Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics: How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature

288 Pages·2018·7.688 MB·English

by  Charles Morris Lansley

‘The influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is famously much-studied;
the influences upon Darwin’s theory are less often investigated. Charles Lansley Charles Morris Lansley
redresses this balance, with regard to Darwin’s debt to the German and English
Romantics. This work is by turns delicate and discerning, as appropriate for
large-scale and important work of this order.’
Charles Darwin’s Debt
– Gary Farnell, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Winchester C
h
a
‘This fine study offers a compelling picture of Darwin’s changing relationship
r to the Romantics
to Romanticism during his scientific career. Charles Lansley’s meticulous l
e
scholarship and wide-ranging engagement with Darwin’s writings ensure that s
his account is solidly grounded, yet he also tells a persuasive and engaging story D
that is never obscured by his detailed research.’ a
– Neil Messer, Professor of Theology, University of Winchester r How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and
w
Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature
i
This book argues that the Romantic movement influenced Charles Darwin n
and his theory of natural selection. Given that Darwin has traditionally been ’s

placed within Victorian naturalism, these Romantic connections have often D
been overlooked. The volume traces specific examples of Darwin’s reliance on e
b
the Romantics – such as Alexander von Humboldt’s Personal Narrative, which he
t
took with him on the Beagle, and the poetry of William Wordsworth, discussed
t
in his notebooks – and explores correlations in Darwin’s own writings. When o

Darwin refers to the ‘archetype’ in Origin, could he be drawing on Goethe’s own t
h
use of the concept? And how to explain his description of all poetry as creating
e
a feeling of ‘nausea’? In addition to these key figures, the book also explores
R
the possible influence of Darwin’s own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. The book
o
cleverly follows Darwin’s form of the narrative in a search for traces of history in m
both science and poetry, inspired by the unique imagination of Darwin himself.
a
n
t
i
c
s
Charles Morris Lansley is an Early Career Research Fellow at the University
of Winchester (2016–2018), where he was awarded his PhD for the research
that forms the basis for this book. He also holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy (
from the University of London, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from
the University of Leicester and a Master of Arts in Language and Linguistics C
in Education from the University of Southampton. Prior to his PhD, he worked h
for the British Council overseas and for the Defence Academy in language and a
r
logistics training. Dr Lansley is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of l
e
Personnel and Development, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and a s

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His research interests are in eighteenth- and M
nineteenth-century naturalists and in scientists and poets of the Romantic era. o
r
r
i
s

L
a
n
s
l
e
y
ISBN 978-1-78707-138-4
www.peterlang.com
PETER LANG
‘The influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is famously much-studied;
the influences upon Darwin’s theory are less often investigated. Charles Lansley Charles Morris Lansley
redresses this balance, with regard to Darwin’s debt to the German and English
Romantics. This work is by turns delicate and discerning, as appropriate for
large-scale and important work of this order.’
Charles Darwin’s Debt
– Gary Farnell, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Winchester C
h
a
‘This fine study offers a compelling picture of Darwin’s changing relationship
r to the Romantics
to Romanticism during his scientific career. Charles Lansley’s meticulous l
e
scholarship and wide-ranging engagement with Darwin’s writings ensure that s
his account is solidly grounded, yet he also tells a persuasive and engaging story D
that is never obscured by his detailed research.’ a
– Neil Messer, Professor of Theology, University of Winchester r How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and
w
Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature
i
This book argues that the Romantic movement influenced Charles Darwin n
and his theory of natural selection. Given that Darwin has traditionally been ’s

placed within Victorian naturalism, these Romantic connections have often D
been overlooked. The volume traces specific examples of Darwin’s reliance on e
b
the Romantics – such as Alexander von Humboldt’s Personal Narrative, which he
t
took with him on the Beagle, and the poetry of William Wordsworth, discussed
t
in his notebooks – and explores correlations in Darwin’s own writings. When o

Darwin refers to the ‘archetype’ in Origin, could he be drawing on Goethe’s own t
h
use of the concept? And how to explain his description of all poetry as creating
e
a feeling of ‘nausea’? In addition to these key figures, the book also explores
R
the possible influence of Darwin’s own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. The book
o
cleverly follows Darwin’s form of the narrative in a search for traces of history in m
both science and poetry, inspired by the unique imagination of Darwin himself.
a
n
t
i
c
s
Charles Morris Lansley is an Early Career Research Fellow at the University
of Winchester (2016–2018), where he was awarded his PhD for the research
that forms the basis for this book. He also holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy (
from the University of London, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from
the University of Leicester and a Master of Arts in Language and Linguistics C
in Education from the University of Southampton. Prior to his PhD, he worked h
for the British Council overseas and for the Defence Academy in language and a
r
logistics training. Dr Lansley is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of l
e
Personnel and Development, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and a s

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His research interests are in eighteenth- and M
nineteenth-century naturalists and in scientists and poets of the Romantic era. o
r
r
i
s

