1.what is the impact of darwin's evolutionary theory to psychology?

-- rena rafisura (babescary2001@yahoo.com.au), September 17, 2003

Answers

Charles Darwin made great contributions to psychology: - his evolutionary theory and natural selection (see The Origin of Species) - He wrote three books: The Descent of Man, The Expression of the Emotions and Biographical Sketch of an Infant. - After 1859 he turned out a steady stream of important books: studies over orchids (1862), vines and climbing plants (1865), plants and animals under domestication (1868), the power of movement in plants (1880) and the effect of worms in producing vegetable mold (1881). (Source: Pioneers of Psychology, Raymond E. Fancher) - He got the reputation as the foremost naturalist of his age. - After his death (April 1882)a movement called social Darwinism came into vogue. - Stanley Hall got inspired. He studied child development. - He still influences scientists today. There are debates going on about the correctness of some of its details. Does evolution always proceed gradually (as Darwin believed) or can genetic mutation produce sudden and dramatic jumps in the evolutionary succession? (Source: Fancher)

-- Daniela Lansink (ela.lansink@web.de), September 17, 2003.

Hi Rena, A broad question for sure, but here's one broad answer that could be unpacked a great deal with many examples: Darwin represents a significant part of the "naturalistic turn" in discourse on the mind. Meaning, 'the mind' before Darwin had been traditionally conceived in terms very different than the terms used to describe physical change or properties. Now, the mind was part of a larger evolutionary and scientific discourse--it evolved in nature just as the ability to walk upright or use an opposable thumb. The mind in other words moved a big step away from being a connected to a soul, and one big step closer to being a function of the brain. Scott Greer

-- Scott Greer (sgreer@upei.ca), September 17, 2003.