Discussion Questions: Darwin: Reluctant Rebel

Some "critics" of evolutionary theory claim that biologists try to "cover up" observations that don't square with evolutionary theory. Discuss whether or not that charge can justifiably be leveled against Darwin himself, taking into account his letters, this video, and the following quote: "I ... followed a golden rule that whenever a published fact, a new observation or thought came across me, which was opposed to my general results, to make a memorandum of it without fail and at once; for I had found by experience that such facts and thoughts were far more apt to escape from memory than favorable ones. Owing to this habit, very few objections were raised against my views that I had not at least noticed and attempted to answer." Darwin, Charles. 1958. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. New York: W.W. Norton, p. 123.

The dialogue between Darwin and FitzRoy about the distribution of birds in the Galapagos highlights a major difference in the way these men thought about the natural world. Discuss that difference and its significance to the growth of scientific understanding.

Why does Moore explicitly state, and Richard Owen allude to, the fact that Darwin's theory "jeopardized the standing of a stable society" as it existed in Darwin's time. How could dialogue about the origin of species threaten the social status quo in the late 19th century? Hint: What historical events and socioeconomic trends might have been affected by this kind of thinking?

In the drama, Darwin asks a question that biologists 150 years later still find themselves asking when confronted by opposition to evolutionary theory: Why should natural causes be denied as explanations for the living world when similar causes are accepted in physics, astronomy, or even certain disciplines of biology such as medicine?