The Modern and The Postmodern - Week 6 – Third Writing Assignment

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Describe how Darwin makes use of the intellectual traditions of utilitarianism and romanticism in his work. Darwin and Romantics - William Wordsworth

Darwin was writing in middle of the 19^th century. Jeremy Bentham was the father of Utilitarianism. He was writing in eighteenth century. Utilitarianism includes thinking of social life. But Romanticism rejects this idea. As Darwin said,

“It is difficult to believe in the dreadful but quite war lurking just below the serene façade of nature”
-         Charles Darwin, 1839

What is Utilitarianism?
      
    Utilitarianism is the measurement of ‘utility’. ‘Utility’ is the measurement of all pleasures which a person has got from actions. It id also defined as

 “It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”.
-           - Jeremy Bentham, A Fragment on Government

      Utilitarians are against God and they are interested into find a measurable reason why a certain practice is legitimate. Utilitarianism is for,

“Developing a rational schema for evaluating all practices and beliefs without resources to any essences or substance, avoiding as scrupulously as possible all those things that can not be measured”

Darwin vs. Wordsworth
     
      Darwin was looking towards nature as a biologist and as a cataloger of the variety of species. He was focusing on extraordinary richness of nature. Romantics were looking towards nature as something with which people can interact and feel intensity. Darwin was looking towards nature with the perspective of genealogy and Romantics were more sensitive towards the Mother Nature.  
     
       As per Darwin, the present is the key to the past. He wanted to investigate everything and he also investigated it. On the other hand for Romantics, nature was the key of joy. They were busy in enjoying the nature rather than investigating. That’s why they have rejected the idea of Darwin. But Wordsworth was also frustrated with the notion of war and revolution. For him, it was disillusionment of art and he also wrote it in The Prelude,

“Twas in truth and hour
of universal ferment; Mildest men
 were agitated; and commotion, strife
of passion and opinion, filled the wall
 of peaceful houses with unique sounds.
The soil of common life, was, at that time
too hot to tread upon.”
-         William Wordsworth, The Prelude, ix, 163-9
    
      Darwin was interested in what we achieve and results of the investigation and Romantics were interested in how we achieve and the process of achieving. For Romantics, Utilitarianism was clearly rejected and this is one of major reason that measurement of pleasure is not possible.

       Darwin has used these two views as the background of his work. He investigated the truth by focusing on illusions. Darwin is a traditional scientist, and also have a lovely wonder towards nature and that is that reason that he is connected with Romantics. Darwin was focusing on natural essence of species. He has used scientific approaches to nature like genealogy and many more. He wrote that,

“False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views if supported by some evidence. Do little harm for everyone takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness: and when this is done, one path towards error is closed and the road to truth is often at the same time opened.”

     Thus, Darwin has used the background of Utilitarianism and Romanticism as the background of his work and talked about  Naturalization of morality.