Life Sciences Commons^™

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 30. Wallace A Theist? Part I., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) has been portrayed as a ‘theist’ on a large number of occasions from his own time on to the present. In this, the first of a two part work, this assessment is questioned. In part one, the matter of Wallace’s personal philosophy and spiritual orientation is explored, the conclusion being that Wallace was a lifelong agnostic who can hardly be aligned with theism.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 29. Extraterrestrial Entertainment: Are We Being Monitored By Alien Beings?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) was an early advocate for the rational assessment of likelihood of extraterrestrial life. Current efforts to evaluate the situation have ranged from the heavily self-indulgent to the more objective, and it is still often difficult to decide just how much of the information we are receiving on the subject is dependable. An attempt is made here to cut through the haze and reduce the matter to elementals.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 28. Wallace's 'Change Of Mind', Revisited, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) is best known for his work on the theory of evolution by natural selection, and studies on biogeography. This fame has not, however, prevented appraisals of his work that sometimes depart from rational interpretations of his actual words. In this study, the frequently-offered notion that his adoption of spiritualism in late 1866 caused him to reverse himself on the universality of natural selection is taken to task, with arguments linked to his own words on the subject.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 25. Wallace And The 'Physical Environment'., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace’s natural selection essay of 1858 has been held to frame a greater role for the physical environment in forcing selection regimes than we find in Darwin’s writings, but here that verdict is challenged by a re-examination of both the essay itself, and period usage of the term ‘physical.’

Bibliography, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Charles H. Smith.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 23: The Jersey Devil, And Friends, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For nearly three hundred years reports have surfaced of a purported cryptid form known as the ‘Jersey devil.’ In this work an interpretation of the goals of biogeography is given, and how this field can be related to such alleged phenomena, as well as to some of the ideas of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) that seem to find their origin in the writings of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 22: Stumbling Blocks To An Understanding Of Wallace's Worldview, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The writings of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) present a challenge to modern readers, both for the large range of subjects he entertained, and his unique point of view. In this short treatment, ten ‘stumbling blocks’ to an appreciation of Wallace’s thought are outlined which, it is suggested, have caused problems of interpretation in the past.

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 19: Social Evolution's Useful Idiots, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

In today’s world liberals look at conservatives as the villains, and vice versa. How did this come to pass? In this essay a model of the biological roots of liberalism and conservatism is advanced; this is followed by a discussion of why cognitive dissonance may represent the key process in our social evolution. Alfred Russel Wallace’s experience with cognitive dissonance is then detailed, including how he dealt with it.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 18: Wallace On The Balance Of Nature, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) had a unique perspective on the ‘balance of nature’: he avoided classical thoughts on the subject, but nevertheless seems to have adopted elements of the ‘balance’ concept while acknowledging that irreversible change occurs at both the biological and environmental levels. Wallace’s position can be understood from his grounding in Humboldtian ‘equilibrium of forces’ thinking, and his turn toward ‘final causes’-based interpretations.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 16: The Flexible Wallace, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913), though a naturalist of considerable renown, has sometimes been accused of inflexibility and inconsistency in his thinking. Many of his critics, however, ignore his basic approach to knowledge accumulation, which was explicitly incremental, based on a perceived need for constant reconsideration. Here, I: (1) identify five groups of Wallace critics who seem to be operating with prior agendas, and (2) provide lists of subjects on which he either changed his mind, or remained constant, according to individual situation.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 17: More On The South Asian Connection, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

During his school years the arts and cultural historian and metaphysician Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) was clearly influenced by Alfred Russel Wallace, and is known later to have corresponded with, and supplied information to, him. Up to now the connections involved had been obscure, but a new investigation suggests that Wallace had previously interacted with Ananda’s mother and/or father.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 15. Wallace's Many "Hats": What Should We Call Him?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) has been referred to by name through the aid of a variety of labels – some thirty or more, in fact – that link him to his emphases of attention. How many of these labels are/were justifiable? The assessment here is that he is probably best remembered as a ‘naturalist,’ ‘geographer,’ ‘evolutionist,’ and ‘social critic.’

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 8: Wallace's Earliest Exposures To The Writings Of Alexander Von Humboldt, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For many years it has been known that the German geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) exercised a considerable influence on Alfred Russel Wallace’s (1823-1913) decision to become a travelling naturalist. Almost no attention, however, has been given to the real possibility that von Humboldt exerted an even greater influence on Wallace’s general worldview. In this note, Wallace’s probable earliest contacts with von Humboldt’s writings are described.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 14: Background For Wallace's 1845 Kington Essay, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

‘An Essay, On the Best Method of Conducting the Kington Mechanic's Institution’ is one of the earliest written works by Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) known to have reached print. The circumstances of its writing are still not clear, though I here review pertaining facts and theories that seem to indicate Wallace actually was the author of the essay, which had been questioned.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 13: Wallace On Prayer, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) is known to most for his natural history explorations and theoretical biology, but he also developed thoughts on a number of subjects relatable to a wider appreciation of evolutionary cosmology. His adoption of spiritualism, for one, was attuned to this mission, and in turn his otherwise difficult-to-interpret two-sided position on prayer.

