Charles Darwin was far from the first person to defend the idea that new species originate by a natural evolutionary process. Why did Charles Darwin succeed in convincing his fellow naturalists when many before him had failed? Based on a decades-long study of his private notebooks and correspondence, this lecture will describe the methods of inquiry that lie behind Darwin’s brilliant presentation of the theory of evolution by natural selection presented in On the Origin of Species.
James G. Lennox, PhD, is a professor emeritus of history and philosophy of science, University of Pittsburgh. He has published widely on Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and evolutionary biology.