Darwin himself regarded his book not so much as a scientific work but as "a long argument." Darwin acknowledged the weaknesses, inconsistencies, impasses and difficulties of his theory in his writings and in letters to friends. In one letter he confessed that there were serious flaws in the theory which had brought him to the point of suicide: You ask about my book, and all that I can say is that I am ready to commit suicide; I thought it was decently written but find so much wants rewriting...
In another letter, he said: Pray do not think that I am so blind as not to see that there are numerous immense difficulties in my notions.
Particularly in letters to his friend, Charles Lyell, he clearly expresses the doubts he felt with regard to his theory:
Thinking of so many cases of men pursuing an illusion for years, often and often a cold shudder has run through me, and I have asked myself whether I may not have devoted my life to a fantasy.
2006-06-21
06:56:43
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Biomimetik
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Religion & Spirituality