Lyell's Geological Influence On The Origins Of Man

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The works of Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell had a lot of parallelisms though Darwin wouldn't have been able to come up with his theory of Evolution without the help of Lyell's Principles of Geology. Lyell's influence on Darwin cannot be overestimated as he created the framework of thought for Darwin's body of work. Lyell taught Darwin not only how to think about nature but, most importantly, time. Without Lyell's ¨deep time¨ theory, Darwin's concept of gradual evolution wouldn't have advanced during his long trip on the Beagle. Lyell convinced many in the scientific community that geology was better explained by natural processes that occurred over eons rather than all at once by the hand of god. The logical way of Lyell's writing style (he was also a lawyer) easily transmitted his ideas to Darwin during his long voyage in 1837. Lyell's deistic view of geology had influenced Darwin so much that he wrote to his friend, Leonard Horner, ¨... I cannot say how forcibly impressed I am with the infinite superiority of the Lyellian school of geology over the continental. I always feel as if my book came half out of Lyell's brains and that I never acknowledge this sufficiently, nor do I know how I can, with out saying so in so many words- for I have always thought that the great merit of the Principles, was that it altered the whole tone of one's mind and therefore that when seeing a thing never seen by Lyell, one yet saw it partially through his eyes.¨ (Browne 602) Darwin's trip on the Beagle lasted over five years while doing coastal surveys and keeping journals, having ample time to reflect on his findings and come up with his theories. These journal writings give us an inside look at his thought process and how he came to conclusions about his theories of Natural Selection. Obviously he had a long time to spend with Principles of Geology and it influenced him greatly
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