The Descent of Man (Magill Book Reviews)

At a glance:

Darwin spells out in his introduction his three-fold purpose. He will first consider whether man, like all other species, is descended from an earlier form. Then he will discuss the way man has developed. Finally, he will evaluate the differences among the human races.

Darwin develops his arguments through many examples from a wide range of sources. The first two chapters describe physical correspondences between man and the other vertebrates, concluding that to deny a common descent would be unreasonable. Only prejudice and arrogance, he says, would explain a rejection of this...

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