La estructura argumentativa de Origin Of Species

Abstract

One of the many aspects that are still in discussion about Origin of Species by Charles Darwin is its argumentative structure.  Mainly, if it is “one big argument”, or if more than one are involved. Another issue, on which the previous of the number of  arguments is mounted at stake, is to justify the location of the chapters and the way in which they entangle one another.
To address this issue, it might be enlightening to investigate the work through some of its main historical background in terms  of the methodology. Darwin makes clear evidence of its attempt to integrate his theory of descent with modification through  natural selection to the tradition of the vera causa, tradition rooted in the work of Isaac Newton, who was the most important in  the scientific field of Victorian England nineteenth century, and had as two of its main spokesmen in John Herschel and William Whewell, whom Darwin had the opportunity to meet personally.
Both authors had a decisive influence on the work, to the point that the problem lies in the interpretation of the third part of  the book, since it depends on it to consider the work as “one big argument” to Herschel, or as divided argumentatively in two  parts, a first where the fundamental syllogism of the theory of natural selection is exposed, guided by Herschel’s principle of  analogy, and a second developed as a reconciliation of inductions like Whewell, in favor of the tree of life thesis. Solving this  problem is key to the correct understanding of the theory and its implications.