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from measuring the skulls from the up- by Charles Darwin and set out in greater
per and lower classes in Parisian grave- detail. The theory that living things had
yards. According to these results, peop- descended from one another in a hapha-
le’s skulls determined whether they wo- zard manner took its place in his grand-
uld be wealthy, self-confident and in fa- son’s book, The Origin of Species.
vor of freedom, while others would be Charles Darwin had received a
conservative, content with very little and lengthy religious education. But a year
make excellent servants. Classes were before setting out on his voyage on the
the product of social divisions. Higher Beagle, he definitively abandoned certa-
classes equated with higher races, and in fundamental Christian beliefs. By that
degree of wealth was directly proporti- time, he had developed a passionate inte-
onate to skull volume. rest in biology and the paradigm he ob-
In summary, the racist aspect of Dar- served was incompatible with his religio-
win’s theory found very fertile ground in us belief. The most important influence
the second half of the 19th century, in making the young Charles Darwin
when European whites were hoping for non-religious, and even actively hostile
just such a theory to legitimize their own to it, was his grandfather Erasmus. 118
crimes. Erasmus Darwin was actually the
first person in Britain to put forward the
idea of evolution. A physicist, psycholo-
Darwin, Erasmus gist and poet, he was someone whose

Erasmus Darwin, the grandfather of words were listened to with respect. In-
Charles Darwin, was one of those who deed, according to his biographer, Des-
put forward the first fundamental propo- mond King-Hele, he was the greatest
sals for what we now refer to as the the- Briton of the 18 th century. 119
ory of evolution. According to him, Erasmus Darwin was also one
living things were not created as of Britain’s leading naturalists.
individually distinct species. (Naturalism is an intellectual
On the contrary, they were movement that believes the
all descended from a essence of the universe lies
common ancestor and in nature, that rejects the
were shaped, altered existence of a Creator,
and varied according and even regards na-
to their subsequent ture itself as a crea-
needs. tor.) Erasmus Dar-
His ideas were win’s naturalist
subsequently adopted outlook gave Char-
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Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)