What was Darwin's theory? What did he need a theory to explain?

Question

What did he see that he needed a new theory to explain?

Was there an old theory? How did it fall short in explaining the world?

Answer 1

In short, he theorized that species differentiated from common ancestor using natural selection as a mechanism. In other words, mutations that helped a species survived were maintained while others died off....over a long period of time, different species evolved based on different natural selectors.

The reason it's a theory (and barely that) is that it is untestable and unprovable and ultimately unknowable.

Answer 2

Here is Darwin's theory:
http://bioweb.cs.earlham.edu/9-12/evolution/HTML/theory.html

The theory was needed to explain why he was finding very closely related yet separate species. It is needed for human advancement.

If we did not question, explore and understand how the universe we live in works we would still be hopping from cave to cave hunting beasts and eating them raw.

EVERY advancement of man has come from better understanding our world. We learned what caused fire not from waiting for God to show us but from experimenting and coming up with theories that could be refined. The wheel, soap, electricity, cars, phones, computers all come from scientific theories that were flawed, tested and refined. Life is change and if we are not allowed to move forward we WILL move backward, there is no middle ground in life. (If you think there is just quit your job and do nothing for a year to advance your life, you'll get the picture)

Evolution is a GOOD theory with every scrap of evidence we have supporting it. Creationism is a fairy tale told by men 2446 years ago to explain what they did not understand and it has NO evidence to support it.

Edit: A major flaw is the origin of a species is caused by natural selection. An effect can not be the cause. He had no idea about genetics and genetic mutation. This is where our knowledge falls short and science is working to correct that.

Another major area of obscurity is the origins of life and the common ancestor. How did organic chemicals all of a sudden work together to form DNA (the programming language of life)?

I am not a scientist although I find it fascinating. These are the two flaws I know of I am sure there are more I am unaware of. Keep in mind that science works with what explains that which is observable and verifiable with our current abilities, as we are able to gather more evidence these theories will be refined.

I believe in a God. I do not feel the need to try and explain these processes with God. I am perfectly comfortable letting science do its work. God is the universe (in my belief system), just because we are able to explain the processes does not make them any less miraculous and just because we have gaps in our knowledge does not mean we need myths about how God does it to fill them in.

Give our species some time, we’ll figure it out. That, in my belief, is WHY we have intelligence. We evolved intelligence in order to survive better. How much better will we survive when we understand what in the hell is really going on here in the universe? To put it in theist terms, why would God give us a brain if we were not meant to use it?

Answer 3

Darwin's theory, from his book "On the Origin of the Species of Man" is that human beings are a more highly-evolved form of apes. The sum total of the theory is that all life forms evolved from some "lesser" forms of life, so as those on the top of the evolutional pyramid, human beings are just very VERY highly evolved forms of protozoa. I guess he decided there was a scientific explanation for all the creatures on the planet (not creation by a supreme being) and he came up with this idea. It is interesting to note that he later recanted this theory, even though so many scientists now believe in it as scientific law ("proven" theory) and still teach it as such today. Seems to me these people just refuse to accept the possibility of an Almighty God.

Answer 4

You can read about Darwin's ideas in many places on the Internet. It was a theory because all science consists of theories and scientists continuously challenge them, as they do Darwin's. The "theory" preceding Darwin was biblical theory. It fell short because if literally interpreted it failed to agree with "facts", or evidence, newly uncovered.

Answer 5

Try to watch the movie White Heat. It was a theory of evolution because everyone else believed in creation. The science wasn't advanced enough to make it proof, ie carbon dating.

Answer 6

His theory is, concubines concubines everywhere, and all for me.
Oh did you mean Charles Darwin? I thought you meant Jim Darwin, oops my bad. LOL
Just kidding Sean.

Answer 7

He seen a witch who he believed was his mother-in-law.

Answer 8

I don't know what your talking about, God did it, you need to read your bible.