"Maybe the smartweed knows why."

Rainclouds cleared a bit today, but it remained overcast.

Some time ago, when the topic of Intelligent Design was often in the news I realized that, although I had read about and felt I had a good understanding of evolution, I had never read Darwin. I have finally gotten around to remedying that deficiency. I am currently listening to the Librivox audio book The Origin of the Species. Here are some early impressions.

The main surprise, so far has been what a remarkable writer Darwin was. Although The Origin of Species is a closely argued scientific work that displays an incredibly broad and detailed knowledge of the natural world, its argument is made yet stronger by its rhetorical force. The voice projected from the page is direct and precise, but also personal and unassuming, like in a letter. He uses simile and metaphor. He uses words with precision: not the false precision of scientific jargon, but the precision of plain words carefully selected. Phrases like "the conditions of life" or "the polity of nature" have a plainness of speech and impart to the work a tone of honest inquiry. He quotes his scientific colleagues, of course, but also classical writers when these will help convey his ideas. His economy of expression is all the more remarkable when compared to florid style that was fashionable then.

- J

(Post title from Walking the Beans by Greg Brown. Image is from WikiCommons and is in the public domain.)