Book description
This exciting anniversary edition has a new introduction and
scholarly references by William Bynum, and the cover design is by
Damien Hirst. It replaces our existing 1968 edition.
The Origin of Species is one of the most important and
influential books of its time and remains one of the most significant
contributions to philosophical and scientific thought. The theories
Darwin sets out here had an immediate and profound impact on the
literature and philosophical thought of his contemporaries, and
continue to provoke thought and debate today. Written for the general
public of the 1850's, The Origin of Species laid out an
evolutionary view of the world which challenged contemporary beliefs
about divine providence and the fixity of species. He also set forth
the results of his pioneering work on the interdependence of species:
the ecology of animals and plants.
Charles Darwin, a Victorian scientist and naturalist, has become
one of the most famous figures of science to date. The advent of On
the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859
challenged and contradicted all contemporary biological and religious beliefs.
Damien Hirst is an internationally renowned English artist. Known in
particular for his series of works on death, Hirst here provides a
contemporary, visual take on Darwin's theory of evolution.
William Bynum is Professor Emeritus of the History of Medicine at
University College, London, and was for many years Head of the
Academic Unit of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.
