Criticisms on "The Origin of Species" From 'The Natural History Review', 1864

Thomas Huxley opens this thoughtful survey by placing Darwin’s groundbreaking work in the lively context of mid‑nineteenth‑century scientific debate. He introduces the major foreign responses, from German linguists drawing parallels between species and language evolution to French and Swiss scholars offering pointed objections. The narrative gently guides listeners through the intellectual landscape that greeted “The Origin of Species,” highlighting the respect it commanded even among its fiercest critics.

The core of the discussion centers on Professor Kollik er’s detailed essay, which challenges Darwin’s ideas with a “Theory of Heterogeneous Generation.” Huxley examines Kollik er’s claim that Darwin’s natural selection is fundamentally teleological, and he unpacks the philosophical ramifications of this accusation. By contrasting the teleological arguments of Paley with Darwin’s emerging view of variation and selection, the work invites listeners to reflect on how scientific ideas are contested, refined, and understood in their own time.