Romanticism was an intellectual movement that arose in the late eighteenth century and continued through the nineteenth century. The movement had roots in the arts,literature, and science. Largely conceived as a reaction towards the extreme rationalism of theEnlightenment, it championed expressing emotions through aesthetic and emphasizing the transcendent allure of the natural world.
There has been significant work done by historians about how romanticism played a significant role in the development of moderntheories of evolution. Most notable is the work done byRobert J. Richards, a professor at theUniversity of Chicago. Richards, and others, have contributed significantly to the conversation about how Romanticism plays a significant role in evolution theory, especially regardingGerman Romanticism.
Charles Darwin became acquainted with Humboldt's exploration and science while studying atCambridge. Here, Darwin was taken under the direction ofJohn Stevens Henslow (1796–1861), Professor of Botany, who strongly encouraged Darwin to travel and study nature. Henslow also encouraged Darwin to readAlexander von Humboldt's manuscripts on exploring nature, and it was, at least in part, Humboldt's work that inspired Darwin's romantic notion of travel and discovery.[1]
Prior to Darwin's departure on theH.M.S. Beagle, Henslow bestowed to Darwin the English translation of Humboldt'sRelation historique du voyage aux regions equinoxiales du nouveau continent, which the translator (Helen Maria Williams) calledPersonal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America. Darwin read Humboldt'sPersonal Narrative thoroughly while on his own journey of scientific exploration on board theBeagle.[1]
Darwin and Humboldt spent their later years exchanging letters and manuscripts. After reading Darwin's writings from theBeagle, Humboldt wrote to Darwin: “You told me in your kind letter that, when you were young, the manner in which I studied and depicted nature in the torrid zones contributed toward exciting in you the ardor and desire to travel in distant lands. Considering the importance of your work, Sir, this may be the greatest success that my humble work could bring. Works are of value only if they give rise to better ones.[2]
The two men finally met in person in 1842. Humboldt died in 1859, sixth months before the first edition ofOn the Origin of Species was published. In letters to his close friendJoseph Dalton Hooker, Darwin reflected that his "whole course of life" was due to having read Humboldt'sPersonal Narrative and conclusively praised Humboldt as the "Greatest scientific traveller who ever lived."[1]
Historians have noted that Humboldt's vision of aesthetic appraisal and science was incredibly comprehensive and modern for his time: consequently, his work contributed to advancing observation in geography, geophysics, and natural history.[3] It has also been noted that Darwin's aesthetic approach to the natural world through his explorations and consequent observations was influenced by Humboldt's excursions and literature.[4]
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was aGerman Romantic poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, artist, andstatesman whose works contributed significantly tonatural history.
In 1790, Goethe wroteVersuch die Metamorphose der Pflanzen zu erklären(Metamorphosis of Plants) andZur Morphologie, creating the scientific field ofmorphology, the branch of study in biology that deals with the structural forms of organisms. In his texts, Goethe used morphology to describehomology between parts of different organisms (for example, comparing the arm of a human to the fin of a whale). Goethe further suggested that adaptive modifications in an organism's parts were all relative to aBauplan, an idealized, common archetype. Robert J. Richards suggests thatVersuch die Metamorphose der Pflanzen zu erklären transformed biological sciences during this time period.[5] Historian Joan Steigerwald suggests that Goethe's morphology was inherently Romantic, as they were idealistic.[6] She also argues that Goethe's experiences with nature and aesthetics were the driving factors in his postulation of an "ideal" form (theBauplan).[7]
Later evolutionists, includingCarl Gegenbaur andErnst Haeckel, usedphenotypic variation first described by Goethe in his texts about morphology to advance the understanding of evolution. As a Romantic, Goethe also paved the way for equally influential Romantic-scientists, includingAlexander von Humboldt andFriedrich Schelling. ProfessorRobert J. Richards of the University of Chicago argues that it was both the Romantic perspectives of Schelling and Goethe which paved the way for a nature-centric understanding of evolution.[8]
Erasmus Darwin, grandfather ofCharles Darwin, was born inNottinghamshire on 12 December 1731 and died on 18 April 1802. He was a successful physician,botanist, and poet who contributed heavily to evolution theory through his works as a writer-naturalist. Though he is most often linked to theAge of Enlightenment and was an enthusiastic proponent ofMaterialism,[9] Erasmus Darwin's literary contributions popularized interest in the natural world, connecting him to theRomantic movement as well.
In the late 1770s, Erasmus Darwin diverged from his work as a well-known physician due to his interest inbotany. In 1789, he composed "The Love of Plants" which was a collection of poetic verses concerningCarolus Linnaeus'staxonomic system, which he revered deeply. This book was so successful that Erasmus Darwin later included it inThe Botanic Garden (1791), which was composed of two poems, "The Economy of Vegetation" and "The Loves of Plants." "The Economy of Vegetation" is focused on the evolution of mankind through technology and innovation and argues that industrialization was part of a single evolutionary process.
Conversely, "The Loves of Plants" was focused on uniting nature with man through the appreciation of botany. In it, Darwin encourages humans to study botany because plants are a part of the same natural world as man. He also argues that sexual reproduction gives rise to phenotypic change (which his grandson would later incorporate into his own theory of evolution put forth inOn the Origin of Species).
In 1794, Erasmus Darwin also wroteZoonomia, another book of verse, this time dealing with humanphysiology. In this volume, Erasmus Darwin presents himself as aLamarckian evolutionist, advocating the "inheritance of acquired characteristics" theory.[10] He also suggests a theory ofpangenesis in the third volume ofZoonomia, a hypothesisCharles Darwin later propelled.[11] The theories posited inZoonomia are some of the first formal theories on evolution.[12]
Although Erasmus Darwin died seven years beforeCharles Darwin was born, the younger Darwin was not without his grandfather's teachings and works. Charles Darwin readZoonomia when he was 18 years old and found it inspirational.[13]
However, as Charles Darwin got older, he began to resent Erasmus Darwin's work. In the "short historical preface" of his 1860 publication ofOrigin, Darwin denounced Lamarck's belief in "a law of progressive development," followed by a footnote: “It is curious how largely my grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, anticipated the views and erroneous grounds of Lamarck in hisZoonomia'”.[14] Erasmus Darwin, a proponent ofAtheism,Materialism, and also provocativeRomanticism, faced many obstacles in popularizing his views on evolution despite his success as a popular poet. Lamarck had faced similar dissent.[15] Darwin wished to avoid this association, which could impede on his own popularity among the public and the scientific community.[15] In 1879, Charles Darwin had become so polarized in his opinions about his grandfather that when wrote a biography on his grandfather titledThe Life of Erasmus Darwin, it contained so much crudeness that Charles Darwin's daughter, Henriette Darwin, supposedly edited out 16% of the biography.[16]
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