RECORD: Anon. 1871. [Review of Descent]. Ohio Farmer 20 (May): 313. 

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2022. RN1


[page] 313

The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex. By Charles Darwin, F.R.S., etc. With Illustrations. In 2 vols. Published by D. APPLETON & Co., New York. Sold by COBB, ANDREWS & Co., Cleveland.

When, several years ago, Mr. Charles Darwin published his work on the Origin of Species, the religious scientists were as much astonished and scandalized as the same learned and conservative class of people were by the utterances of Copernicus and Galileo. But in process of time people came to look upon advanced ideas with more of calmness and reason; and so it has been with the philosophies of Darwin, Huxley, Lyell, Voght, Hackel, etc.: and whether the views of these philosophers are accepted or not, they are accorded a fair test of criticism on their own merits, and the publicity of any truth in science is not considered fatal to the existence of any truth in religion. The present work of Mr. Darwin is rather a continuation of his studies as set forth in the Origin of Species, and deals more immediately with palpable and present facts, as traceable to originals, viz: The Descent or Origin of Man, with comparisons as to mental power between man and lower animals: the development of form; influence of civilization; affinities and genealogies; character of races; sexual selection, and sexual characteristics through all the lower forms of animal life, from insects, fishes, birds, etc., to the perfected forms of human life; and considerations of the physical and mental powers of men and women in relation to sex. The study of this work cannot fail to give the reader some wider and juster views of the scope of physical life and its sexual relations. The work is well printed in two handsome volumes of 840 pages; price, $4.

 


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 10 November, 2022