L
a
n
s
l
e
y
www.peterlang.com
PETER LANG
Charles Darwin’s Debt
to the Romantics

Charles Darwin’s Debt
to the Romantics
How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and
Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature
Charles Morris Lansley
PETER LANG
Oxford • Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • New York • Wien
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available on the
Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018933752
Cover image © Julia Dobson Design and Illustration.
ISBN 978-1-78707-138-4 (print) • ISBN 978-1-78707-139-1 (ePDF)
ISBN 978-1-78707-140-7 (ePub) • ISBN 978-1-78707-141-4 (mobi)
© Peter Lang AG 2018
Published by Peter Lang Ltd, International Academic Publishers,
52 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LU, United Kingdom
[email protected], www.peterlang.com
Charles Morris Lansley has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this Work.
All rights reserved.
All parts of this publication are protected by copyright.
Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without
the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution.
This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming,
and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
Printed in Germany
Contents
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction
Charles Darwin’s Victorian Debt to the Romantics 1
Chapter 1
Organic and One Reality Nature in Humboldt and Darwin 19
Chapter 2
The Forces of Nature in Humboldt and Darwin 51
Chapter 3
Darwin’s Romantic Theory of Nature 63
Chapter 4
Darwin’s Romantic Theory of Mind 81
Chapter 5
Darwin’s Concepts of Morality and Romantic Materialism 119
Chapter 6
Darwin’s Moral and Reflective Nature: Conflicting Values in the
Victorian Era 165
Chapter 7
The Transmutation of Darwin’s Romanticism 191
vi
Chapter 8
From Erasmus Darwin’s Broth of Chaos to his Goddess of Nature 221
Chapter 9
The Rime of the Ancient Naturalist 239
Bibliography 255
Index 267
Figures
Figure 1: A. v. Humboldt, Geography of the Plants near the
Equator, 1803. © Museo Nacional de Colombia/
Oscar Monsalve Pino. Permission to reproduce
the photo kindly granted by Museo Nacional de
Colombia and Oscar Monsalve Pino. Colección
Museo Nacional de Colombia, reg. 1204.
Alexander von Humboldt (1769/1859). Geografia
de las plantas cerca del Ecuador.
Tabla fisica de los Andes y paises vecinos, levantada
sobre las observaciones y medidas tomadas en los
lugares en 1799–1803, 1803. Acuarela (Acuarela y
tinta Papel) 38.7 × 50.3 cm. 96
Figure 2: L. A. Schönberger and P. J. F. Turpin after A. v.
Humboldt and A. Bonpland, Geógraphie des
plantes équinoxiales, 1807. Permission to repro-
duce image from book kindly granted by Peter H.
Raven Library/Missouri Botanical Garden and the
Biodiversity Heritage Library <http://www.biodi-
versitylibrary.org>.
Essai sur la geographie des plantes: accompagne d’un
tableau physique des regions equinoxiales, fonde sur
des mesures executes, depuis le dixieme degree de
latitude boreale jusqu’au dixieme degree de latitude
austral, pendant les annees 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802 et
1803/par Al. de Humboldt et A. Bonpland; redigee
par Al. de Humboldt.
A Paris, Chez Levrault, Schoell et compagnie, librai-
res, XIII–1805.
<http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/9309>.
viii Figures
Item: <http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
item/37872>, page 156. 97
Figure 3: Leaf Sequence in Sidalcea Malviflora. From Miller,
2009, Image 55, p. 107. © Gordon L. Miller and The
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Permission to
reproduce the photo kindly granted by Gordon L.
Miller and The MIT Press. 107
Figure 4: ‘Part of secondary wing-feather of Argus pheasant,
shewing two perfect ocelli, a and b. A,B,C,D, &c.,
are dark stripes running obliquely down, each to an
occelus. [Much of the web on both sides, especially
to the left of the shaft, has been cut off.]’.
Text and drawing from Figure 57 in Darwin, 2004,
p. 489. 157
Figure 5: ‘Basal part of the secondary wing-feather [of the
Argus pheasant], nearest to the body’.
Text and drawing are from Figure 58 in Darwin,
2004, p. 490. 157
Figure 6: ‘Portion of one of the secondary wing-feathers [of
the Argus pheasant] near to the body, shewing the
so-called elliptic ornaments. The right-hand figure
is given merely as a diagram for the sake of the let-
ters of reference. A,B,C,D, &c. Rows of spots run-
ning down to and forming the elliptic ornaments. B.
Lowest spot or mark in row B. c. The next succeeding
spot or mark in the same row. d. Apparently a broken
prolongation of the spot c in the same row B’.
Text and drawing are from Figure 59 in Darwin,
2004, p. 491. 158
Figure 7: ‘An ocellus in an intermediate condition between
the elliptic ornament and the perfect ball-and-socket
ocellus’.
Text and drawing are from Figure 60 in Darwin,
2004, p. 492. 158