Victorian Beliefs :: Free Essays Online

Victorian BeliefsIf I am asked whether I would choose to be descended from the short animal of low intelligence and stooping gait who grins and chatters as we pass, or from a man endowed with great ability and a splendid cast who should use these gifts to discredit and crush humble seekers after truth, I hesitate what answer to make. Thomas Henry Huxley, 1860 (Cruse 94)As related by Amy Cruse in The Victorians and Their Reading, these language by Thomas Henry Huxley served as a witty retort to the degrading comments of Darwins foes. When examined closely, however, Huxleys statement can be recognized as a question of paramount importance-- a question that defines the core of the Victorian world. Neatly engraved between the lines of Huxleys reply lies the issue of belief. Huxleys belief in the pursuit of truth is evident, as is his belief regarding those who would hinder such a humble pursuit. Less evident, but nonetheless present, are the echoes of other important Victorian princi ples. As exemplified by Huxleys consult of apes, Darwins belief in The inception of Species was a vitally important aspect of Victorian thought. Traditional concerns, most notably religious conservatism, were inextricably linked to the radical ideals of Victorian science. Interestingly, the dueling beliefs in science and religion were not necessarily diametrically opposed. Instead, both the pursuits of science and religion challenged Victorians to examine their beliefs regarding the natural world, God, and the meaning of their own humanity. I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone, claimed Charles Darwin in reference to The Origin of Species(Hart 1). Despite Darwins protestations of theological benignity, however, many Victorians were indeed shocked by the idea of evolution. Cardinal Manning, speaking for the Roman Catholic populous of England, for instance, denouncedDarwins theory of evolution as a brutal philosophyto wit, there is no God, and the ape is our Adam(Cruse 95). Similarly, Bishop Wilberforce, at an 1860 meeting of the British Association, ridiculed T. H. Huxley about his ancestry (94). In open contempt of The Origin of Species, Wilberforce asked Huxley, whether it was through his grandfather or his grandmother that he claimed descent from a venerable ape?(94). The ideas contained within the covers of The Origin of Species clearly challenged the beliefs of many Victorian Christians. opposed to the protestations of Cardinal Manning and Bishop Wilberforce, however, Darwin viewed the theory of evolution as theologically sound.