Introduction Summary and Analysis

The Origin of Species is a biological work that challenges many of the beliefs that were common in the field, particularly, the belief that the species of life on Earth were all individually created by God. In place of that belief, Darwin offers the theory that the species descended from other species, and through a process of gradual change, were significantly changed.

In the introduction, Darwin outlines the reasons for his work, establishes his credibility in writing on the subject, and anticipates some possible objections to his work. He begins by describing his voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle, a ship that traveled to South America and surrounding islands. Here he took interest in how living creatures varied from one location to another and wondered about the relationship between the currently living beings and the now extinct beings which lived...