Evolution before Darwin : theories of the transmutation of species in Edinburgh, 1804-1834.
Evolutionary theories are believed to have received a cold reception in British natural history circles in the early 19th century, but recently serious doubt has been cast on this assumption. This book is a major study of what was the most important centre of pre-Darwinian evolutionary thought in th...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press,
2019.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to this title online (unlimited users allowed) |
| Summary: | Evolutionary theories are believed to have received a cold reception in British natural history circles in the early 19th century, but recently serious doubt has been cast on this assumption. This book is a major study of what was the most important centre of pre-Darwinian evolutionary thought in the British Isles. It shows that Edinburgh in the late 1820s and early 1830s was witness to a veritable ferment of radical new ideas on the natural world, including speculation on the origin and evolution of life, at just the time when Charles Darwin was studying medicine in the city. Those who were students in Edinburgh at the time could have hardly avoided coming into contact with these new ideas, espoused as they were by many of professors, fellow students and acquaintances in Edinburgh. This book sheds new light on the genesis and development of one of the most important scientific theories. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781474445801 1474445802 1474445780 9781474445788 9781474476515 1474476511 |