On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: Or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

When it was first published The Origin of Species aroused immense opposition and heated controversy. Darwin's views offended, not only old-fashioned naturalists, but theologians and clerics. Based largely on his experience as a naturalist while on a five-year voyage aboard the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species set forth a theory of evolution and natural selection that challenged contemporary beliefs about divine providence and the immutability of species. A landmark contribution to philosophical and scientific thought, the book has fresh application today for its pioneering views on the eco.