Darwin Turns 200
January 16, 2009
2009 is the 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. The library has over 200 items authored by Darwin and thousands of items related to his work. This items range from early editions of his books in Special Collections vaults to online access to his works in digital format. Use ScholarSearch or the library catalog to find just what you need.
Here are some samples.
On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or The preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life, Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.
1 copy available at HBLL Special Collections in Vault Collection – 1130 HBLL
Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the world, under the command of Capt. Fitz Roy, R.N. [electronic resource] New ed. Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.
1 copy available at INTERNET in Internet Resources
Insectivorous plants, Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.
1 copy available at HBLL Special Collections in Victorian Collection – 1130 HB
It seems strange that BYU would be honoring a scientist who formulated the theory that life evolved by chance, and because of his studies came to the conclusion that god does not exist. In his autobiography he stated:
….During these two years (March 1837 – January 1839) I was led to think much about religion. Whilst on board the Beagle I was quite orthodox, and I remember being heartily laughed at by several officers (though themselves orthodox) for quoting the Bible as an unanswerable authority on some point of morality. I suppose it was the novelty of the argument that amused them. But I had gradually come by this time (i.e. 1836 to 1839) to see the Old Testament, from its manifestly false history of the world, with the Tower of Babel, the rain-bow as a sign, &c., &c., and from its attributing to God the feelings of a revengeful tyrant, was no more to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindoos, or the beliefs of any barbarian….
….Thus disbelief crept over me at a very slow rate, but was at last complete. The rate was so slow that I felt no distress, and have never since doubted for a single second that my conclusion was correct. I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so, the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my Father, Brother, and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished.
And this is a damnable doctrine….
Thank you for your comment. We’re flattered that you find a blog entry an “honor.” The Harold B. Lee Library collects a wide range of materials to support the mission of Brigham Young University. As a research library we collect materials that our faculty and students need for their research. If the library limited it’s collecting to materials that everyone agreed with our collection would be small indeed and our patrons would lack the resources they need to succeed in their work.
As it happens, this year the works of Darwin are in the news and the library recognizes that this is an opportunity to highlight our growing list of resources available to our patrons. For example, readers may be interested to know that our library has a significant and growing collection of Victorian materials. Darwin’s book on insectivorous plants is part of that collection. The library also has a growing collection of books that influenced history. These materials include a page from a Gutenberg bible, Egyptian papyri, and as mentioned above, a copy of On The Origin of Species. All of these items are available to scholars who are working on research projects. We invite our patrons to learn more about our collections.
Brad, incorrect conclusions (or even a seemingly incorrect conclusion) does not mean that Darwin’s work should be ignored, since they are just that – a mere personal “conclusion”. Not a fact. That there is no God is Darwin’s opinion, which has no relevance towards the significance of his invaluable work which has since been proven both in historical record and modern day laboratories. As “News” mentioned, if the library were reduced to authors who did not come to the same conclusions as we Mormons it would be a small library indeed.
Perhaps I should have said “geological record” instead of “historical record”.
Happy Birthday, Chuck!
and to Brad…Yes, it may seem strange to you, but remember the mission and aims of BYU – there really isn’t a conflict. Also, think about the reason for the GE requirements, which include Biology 100, a course that relies heavily on the work of Charles Darwin. His work has been invaluable to today’s world and probably relates directly to the improvement of your own life in some way (think viral medication and understanding).
Thanks for the announcment HBLL.
President Joseph Fielding Smith on “evolution”:
“EVOLUTIONARY THEORY FALSE. This idea that everything commenced from a small beginning, from the scum upon the surface of the sea, and has gradually developed until all forms of life, the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the plants upon the face of the earth, have all sprung from that one source, is a falsehood absolutely. There is no truth in it, for God has given us his word by which we may know, and all who are led by the Spirit of God can understand through that Holy Spirit, the truth of these things, 3 . . .
How foolish, how narrow, how contemptible it is for men professing to be men of intelligence and possessing scientific knowledge and wisdom, to declare that all life upon this earth is spontaneous, and to confess that they know nothing of any life upon any other world, and, moreover, to declare that the life here has all developed from the same single, simple source.”
I think time and energy would be better spent commemorating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, who, by the way, was born on the same day as Darwin.
Good news. The library is working on an exhibit to honor the birth of Abraham Lincoln and we hope everyone will visit it. We’ll post a news release when it is ready.
I’m glad the library has an extensive collection of Victorian material, including works by and about Darwin. It is possible, and even important, to study his work without believing or granting his dubious philosophy.
But it is a little disingenuous to say he isn’t honored by a blog entry. I doubt we would see a similar blog entry about Hitler or others of his kind.
Thanks for the comment. For the record last year the blog did mention Hitler and it was not to honor him. He is part of world history and there are thousands of items in our collections that have a connection to World War II and are therefore linked to Hitler.
This highlights one of the challenges faced by libraries. Libraries need to contain a wide variety of materials to serve their patrons. When libraries collect books and other materials on topics we are not endorsing the philosophies of authors. For example, our library has books by another significant world figure, Mao Zedong, but we are not promoting communism. On a lighter note we have books on the Olympic sport of curling, yet we are not promoting ice sports. And we even have books on distilleries but no one thinks we promote drinking. This year Darwin is in the news and the library is ready for researchers who will be looking at the role Darwin played in history. Next year it is likely that some patrons will be interested in Edgar Allen Poe and we will help people find materials in our collection on him and his works.
