Editing Erasmus Darwin (section)

=== ''Zoonomia'' ===
Darwin's most important scientific work, ''[[Zoonomia]]'' (1794–1796), contains a system of [[pathology]] and a chapter on '[[Generation]]'. In the latter, he anticipated some of the views of [[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck]], which foreshadowed the modern theory of [[evolution]]. Erasmus Darwin's works were read and commented on by his grandson [[Charles Darwin]] the naturalist. Erasmus Darwin based his theories on [[David Hartley (philosopher)|David Hartley]]'s psychological theory of [[associationism]].<ref>Allen, Richard C. 1999. ''David Hartley on human nature.'' Albany, N.Y.: [[SUNY Press]]. {{ISBN|0-7914-4233-0}}</ref> The essence of his views is contained in the following passage, which he follows up with the conclusion that one and the same kind of living filament is and has been the cause of all organic life:

<blockquote>Would it be too bold to imagine, that in the great length of time, since the earth began to exist, perhaps millions of ages before the commencement of the history of mankind, would it be too bold to imagine, that all warm-blooded animals have arisen from one living filament, which <small>THE GREAT FIRST CAUSE</small> endued with animality, with the power of acquiring new parts, attended with new propensities, directed by irritations, sensations, volitions, and associations; and thus possessing the faculty of continuing to improve by its own inherent activity, and of delivering down those improvements by generation to its posterity, world without end!<ref name="Zoonomia">{{cite web| url = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15707/15707-h/15707-h.htm#sect_XXXIX| title = Erasmus Darwin, ''Zoonomia'': Project Gutenberg text XXXIX.4.8}}</ref> </blockquote>

Erasmus Darwin also anticipated survival of the fittest in ''Zoönomia'' mainly when writing about the "three great objects of desire" for every organism: "lust, hunger, and security."<ref name="Zoonomia" /> A similar "survival of the fittest" view in ''Zoönomia'' is Erasmus' view on how a species "should" propagate itself. Erasmus' idea that "the strongest and most active animal should propagate the species, which should thence become improved".<ref name="Zoonomia" /> Today, this is called the theory of [[survival of the fittest]]. His grandson Charles Darwin posited the different and fuller theory of natural selection. Charles' theory was that natural selection is the inheritance of changed genetic characteristics that are better adaptations to the environment; these are not necessarily based in "strength" and "activity", which themselves ironically can lead to the overpopulation that results in natural selection yielding nonsurvivors of genetic traits.

Erasmus Darwin was familiar with the earlier proto-evolutionary thinking of [[James Burnett, Lord Monboddo]], and cited him in his 1803 work ''Temple of Nature.''