Why did it seem inevitable that a theory of evolution would be proposed and accepted by the middle of the nineteenth century? How did the Zeitgeist influence the success of Darwin’s ideas?
Change was not only seen in the living organism, but also in the thought process of the people. Even the conman man was interested in knowing about the origin of mankind. The zeitgeist of the society was being transformed by the industrial revolution.
The growth of science and intellectuals caused stir in the minds of the people. They were ready to accept theories coming from science to answer several questions of the origin of life. Their dependence on the Bible for answers declined.
Even the farmers were now subjected to a change that helped them to rely on machines rather than seasons, for the harvest of their crops. For a long time, scientists wanted to provide evidence for the theory of evolution, but could not gather any.
Darwin’s voyage not only widened his horizon, but also gave answers to these scholars. The release of the phenomenal book ‘The Origin of Species’ changed the way people looked at evolution. The zeitgeist wanted the theory of evolution, Darwin had been just a representative.