What does Darwin argue in The Descent of Man?
In 1871 Darwin published The Descent of Man, which argued that human beings shared a recent common ancestor with the great African apes.
What was the subject of Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man?
Darwin’s book applied the theory of evolution through selection to the human species, through the process of sexual selection, and looked at the development of intellect and moral faculties with regard to how these influenced the choosing of sexual partners.
Why is Darwin’s book called The Descent of Man?
When writing The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication in 1866, Darwin intended to include a chapter including man in his theory, but the book became too big and he decided to write a separate “short essay” on ape ancestry, sexual selection and human expression, which became The Descent of Man.
What is the theory of evolution of man?
Human evolution is the lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral traits shared by all people originated from apelike ancestors and evolved over a period of approximately six million years. Humans are primates.
What did Charles Darwin discuss in the descent of Man?
In Chapters One to Four, Darwin begins by examining the ‘notorious’ similarity between the human skeleton and the skeletons of primates, as well as the likeness between the human brain and the brains of other primates. He also discusses the shared behaviors of man and monkeys and the easy communicability of infection between the two.
Who was involved in the descent of Man?
Darwin admits that some of the ideas in The Descent of Man have been explored by other figures, such as Boucher de Perthes, Sir Charles Lyell, Sir John Lubbock, and Henry Huxley.
Who are the editors of the descent of Man?
Applying his controversial theory of evolution to the origins of the human species, Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man was the culmination of his life’s work. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by James Moore and Adrian Desmond.
Which is the most significant book by Charles Darwin?
Named by Sigmund Freud as ‘one of the ten most significant books’ ever written, Darwin’s Descent of Man continues to shape the way we think about what it is that makes us uniquely human.