How important was Charles Darwin, and what is his legacy today?
The Independent (United Kingdom), p. 34.
December 30, 2008
Why are we asking this now?
From the back of a £10 note to the awards in his name that celebrate those who remove themselves from the gene pool by dying in foolish ways, Charles Darwin’s legacy is everywhere. He has been on more stamps than anyone save members of the royal family, and yesterday the Royal Mail unveiled another one, to celebrate 2009 as the 200th anniversary of his birth, and the 150th of the publication of his landmark work, The Origin of Species. But that’s not the only way the occasion is being marked, and Darwin’s influence is felt in far more profound ways than his popular cultural contributions to this day.
Why were Darwin’s ideas so important?
