The origin of species (1899)

by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London : John Murray, 1899. Sixth edition, with additions and corrections (fifty-sixth thousand). Octavo, original publisher’s gilt-lettered green cloth (slightly bruised with short splits at head and foot of spine, small mark to spine) original endpapers (lightly foxed, Manchester Sunday School Union Scholars Examination prize label to front free endpaper), pp xxi, [blank], 432, folding lithographed plate. A fine copy.

An unorthodox prize from Sunday School.

A fine copy of the sixth edition of one of the most important texts in the history of science. The first edition of 1859, a great rarity, is described in Freeman as “… the most important biological work ever written.”; Dibner, “… the most important single work in science.”; Printing & the Mind of Man, “… revolutionized our methods of thinking and our outlook on the natural order of things. The recognition that constant change is the order of the universe had been finally established and a vast step forward in the uniformity of nature had been taken.”

The sixth edition, extensively rewritten by Darwin and published in 1872, removed the word ‘On’ from the title ‘On the origin of species‘ and includes rebuttal of Roman Catholic biologist St. George Mivart’s theological arguments in his 1871 text On the Genesis of Species. The sixth edition is significant for including the use of the word ‘evolution’ for the first time in furtherance of Darwin’s argument for natural selection. It is the last edition published in Darwin’s lifetime and includes extensive revisions and rewriting by the author. The sixth edition went through numerous printings and includes all Darwin’s revisions since On the origin of species was first released in 1859.

It is considered the definitive text for what many consider to be the most significant scientific book ever published.

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