Happy Birthday Chuck and Abe!




























Today Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln turn 200. Each in his own way made significant contributions to humanity. Each is a somewhat mythic figure -- though for different reasons. Both have been lionized and demonized. It's difficult to know who is the more important figure. Darwin, because his reach was broader and more global, likely is the more important figure.

What is interesting is that both men had an interest in slavery -- with Darwin perhaps being the more committed to ending it, though Lincoln is known as the Great Emancipator. For Darwin, as several recent books have argued, our common descent argues against slavery. Indeed, it appears that Darwin's trip on the Beagle reinforced his own horror at slavery. These books, reviewed by Christopher Benfey in the New York Times in January, argue that despite attempts to use his theories to buttress racism, Darwin was anything but a racist. Indeed, he was an abolitionist. It was, apparently, the cause that helped drive his own scientific efforts.

The books under review in the Times essay are: DARWIN’S SACRED CAUSE: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin’s Views on Human Evolution. By Adrian Desmond and James Moore. [Illustrated. 485 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $30]. And, ANGELS AND AGES: A Short Book About Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life. By Adam Gopnik. [211 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. $24.95]. I haven't read either book, but they look interesting. Check the review by Benfey for more information.

So, whatever the parallels and commonalities, at the end of the day, we will have paused to celebrate the lives and contributions of two unique and compelling individuals --- Abraham Lincoln, the American President, and Charles Darwin, the Scientist.

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