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.

Wallace And Incipient Structures: A World Of "More Recondite" Influences, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Alfred Russel Wallace is well-known for his co-discovery of the principle of natural selection. Natural selection is usually considered a process, but it is not clear that Wallace regarded it in exactly these terms. In fact he more likely thought of the relationships involved as representing what we would now term a “state space,” a negative feedback loop wherein populations are maintained at healthy levels through elimination of the unfit. Both before and after the advent of natural selection Wallace clung to the idea that “more recondite forces” were shaping the nature and direction of evolution; this is especially evident …

Early Humboldtian Influences On Alfred Russel Wallace's Scheme Of Nature [Presented At The Alfred Russel Wallace And His Legacy Royal Society Of London Meeting, 21 October 2013], Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Alfred Russel Wallace’s 1858 Ternate paper on natural selection is a famous work in the history of science. Beyond his co-discovery of the principle, moreover, Wallace is known for a large number of early applications of the idea, both to biological and biogeographical subjects. Yet how much do we really know about Wallace’s own evolution of thought, and his actual intentions before his views were swallowed up by the inertia of Darwin’s revolution? A number of differences between Wallace’s and Darwin’s views are apparent and have been much treated over the years, but related discussions dwell more on effects than …

Wallace On Natural Selection: What Did He Really Have In Mind?, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Real Alfred Russel Wallace: Essays On An Outside-The-Box Thinker, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913), English polymath and social critic, ranks high on the list of the most interesting characters in the history of science. Nevertheless, and despite a life filled with achievement, he has often been marginalized in the halls of learning. The truth is, Wallace was something of an “outside–the–box” thinker, and his many forays into the murkier areas of science and social science cost him a lot of potential supporters. Still others, while recognizing his intellectual talents in general, have looked at the full span of his work and interests as a …

A Further Look At The 1858 Wallace-Darwin Mail Delivery Question, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Recent investigations have led to a conclusion that Alfred Russel Wallace probably mailed his ‘Ternate’ paper on natural selection to Darwin a month later than some have thought, thus freeing Darwin from possible accusations of plagiarism. Further examination of the question suggests this conclusion is premature, as the evidence in favor of the later mailing date appears to be shakier than first thought.

Wallace: The Review, And Wallace: The Preview, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

In this essay commemorating the one hundred year anniversary of his death, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) is remembered for his main contributions to biogeography, and pointed to as a possible source of inspiration for future work in that field. As one of the science’s “fathers,” Wallace established both methods for study and a long-lived geographical systemization of animal distribution patterns. His efforts, moreover, may yet have the potential to inspire further new studies in the subject.

Alfred Russel Wallace & The Notion Of Final Causes In Evolution, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The methodology of Empiricism, with its emphasis on linking efficient causes to specific effects, has now dominated science for over three hundred years, and to productive end. Another of the other original Aristotelian concepts of causation, however, the notion of “final causes,” has largely been ignored by the scientific community – perhaps because it seems to necessitate teleology, or even direct interventions (“first causes”) from outside of the realm of natural process.

The most famous example of the operation of final causes comes down from ancient times. The sculptor is described as imagining what his completed form will look like, …

Natural Selection: A Concept In Need Of Some Evolution?, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

In some respects natural selection is a quite simple theory, arrived at through the logical integration of three propositions (the presence of variation within natural populations, an absolutely limited resources base, and procreation capacities exceeding mere replacement numbers) whose individual truths can hardly be denied. Its relation to the larger subject of evolution, however, remains problematic. It is suggested here that a scaling-down of the meaning of natural selection to “the elimination of the unfit,” as originally intended by Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), might ultimately prove a more effective means of relating it to larger-scale, longer-term, evolutionary processes.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 3: Two Early Publications, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Profiles In Science For Science Librarians: "What Lives Where, And Why": Alfred Russel Wallace, And The Field Of Biogeography, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Biogeography, the study of animal and plant distribution, has a history extending back to at least the eighteenth century. But it was not until the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-nineteenth century that it really came into its own as a science. Darwin’s importance notwithstanding, it was really Wallace who put the field on the map, and many of today’s research threads can be traced back to his influence. This article provides a summary review of Wallace’s life and work and biogeography as a field of study, including Wallace’s role in its development.

On The Zoological Geography Of The Malay Archipelago (1859), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

On The Monkeys Of The Amazon (1852), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

On The Tendency Of Varieties To Depart Indefinitely From The Original Type (1858), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.