community as well as the government. This would also apply his essay of the Principle of Population wherein only individual who are fit survive most of the time. Another contribution Malthus makes was his summary “Principles of Political Economy Considered with a View to Their Practical Application (1820)”. He stated that “To maximize wealth, a nation had to balance “the power to produce and the will to consume.” (Britannica Encyclopedia) which I agreed to his principle. He also believe that being “the principles of saving, pushed to excess, would destroy the motive to production.” (Britannica). Many of the problem of some business establishment today instead of producing quality products, they ended up cost cutting it. Products are substandard as a result it chases away the buying public. It diminishes the credibility to the buying public of the products that are being cost cut or now being produced with sub standard quality.  http://www.allaboutscience.org/thomas-malthus-faq.htm

 3.       Evolution work:

·         The Malthusian theory was about the population growth and the demand. The struggle to survive caught Darwin’s theory about the how the organisms or animals survive the fittest since the planet has a limited resources. One who is weak will not survive and those who are well equipped and adapt the environment will survive thus Darwin connect the idea of the survival in the evolution theory.

·         Darwin believed that the even the smallest organism who survive even to the extreme condition will progress and evolve thus it is called the Natural Selection of Evolution.

·         Those organisms who survive will leave their traits to their offspring and evolve thus it resulted to a new form of organism or species.

4.       Charles Darwin would not develop his natural selection theory without the influence and ideas of this individual because through Malthus essay, Darwin’s idea of the survival of the fittest had built his ideas of how the species survive and evolve in a long run. The fossils shows and carbon dating (Carbon 14) showed evidences how the earliest fossil evolve and how this fossils, organisms and species struggle to survive and in the process evolve. Through Malthus principle Darwin was able to connect his theory of evolution.

5.       The attitude of the church affects Charles Darwin and his eventual publication of his book “On the Origin of Species” basically the theory contradicted the religious beliefs. In his book “On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection” mainly it is all about the how the diversity of life begun from the common species which evolve through times though Darwin’s book created a very controversial debate amongst the religion advocates of creationism. The moral and spiritual issues that animals have no spiritual lives. Moreover, it creates constraints during the 1^9th century. Many scholars and scientists also see the pitfalls of Darwin’s evolution theory like the genes theory and the role of heredity which Darwin couldn’t explain well. However, some religious leaders believe that part of the publication was true which included the beginning of the world coincide the theory of how the earth begins. “Among these believers were the liberal clergymen in the Church of England who then interpreted Darwin’s work as God’s instrument” (Darwin Correspondence Project, 2007). In America Asa Gray was one of the Darwin’s theory believer.  The book diversified people beliefs and many of the religion wouldn’t accept the theory as this contradicts the theory of morality and spirituality of human being. Scientist and biologist also see the pitfalls of Darwin’s work.

 

Conclusion:

Though we are diversified by Charles Darwin’s work but this only indicates that his evolution theory will still be a part of our science history. Though many debates come out to the open either religious and scientific studies but his work will always remained a part of our scientific existence. When Charles Darwin read the essay of Thomas Malthus I believe it is the beginning of the history of evolution. The essay gave Darwin a spark of a brilliant idea that led to the theory of evolution. I also believe that one has to survive in many harsh condition to reproduce or to have an offspring so one has a chance to evolve. Through the scientific studies and evidences of fossils, the theory was developed. We may wonder, Are we really the descedants of a certain organism that evolve to a human like creature as Ape? or just a certain phenomenon that no one could explain the root of human existence?

References:

All about science.org

Charles Darwin and his Legacy. www.library.otago.ac.nz

Darwin Correspondence Project, 2007

Scoville, Heather. People Who Influenced Charles Darwin