Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the Victorian Debates Over Spontaneous GenerationHow, asks James E. Strick, could spontaneous generation--the idea that living things can suddenly arise from nonliving materials--come to take root for a time (even a brief one) in so thoroughly unsuitable a field as British natural theology? No less an authority than Aristotle claimed that cases of spontaneous generation were to be observed in nature, and the idea held sway for centuries. Beginning around the time of the Scientific Revolution, however, the doctrine was increasingly challenged; attempts to prove or disprove it led to important breakthroughs in experimental design and laboratory techniques, most notably sterilization methods, that became the cornerstones of modern microbiology and sped the ascendancy of the germ theory of disease. The Victorian debates, Strick shows, were entwined with the public controversy over Darwin's theory of evolution. While other histories of the debates between 1860 and 1880 have focused largely on the experiments of John Tyndall, Henry Charlton Bastian, and others, Sparks of Life emphasizes previously understudied changes in the theories that underlay the debates. Strick argues that the disputes cannot be understood without full knowledge of the factional infighting among Darwinians themselves, as they struggled to create a socially and scientifically viable form of Darwinian science. He shows that even the terms of the debate, such as biogenesis, usually but incorrectly attributed to Huxley, were intensely contested. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 Spontaneous Generation and Early Victorian Science | 19 |
2 Molecular Theories and the Conversion of Owen and Bennett | 35 |
3 Bastian as Rising Star | 62 |
18701873 | 78 |
A State of Flux | 105 |
6 Germ Theories and the British Medical Community | 129 |
Tyndalls Campaign as the Final Blow | 157 |
Other editions - View all
Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the Victorian Debates Over Spontaneous Generation James Edgar Strick No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
abiogenesis Anatomy animal appeared argued argument bacteria Bastian Beale become Beginnings believed Bennett Biology boiling Britain British Burdon Sanderson called Cambridge cause cells chapter claim Club College considered continued criticism Darwin Darwinian debate discussion disease doctrine early especially evidence evolution experimental experiments fact first force germ theory Grant Henry heterogenesis History Hooker Huxley Huxley’s ideas important infusions Institute interest issue John Journal Lankester late later least lecture letter living London matter Medicine Microscopical molecular molecules movement Nature noted observations opinion opposed organic origin Owen Owen’s papers particles Pasteur Philosophical physical physiology Popular position possible produced Professor published question reported respected Review Robert Royal Society scientific scientists seems seen spontaneous spores suggested things tion Tyndall Tyndall’s University Press Victorian views vital widely young