Author(s): Charles Darwin
Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
Publisher Imprint: Peacock Books
Subject: Sociology and Anthropology
BISAC: science

The moral sense perhaps affords the best and highest distinction between man and the lower animals

The Descent of Man, first published in 1871 in two volumes, is Charles Darwin’s landmark work that applied the theory of evolution to humanity, transforming scientific ideas about human origins and nature. Often regarded as the culmination of Darwin’s life’s research, the book argues that distinctly human traits such as language, morality and intelligence evolved through the same natural processes that shaped all living organisms. Darwin controversially placed humans within the animal kingdom, exploring our shared ancestry as well as differences between sexes and races. Central to the work is his theory of sexual selectionthe idea that competition for mates and mate choice influence the evolution of physical and behavioural traits. Bringing together biology, anthropology, psychology and ethics, The Descent of Man remains a foundational and provocative work that continues to shape debates about human evolution.

Let me say it at once. These doctrines appear to me simply the most dangerous which have ever been set forth since the days of Mandeville.

Frances Power Cobbe

Irish Philosopher and Social Reformer