In the 19th century, the impact of science on society became apparent when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, changing humanity’s view of itself. Instead of seeing themselves as separate from nature and above all else, scientists and philosophers began to see themselves as an integral part of the natural world.
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern biology. While it was a scientific rather than a philosophical work, his ideas about evolution challenged many aspects of philosophy. Like Copernicus’ proposal of a heliocentrically-based universe changed religious dogmas and brought the age of the Renaissance, Darwin’s theory showed us that we were part of nature, not apart from it. In the same way that Copernicus’ proposed revolution in our conception of reality challenged the notion of divinely-ordained hierarchy, Darwin’s explanation of evolution challenged the notion of human supremacy. He stated explicitly that we had evolved from animals, and thus challenged previous notions of man as an animal superior to other animals because he could reason. However, perhaps most important in terms of its effect on philosophy was that Darwin implicitly suggested that humans were not the pinnacle of God’s creation, but merely a phase in the evolution of the rest of nature.
