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Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics: How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature
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About Charles Darwin’s Debt To The Romantics: How
Product Description This book argues that the Romantic movement influenced Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. Given that Darwin has traditionally been placed within Victorian naturalism, these Romantic connections have often been overlooked. The volume traces specific examples of Darwin’s reliance on the Romantics – such as Alexander von Humboldt’s Personal Narrative, which he took with him on the Beagle, and the poetry of William Wordsworth, discussed in his notebooks – and explores correlations in Darwin’s own writings. When Darwin refers to the «archetype» in Origin, could he be drawing on Goethe’s own use of the concept? And how to explain his description of all poetry as creating a feeling of «nausea»? In addition to these key figures, the book also explores the possible influence of Darwin’s own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. The book cleverly follows Darwin’s form of the narrative in a search for traces of history in both science and poetry, inspired by the unique imagination of Darwin himself. Review «The influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is famously much-studied; the influences upon Darwin’s theory are less often investigated. Charles Lansley redresses this balance, with regard to Darwin’s debt to the German and English Romantics. This work is by turns delicate and discerning, as appropriate for large-scale and important work of this order.» (Gary Farnell, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Winchester) «This fine study offers a compelling picture of Darwin’s changing relationship to Romanticism during his scientific career. Charles Lansley’s meticulous scholarship and wide-ranging engagement with Darwin’s writings ensure that his account is solidly grounded, yet he also tells a persuasive and engaging story that is never obscured by his detailed research.» (Neil Messer, Professor of Theology, University of Winchester) «This is a persuasive, meticulously researched, and stimulating book that makes a convincing case for Darwin as a 'Romantic' Victorian. In its discussion of Darwin's debt to the Romantics, it acts as a useful reminder of the somewhat arbitrary nature of Romantic and Victorian periodisation. Likewise, it is essential reading for anyone interested in the productive way in which science and art can work together, a topic as germane today as when Darwin first set out, armed with Humboldt's Personal Narrative, on his voyage on the Beagle.» (Jayne Thomas, British Association for Victorian Studies Newsletter, Autumn 2019) «Lansley's book presents a persuasive case for the connections between Darwin and Romanticism from England and Germany. Lansley's research constitutes an impressive study, which is genuinely and rewardingly wide-ranging and interdisciplinary in its approach. Exploring the scientific perspective of Darwin, and also his aesthetic and moral ideas, Lansley's book interrelates organically and perceptively these scientific and literary fields.» (Daniel Vázquez Calvo, The British Association for Romantic Studies (BARS) Review, No. 53, Spring-Autumn 2019) About the Author Charles Morris Lansley is an Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Winchester (2016–2018), where he was awarded his PhD for the research that forms the basis for this book. He also holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy from the University of London, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Leicester and a Master of Arts in Language and Linguistics in Education from the University of Southampton. Prior to his PhD, he worked for the British Council overseas and for the Defence Academy in language and logistics training. Dr Lansley is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His research interests are in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century naturalists and in scientists and poets of the Romantic era.
