The Evolution Debate, 1813-1870

The history of evolutionary thought is often seen as a triumph of secularism in the form of 'scientific naturalism', over religious bigotry. But for those involved in the debate during the nineteenth century, these divisions were not so clearly marked. This collection of nine volumes will bring together key works in the development of evolutionary theory from fundamentalists, such as Philip Gosse who insisted on a literal reading of Genesis, to T.H. Huxley, whose passionate defence of evolution theory earned him the title of 'Darwin's Bulldog'. Between these two extreme positions are situated the works of Cuvier, Wallace, Buckland, Lyell and Owen, all of whom rejected Darwin's version of evolution to varying degrees. Each volume includes a new introduction by the editor, which provides an historical and intellectual context for each of the works, while a general introduction in the first volume provides an overview of the collection as a whole.