Evolution

Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Evolution by Edward HoareAuthor: Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894,Language: English, Class: QH: Science: Natural history, Release Date: Jun 8, 2016

Editor's review

This book is a nineteenth-century work on evolutionary thought by the English clergyman Edward Hoare, a public-domain text at the intersection of natural science history and intellectual history. Its value lies not in offering cutting-edge conclusions of contemporary biology, but in showing how a religious figure understood, responded to, and reconciled with ideas of natural evolution during the early diffusion of evolutionary theory. Readers can see the argumentative methods, language style, and intellectual tensions that arose when scientific ideas entered public discourse; the book is useful for studying the reception history of ideas in Darwin's era and the history of the relationship between science and religion. Written in English and modest in length, it is suitable as supplementary reading of a primary source in the history of science and for comparing how different authors framed evolutionary questions. It should be read as a historical text rather than modern popular science, with attention to its historical context and argumentative premises; reading it alongside general histories of evolutionary theory makes the development of ideas clearer.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers in the history of science and intellectual history who need nineteenth-century primary sources on evolution
Readers studying the relationship between science and religion, especially responses from a clergyman's perspective
Enthusiasts of English public-domain literature who enjoy reading historical primary texts
University students in relevant courses seeking supplementary primary-source reading

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic introduction to modern evolutionary biology
Popular-science readers expecting contemporary scientific conclusions and experimental evidence
Readers unaccustomed to the style of nineteenth-century English argumentation

Reading tips

First learn the background of Darwin's era, then read this book to grasp its central questions.
Read it alongside chapters from a general history of evolutionary theory, noting similarities and differences between the author and mainstream views.
Record its argumentative structure and rhetoric as material for intellectual history.
Read through the English original once, then return to key passages to take notes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a modern textbook of evolutionary biology?

No. It is a nineteenth-century work discussing ideas of evolution; as a historical document, it reflects the knowledge level and intellectual debates of its time and cannot replace a modern evolutionary biology textbook. It should be understood within the context of the history of science and intellectual history.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

A basic familiarity with Darwinian evolution and the intellectual and cultural context of nineteenth-century Britain is recommended, along with a general sense of the science-religion debates. Some English reading ability is also important, since the original is written in English in a style characteristic of its era.

Is this book suitable as material for a course paper?

It can serve as a primary source for courses on the history of science, intellectual history, or the relationship between science and religion, but it should be used alongside secondary research. When citing it, note its publication date and the author's identity, and avoid treating its historical views as contemporary scientific conclusions.

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About the author

Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894 Author

Edward Hoare (1812–1894) was a prolific nineteenth-century Christian author, with 32 works held in the collection. His writing centres on sermons and theological discussion, covering daily devotion, redemption, sanctification, the Lord's Supper, and hope for Jerusalem. His representative works show that he served readers with sermon collections such as Sermons for the Day, while addressing systematic theology in works like Sanctification, Redemption, and Evolution. The Doctrine of the Lord's Supper. As Taught by the Church of England reflects his attention to Anglican teaching, and Sermons on the Scriptural Principles of our Protestant Church shows an apologetic aim and a concern to clarify confessional positions. Because public information is limited, biographical details are difficult to verify, but the surviving works reveal a scriptural, sober, and plain style, with emphasis on doctrinal clarity and practical application for believers; these writings had some influence among English-speaking Protestant readers of his time.