Charles Darwin waited 20 years to publish 'On the Origin of Species' because he wanted to gather enough evidence and refine his theory of evolution by natural selection before making it public.
Darwin spent nearly twenty years observing, recording, and rechecking his hypotheses on evolution. He wanted to be certain before publishing, in order to avoid gross errors or being caught off guard by criticism. He accumulated a wealth of observations on plants, domestic animals, and fossils, exchanging ideas with many different naturalists to confront his thoughts. He even conducted small experiments at home on the breeding of pigeons and the reproduction of plants, aiming to delve deeper into his principles and concretely test his ideas. The goal? To obtain a maximum of solid evidence to defend his theory before the scientific community.
At the time of Darwin, the Anglican Church largely dominated mindsets in England, asserting a unique and fixed divine creation of all living species. Darwin's idea, with its concept of a changing and evolving nature, radically challenged this established religious thinking. In short, it risked causing a real upheaval in the very devout and conservative Victorian society. Darwin therefore feared the reaction of his contemporaries, particularly the rupture with some of his scientific friends, many of whom shared the dominant beliefs or feared the controversy. He knew that publishing would mean putting himself at odds with many influential figures of his time, a situation far from easy to bear.
Darwin was in the midst of a dilemma: his wife Emma was deeply religious, and he feared that his theory of evolution would clash with her beliefs. He also dreaded the negative reactions from his peers and was very concerned about the social impact his work could have on his family. His fragile health often made him anxious, and Darwin preferred to avoid any unnecessary controversy. This struggle between his scientific discoveries and his family responsibilities clearly influenced his decision to wait so long to publish On the Origin of Species.
For Darwin, there was no question of publishing lightly; he wanted concrete evidence. He therefore spent years patiently gathering all types of evidence—fossils, specimens of animals and plants from around the world. He also took into account direct observations, such as breeding pigeons or conducting in-depth studies of orchids. Basically, he wanted to accumulate as many solid examples as possible to support his theory, convinced (rightly so!) that an idea as groundbreaking as his needed to be backed by a mountain of concrete facts. This caution allowed him to calmly refine his ideas, anticipate critical objections, and ultimately have a solid theory before presenting it to the scientific community and the general public.
For years, Darwin exchanged quite a few letters with Alfred Russel Wallace, a naturalist traveling in Southeast Asia. In 1858, Wallace sent Darwin a text describing a theory remarkably similar to the theory of natural selection that he had been secretly working on for a long time. At that point, Darwin panicked a little: he realized that if he waited any longer, Wallace might publish first. Encouraged by his scientific friends, especially to avoid being outdone, Darwin agreed to have their ideas presented together before the members of the Linnean Society of London that same year. This event significantly accelerated the publication of his book "On the Origin of Species", finally released in 1859. Without Wallace and this little friendly pressure, Darwin might have hesitated for much longer.
Darwin received a letter from Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858 outlining ideas on evolution that were remarkably similar to his own, which ultimately prompted him to quickly publish his years of accumulated work.
Before publishing "On the Origin of Species," Darwin experimented with plants and selected domestic pigeons to better understand and document the mechanisms of natural selection.
Darwin was aware that his theory would clash with the dominant religious beliefs of his time, which contributed to his prolonged hesitation before publication.
In 1839, Darwin secretly confided in his notebooks, comparing the announcement of his theory of evolution to "confessing to a murder," revealing the intensity of his social and moral apprehensions.
After its publication, Darwin received both fierce criticism and enthusiastic support. Among his notable supporters was Thomas Huxley, nicknamed 'Darwin's bulldog' for his tireless defense of Darwinian ideas to both the scientific community and the general public.
Wallace, who had independently arrived at a similar theory on evolution, exerted indirect pressure on Darwin to publish his own theories quickly. Correspondence between the two men on this matter prompted Darwin to finalize his work after twenty years of restraint and continuous improvement.
Yes, the fear of negative religious reactions to a theory that directly challenged the traditional biblical view held back Darwin. Being aware of the social influence of religion within Victorian society, Darwin was particularly cautious before publicly presenting his findings.
The voyage on the HMS Beagle allowed Darwin to directly observe the diversity of life and the variation of species according to their environment. These observations provided essential empirical groundwork for the development of his theory of evolution by natural selection.
Darwin was very cautious and rigorous, preferring to meticulously gather solid evidence before publishing his theory. He had no deep doubts about the general validity of his idea, but he wanted to ensure that it was as impactful and irrefutable as possible before publication.
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