Week 7

• Genesis and geology
• Changes in geology lead to changes as to our perception of how long life is on earth.
• Darwin was working with the people before him and around him
• Many revolutions at this time
• Very polarized society
• Thomas Malthus
  • Looks for scientific rules
  • Writes about the connection between food supply and a nation's population
  • Darwin reads his works, and will reply
• David Strauss and Charles Lyell talk about different ways to interpret the Bible.
  • "How do we interpret Genesis?"
  • David Strauss causes a stir around Europe with a book on the life of Jesus.
• Darwin
  • Are species fixed and immutable? Can they change? Can one transform into another?
  • How old is the earth? Does the age of the planet correspond exactly to the history of humankind?
• Alexander von Humboldt
  • Visits South America and writes about it
  • Inspires Darwin