Evolution, Old & New (ePub)

Samuel Butler (1835-1902) was an iconoclastic English author who garnered respect and controversy in equal measure with his diverse body of work. A man of polymathic tendencies, his literary contributions range from satirical novels to essays and philosophical treatises. He is perhaps best remembered for his semi-autobiographical work, 'The Way of All Flesh', and the satirical utopian novel, 'Erewhon', but his forays into the field of evolutionary theory, particularly with 'Evolution, Old & New', also marked a significant intellectual engagement with contemporary scientific discourse. In this book, Butler critically examines the theories of Charles Darwin, proposing instead a version of evolution that emphasized memory and the inheritance of acquired characteristics. His work was provocative, advocating for a holistic understanding of evolution before the rediscovery of Mendelian genetics. Although his ideas in this area were largely dismissed by the scientific community, they contributed to the broader conversation around evolution. Butler's literary style, characterized by wit, skepticism, and a clear, direct prose, often challenged orthodox sentiments of Victorian society. His intellectual vigor extended even to translations of Homer, where he argued for theories of authorship that were well ahead of their time. Samuel Butler's oeuvre is characterized by a critical examination of the orthodoxies of his time, marking him as a singular figure in the landscape of English literature and thought.