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Full-Text Articles in History
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 26: Confessions Of A 'Wallace Enthusiast', Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 26: Confessions Of A 'Wallace Enthusiast', Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
The author’s longstanding interest in the life and thought of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is profiled in three ways, through: (1) a brief factual review of its history (2) a discussion of some problems with the way Wallace has been treated over the years, and (3) a consideration of the author’s personal experience with the paranormal, and how this has made him, if not always a full believer, more patient with divergent explanations of the type Wallace was famous for.
Bibliography, Charles H. Smith
Bibliography, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Bibliography of publications by Charles H. Smith.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 21: Wallace & The Doorway To The Universe, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 21: Wallace & The Doorway To The Universe, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
An important yet largely unrecognized theme in the thought of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) was his insistence that all dependably-reported phenomena, even those of aberrant nature, were worthy of a respectful kind of attention: that is, a kind which did not automatically banish difficult subjects to the realm of myth or superstition. In this work, Wallace’s philosophy in this direction is documented, and linked to the world of post-Age-of-Enlightenment revisionism.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 12: How Good Was Wallace's Memory?, Charles H. Smith
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 12: How Good Was Wallace's Memory?, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) continues to be criticized for inconsistencies in his recollections of the earlier events in his life. This criticism, while not entirely unjust, has nevertheless been overplayed. Critics have not attended to the general understanding that self-biography is under the influence of two aspects of memory: that pertaining to remembrance of the qualities of past situations, and a secondary ability to assign absolutes of name or date to such memories. All evidence suggests that Wallace’s memory in the first sense was excellent throughout his life, but that he was prone to lapses of the second type.
Discussion On 'A.R. Wallace In The Light Of Historical Method' By John Van Whye, Charles H. Smith, George Beccaloni, James D. Williams, Derek Partridge
Discussion On 'A.R. Wallace In The Light Of Historical Method' By John Van Whye, Charles H. Smith, George Beccaloni, James D. Williams, Derek Partridge
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
The recent article by historian John van Wyhe purports to identify seventeen ‘myths’ concerning the life and work of naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Here we briefly describe what we feel is wrong with them, and refer to published literature that extend these arguments. Our objections do not extend to the ‘historical method’ van Wyhe adopts, but instead to the way he has ignored the criticisms of peers to the extent of not even acknowledging their scholarly articles.
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 11: Wallace, Darwin, Education, & The Class Question, Charles H. Smith, James D. Williams
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 11: Wallace, Darwin, Education, & The Class Question, Charles H. Smith, James D. Williams
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
In a recent paper by John van Wyhe (2020), the issue of class was discussed and whether Wallace came from a “working class” background. As a result of class differences could or should Wallace be considered differently from Darwin, who supposedly came from a higher class? An additional “myth” highlighted was whether Wallace left school, aged 14, due to difficult family financial circumstances. Van Wyhe contends that Darwin and Wallace were both middle class, and Wallace left school at the “normal” school-leaving age. This article shows that both contentions are mistaken. Class in the 19th century was complex and difficult, …
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 10: The Impact Of A.R. Wallace's Sarawak Law Paper Resurrected, Charles H. Smith, Derek Partridge
Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 10: The Impact Of A.R. Wallace's Sarawak Law Paper Resurrected, Charles H. Smith, Derek Partridge
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
Six assertions that relate to the impact of Wallace’s Sarawak Law paper1 on the development of evolution theory have been proposed and analyzed by John van Wyhe.2 He concluded that they were all erroneous. The analysis presented a valid criticism of some casual and over-confident pronouncements with respect to interpretations of history. More significantly, it is a misguided attempt to expose “original historical meanings,” and thereby dismiss all other interpretations as necessarily incorrect. A re-analysis reveals that, contrary to van Wyhe’s analysis, much of the conventional wisdom is plausibly correct, and it remains the case that “the past is a …
"In Space" Or "As Space": Three Dimensions Or Not?, Charles H. Smith
"In Space" Or "As Space": Three Dimensions Or Not?, Charles H. Smith
Faculty/Staff Personal Papers
First Paragraph: Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 – 1913), the celebrated British naturalist and social critic, is best known for his independent discovery of the principle of natural selection, and for his key role in the development of the field of evolutionary biogeography. But his interests extended to well beyond these subjects: he was also an important anthropologist, physical geographer, land reform theorist, social critic, and early exobiologist. By the end of his life he was one of the most respected scientists in the world – and this, despite his concurrent attachment to a number of less mainstream side-infatuations including spiritualism, …