On Tue, 5 Mar 1996 11:23:58 -0800 (PST) you wrote:
[...]
RL>Darwin said before his book was published...
>
>'You will be greatly disappointed (by the forthcoming book); it will be
>grievously too hypothetical. It will very likely be of no other service
>than collocating some facts; though I myself think I see my way
>approximately on the origin of the species. But, alss, how frequent, how
>almost universal it is in an author to persuade himself of the truth of
>his own dogmas.'
>
>Charles Darwin, 1858, in a letter to a colleague regarding the concluding
>chapters of his Origin of Species. As quoted in 'John Lofton's Journal',
>The Washington times, 8 February 1984.
Thanks for this. However, unfortunately, this quote, which is in the
Australian Creation-Science Foundation's "Revised Quote Book", 1990,
p2, may not be correct. It has also been alleged that "The Washington
Times", despite its imposing name, is actually a front for the
Moonies. Does anyone in the USA know if this is true?
Of course, that would not necessarily make the quote wrong (even the
Moonies might get some things right! <g>), but it would urge caution.
This caution would be reinforced by the vagueness of the reference -
who was the "colleague", and what exactly was the date? Fortunately,
I found a reference to Darwin's "grievously hypothetical" comment in
Moreland's, "The Creation Hypothesis", p274, which said it was in a
"letter of November 29, 1859".
I have tracked down this 1859 letter at our State Library and I have a
copy of it before me as I write. Here is what Darwin wrote to USA
theistic evolutionist Asa Gray:
"This shall be such an extraordinary note as you have never received
from me, for it shall not contain one single question or request. I
thank you for your impression on my views. Every criticism from a
good man is of value to me. What you hint at generally is very, very
true: that my work will be grievously hypothetical, and large parts
by no means worthy of being called induction, my commonest error being
probably induction from too few facts...." (Charles Darwin, letter to
Asa Gray of November 29, 1859, in Francis Darwin "More Letters of
Charles Darwin, Vol. 1, 1903, Murray, London, pp126-127).
There is a difference between the two quotes, but there is no dispute
that Darwin said that his Origin of Species will be "grievously
hypothetical". It is of course possible, indeed probable, that Darwin
wrote a similar thing twice. However, I have not been able to verify
the "The Washington Times" quote - I haven't yet had the time to go
through all Darwin's letters dated "1858" in the Library. Does anyone
else know?
God bless.
Stephen
----------------------------------------------------------------
| Stephen Jones ,--_|\ sjones@iinet.net.au |
| 3 Hawker Ave / Oz \ http://www.iinet.net.au/~sjones/ |
| Warwick 6024 ->*_,--\_/ phone +61 9 448 7439. (These are |
| Perth, Australia v my opinions, not my employer's) |
----------------------------------------------------------------