Darwin the Bird Killer
One of the great ironic reveals of his autobiography is that the man who would go on to become the most famous naturalist in the world—and whose theories of evolution began in part as a result of the study of birds—was, as a boy and young man, a voracious killer of birds. Darwin enjoyed hunting to the degree that one would hardly expect of someone who grew up to become synonymous with the study and preservation of the animal kingdom.
Darwin the Clergyman
Probably the greatest irony of Darwin’s life is that he grew up to become the poster boy for anti-creationism. His theories are routinely mocked in church services every Sunday as rejecting the word of God. And yet this man studies for years within an academic setting with the purpose of becoming a minister.
Almost Missed the Boat, Part I
Nothing less than the entire history of the world changed as a result of the years that Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle as the research mission’s naturalist. It was on this voyage that Darwin essentially formulated his theories on the origin of the species. He would not publish his finding until decades after, but by the end of the voyage he had pretty delineated everything about the theories which would be explained in detail. The irony is that Darwin was not naturally selected to become a part of the crew of that ship. He was not even supposed to go on the voyage at all. He mentor was to be the naturalist on the voyage, not him. Darwin only wound up the voyage that changed the world because the wife of the man who was supposed to go object to him being away for two years.
Almost Missed the Boat, Part II
Even after he was recommended to take his mentor’s place aboard the ship as naturalist, Darwin came perilously close to losing his spot in a way that doubles the irony. Remember, the result of this voyage would cast Darwin as the enemy of religious faith which puts belief in things that cannot be proven or even—in many cases—that have been disproven. Even after being recommended for a position with the crew, the captain of the HMS Beagle nearly rejected Darwin because he subscribed to a theory that he could determine the character of a man based entirely on the shape of his nose. And Darwin’s nose was telling the captain one thing: no way is this man fit to be a part of your crew. Despite that, of course, Captain FitzRoy did ultimately decide to take Darwin on. The rest is history at its most cosmically ironic.
Ironic Understatement
Considering the towering place in scientific history that Darwin holds, Darwin’s own assessment of his writings is uniquely understated. His humility toward his own work and its reception stands in stark contrast to the unwarranted boats made in (mostly ghostwritten) autobiographies by fellow scientists, famous athletes, and even real estate developers whose legacy is far less impressive or likely to be remembered. In terms of understatement, the single most ironic direct observation made by the author may well be a final summing up of his own calculation of his ultimate place in history:
“I have heard it said that the success of a work abroad is the best test of its enduring value. I doubt whether this is at all trustworthy; but judged by this standard my name ought to last for a few years.”
