 The issue of the cover ofTransactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh that the "Theory of the Earth" was first published | |
| Author | James Hutton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. 1 |
| Publisher | Royal Society of Edinburgh |
Publication date | 1788 |
| Publication place | Scotland |
Theory of the Earth is a publication byJames Hutton which laid the foundations forgeology.[1][2] In it he showed that the Earth is the product of natural forces. What could be seen happening today, over long periods of time, could produce what we see in the rocks. It also hypothesized that theage of the Earth was much older than whatbiblical literalists claim.[3] This idea,uniformitarianism, was used byCharles Lyell in his work, and Lyell's textbook was an important influence onCharles Darwin. The work was first published in 1788[4] by theRoyal Society of Edinburgh, and later in 1795 as two book volumes.[5][6]
Hutton recognized that rocks record the evidence of the past action of processes which still operate today. He also anticipatednatural selection, as follows: "Those which depart most from the best adapted constitution, will be the most liable to perish, while, on the other hand, those organised bodies, which most approach to the best constitution for the present circumstances, will be best adapted to continue, in preserving themselves and multiplying the individuals of their race".[7]
Hutton'sprose hindered his theories.[8] They were not taken seriously until 1802, when Edinburgh University mathematics professorJohn Playfair restated Hutton's geological ideas in clearer, much simpler English.[3] However, he left out Hutton's thoughts onevolution.[9]Charles Lyell in the 1830s popularised the idea of an infinitely repeating cycle (of theerosion of rocks and the building up ofsediment). Lyell believed in gradual change, and thought even Hutton gave too much credit tocatastrophic changes.
Hutton's work was published in different forms and stages:
