The Descent of Man
Also known as The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex
Charles Darwin's 1871 book applying evolution to humans and setting out sexual selection.
At a glance
Key ideas
Descent from earlier forms, Degree, not kind, Sympathy and the weak …
See all 5Criticism
On women
Connections
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- Darwin applies evolutionary theory to human evolution and details his theory of sexual selection.
- He argues that humans are like other animals in body and mind, and that the difference in mind is one of degree, not of kind.
- He argues that human races are all one species, and proposes sexual selection as the likeliest cause of their differences.
- Most of the book surveys sexual selection across the animal kingdom.
Why it matters
- It is the book where Darwin took on human origins directly; his account of sexual selection is still called "the best explanation to date" by many scientists.
Key facts
- Author
- Charles Darwin1
- Published
- 24 Feb 1871, John Murray, in two volumes1
- First printings
- 4,500 copies in print by the end of March 18711
- Revised edition
- 13 Nov 1874, the edition most often reprinted since1
- Illustrations
- Many figures drawn by T. W. Wood1
Key ideas
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Descent from earlier forms1
Anatomy, embryology and rudimentary organs show that humans descend from a pre-existing form.
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Degree, not kind1
Animals share mental powers with humans; the difference in mind is great but one of degree.
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Sympathy and the weak1
Helping the weak may blunt natural selection, but withholding help would damage "the noblest part of our nature".
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One human species1
Races graduate into each other, so they are not distinct species.
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Sexual selection1
Female choice and competition between males shape traits that natural selection alone cannot explain.
Criticism
-
On women1
Darwin wrote that man had become "superior to woman"; Antoinette Blackwell's argument for equality went largely ignored until the 1970s.
Connections
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