“On the ordinary view of each species having been independently created, we gain no scientific explanation.”
- February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882
- Born in England (UK)
- Naturalist, geologist, biologist
- Wrote “On the Origin of Species” and proposed the theory of evolution and natural selection
Quote
“On the ordinary view of each species having been independently created, we gain no scientific explanation.”
Explanation
In this quote, Charles Darwin critiques the creationist view that each species was independently created by a divine being, arguing that this perspective does not provide a scientific explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. Darwin, through his theory of evolution by natural selection, sought to offer a coherent scientific framework for understanding the development of species. He proposed that species evolved over time through gradual changes driven by environmental pressures, rather than being created separately and immutably. For Darwin, the theory of evolution provided a much more powerful and testable explanation of how life on Earth became so varied and adapted to its environment.
Historically, Darwin’s work marked a revolutionary shift away from the long-standing belief in special creation as an explanation for biodiversity. The idea of independent creation of species had been widely accepted by religious and scientific communities for centuries. However, Darwin’s observations, particularly from his travels aboard the HMS Beagle, led him to develop the theory of descent with modification—the idea that species share common ancestors and that new species evolve from these ancestral forms through natural processes. This offered a scientific framework that could be tested and refined, rather than relying on the unobservable claim of divine creation.
In modern times, Darwin’s assertion remains central to our understanding of biology. The theory of evolution has since been corroborated by extensive genetic evidence and the fossil record, both of which show the gradual changes in species over time and the shared ancestry of life on Earth. The concept of independent creation, as Darwin pointed out, offers no predictive power or testable hypotheses. Evolutionary theory, on the other hand, continues to drive scientific discovery and offers a unified explanation for the complexity and diversity of life, from the smallest microbes to the most complex organisms, including humans.