I am glad the library is acknowledging the birthday of Charles Darwin as the significant historical event it is. No matter what your beliefs on evolution, there is no doubt that Darwin has had an impact on the world, especially concerning science. Just because he is wrong about man being descended from monkeys doesn’t mean all of his theories on natural selection and heredity are false. It would be narrow-minded to refuse to join in the international conversation about Darwin just because we disagree with some of his ideas.
What is wrong with marrying the concepts of Darwin evolution and Darwin? We can not say for certainty that is was NOT God’s intent to place the seeds of life on the planet and then evolve animals and even humans out of these seeds. By “seeds of life” I mean the primordial ooze or what have you. Why couldn’t all life evolve from some basic DNA that God put on the earth after its creation. It is stated in Genesis of course that God created man but it doesn’t say exactly how he created man.
Why do we have to rule out the possibility God created man by evolving him into his own image? I don’t think we have to. Besides there’s too much evidence in biological evolution to dismiss it. Science and religion, if you so choose, can be compatible.
It is clear that Brad is not very informed on Darwin and his ideas. Brad states that Darwin was “a scientist who formulated the theory that life evolved by chance”. He is completely wrong on this idea. Natural selection is not a random process, rather it is a deterministic process based on the current environmental conditions. Some mechanisms of evolution are random, like genetic drift and mutation, but other processes are not random like natural selection and non-random mating (inbreeding).
Before quoting from various church leaders occurs, it would be well for Brad and others to search for the “evolution packet” on BYU search page. This packet is the only approved official position of the church concerning this subject.
Brad may be disheartened to learn that Evolution is the capstone course required by most biology degrees at BYU. So either the Church feels that it’s OK to teach this subject again and again, or the Biology department is simple filled with “men professing to be men of intelligence and possessing scientific knowledge and wisdom”. As for me, I earned both BS and PhD from BYU in Biology, I testify that the professors there ARE men of intelligence and possess scientific knowledge and wisdom.
Chad – It seems to me that your statements on evolution are completely logical, as evidenced by no further comments to this discussion. Evolution is easily recognized as a pattern found in nature and natural selection is just as obvious as the method by which evolution occurs.
Brad W. – if one were to look for comments by church leaders on evolution, they’d be able to find them both for and against. Don’t you think that if the comment you posted by Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith were true doctrine, the church would have an official position against evolution? Yet, the church has no official position on evolution. There have been official statements though that: “we were created in the image of God.”
To assume that LDS doctrine is based on a single, unreferenced, quote and that by simply throwing names around you can intimidate others from seeking greater light and knowledge, is quite shallow. I will not immediately assume this was anyone’s intent but I warn, this is a pointless battle.
For a long time zealous religionists and intellectual scientists have been at odds. Not because either was right or wrong but because of the rhetoric. To quote Darwin and imply that because he had lost his faith in a false religion is evidence that his theories are incompatible with LDS beliefs of the creation is not a well thought out argument. Darwin was suffering under the burden of the literal translation of the Bible, blind faith in the declarations of the church, a vengeful God who appeared to have no mercy and the threat of hell for himself and his friends because they did not buy into it. I too, do not believe that these maxims apply to true religion and would not long remain in a faith that required them of me?
There are indeed many scientists that do not believe in the existence of a supreme being but there are even more that do, and many who do, also believe the concept of Biological Evolution to be valid. On the flip side, there are many religionists that believe the world is flat. I suppose one could easily be convinced since they base this belief on the literal reading of the Bible.
Since the present angst seems to be against the celebration of a great man’s life work, and supposing that it is contrary to the doctrine of the Church, let me quote the first presidency of 1909.
“The Lord must reveal Himself, or remain unrevealed; and the same is true of the facts relating to the origin of Adam’s race–God alone can reveal them. Some of these facts, however, are already known, and what has been made known it is our duty to receive and retain.”
Improvement Era Vol. 8, November 1909, No. 1.
That quote is most readily available in the BYU Evolution Packet. Please read the packet. You may come away from it realizing that the Church has no doctrinal position on the idea of Biological Evolution. I came away realizing that revelation is in store for all those who seek it, no matter what topic. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it is our duty to increase in knowledge and rely on the Spirit to teach us truth. We worship our God and defend his teachings on a basis of truth, not rhetoric. The truth is, many concepts that were presented by Darwin have been verified and can be observed. Thus, it is our duty to receive and retain.
This topic is a great topic for discussion because there is a lot of clarity to be gained on both sides. This is not about shutting up the other side. This is about learning something and improving our understanding by evaluating the data.
edit: first paragraph
I am not trying to call anyone shallow but after rereading I find that I cannot edit it out. Sorry.
Here is a thesis paper written by a grad student for the Dept. of English. This paper reviews the opinions on evolution of people within the LDS church as well as the associated assumptions of such a discussion. It gets good around page 38.
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd2411.pdf
Or go the HBLL, site search, type “organic evolution”
Title: MORMON RHETORIC AND THE THEORY OF ORGANIC EVOLUTION