Charles Darwin and the Unchanging Nature of Humanity
- Human Instincts Are Rooted in Survival Needs – Our cravings, emotions, and social behaviors evolved to help early humans survive but still influence us today.
- Moral Progress Is an Illusion – Despite technological advancements, human morality remains largely unchanged, driven by primitive instincts.
- Darwin Advocates for Understanding Our Nature – Instead of frustration, Darwin encourages compassion for our innate behaviors shaped by evolution.
It is completely understandable that we are often maddened by what might be called normal humanity—the way in which emotions so regularly triumph over careful reasoning, the power of group loyalty even when the group doesn’t seem to deserve much devotion, and the vast mechanisms of status-seeking that drive so much excess consumption. We witness widespread selfishness and indifference to the greater needs of distant others. In moments of frustration, we may find ourselves, whether in private contemplation or the occasional late-night outburst, railing against the fools and idiots who, so unfortunately, seem to occupy so many of the prominent places of power, wealth, and influence in our world. In such moods, the nineteenth-century naturalist Charles Darwin has much to say to us.
Born in England in 1809 into a well-to-do and intellectually distinguished family, Darwin was deeply influenced by his visit to the Galápagos Islands in his twenties, where he observed species remarkably different from those found elsewhere. Later in life, he became a quiet, somewhat withdrawn man, known for his expertise in barnacles. His most famous work, On the Origin of Species, brought him worldwide recognition for his theory of natural selection.
However, Darwin felt that people had not fully grasped the broader implications of his ideas. In 1871, when he was in his sixties, he published The Descent of Man. He once mentioned that he had considered calling the book The Ascent of Man but rejected the title because it implied a notion of progress—a concept he did not believe in. Instead, Darwin aimed to show that despite humanity’s obvious technical advancements over the centuries, modern people remain fundamentally at the same moral level—or perhaps even a slightly worse level—than their remote ancestors.
Darwin’s central argument was that the basic psychological characteristics of human beings evolved to aid survival in the distant past. For instance, we are naturally attracted to sweet things because, during early human development, consuming wild berries was beneficial for our health. Only in recent times has this instinct worked against us, fostering a craving for manufactured sugar, which by Darwin’s era had already become a major industrial commodity.
Similarly, we evolved to be highly conscious of our status within our immediate social group because survival once depended on it. In ancient times, being liked could mean the difference between receiving a share of the hunt or being left out. Even today, social acceptance feels like a life-or-death matter, precisely because, in the past, it truly was. Furthermore, reproduction was crucial for early human survival, which is why our minds remain preoccupied with it, even though it is no longer central to individual survival or happiness.
Emotional behavior, being deeply ingrained, predates and often overpowers rational thought, which is a relatively recent and still fragile development in human culture. We may wear modern clothing and drive cars, but, as Darwin insists, we still carry our primate heritage. While this realization may be disappointing, it is not something we should blame ourselves for; rather, it is a reality we must accept.
In The Descent of Man, Darwin ultimately teaches us to have compassion for the primitive aspects of our nature—an inherent part of who we are and who we will always be.
