Blog #5

            This book is fascinating as again we dive into the life of another great thinker and scientist, Charles Darwin. In this section of the book, Darwin exposes his early life and his home environment, both of which nurtured the mind of what would soon become an icon. Within this section, I was drawn to the way Darwin portrayed himself to others; he cherry-picked details of his childhood that he wanted to share amongst others. Particularly, he sparsely spoke of his mother, but delved deep into the topic of his father and the role he played within his life as a young boy; particularly, we see that Darwin places a negative connotation for his father as he illustrates his stern presence and constant critiquing in Darwin’s life. Furthermore, he depicts his journey on a deeply personal level, as shown by his lack of interest during his time at university. This is in stark contrast to his experience on the Beagle, where he grew to love science as a field and began thinking like one as well.

            The sole purpose of this perspective is that it not only introduces a humbler side to Darwin’s experiences as a scientist, but also illustrates inklings of Darwin’s quest towards understanding scientific virtue. Specifically, there was a passage within this book where Darwin inquires Buckle regarding the legitimacy of the works he chooses to read. When asked how he could gauge what book is reliable, Buckle responds that it’s due to a certain “instinct” that drives him towards certain works (Barlow 90). This illustrates a hint of scientific virtues that help supplement a scientific work/study and further helps legitimize one’s findings.

            As a future healthcare professional, I find that it is extremely valuable to glance at individuals and their actions in hindsight, in order to not only understand more about their personal experiences, but to further comprehend the changes that have occurred in the scientific mindset.