So Simple a Beginning

This page will allow you to navigate posts by the chapter they pertain to in The Origin of Species. As more posts are added, it will be filled in accordingly.

• About the Site
  • TOM LEVENSON: “Welcome to So Simple a Beginning” (February 12, 2009)
  • TOM LEVENSON: “A Bit of Housekeeping.” (February 12, 2009)
• Introduction
  • TOM LEVENSON: “Ship’s Naturalist? Oh, Really?” (February 12, 2009)
  • JOHN DURANT: “First Thoughts on Re-reading the Origin“ (February 13, 2009)
  • TOM LEVENSON: “A bit on one notable day in the prehistory of The Origin“ (February 15, 2009)
  • TOM LEVENSON: “A Theory That “Cannot Fail To Be True”: A Newton-Darwin connection.” (February 23, 2009)
• Chapter 1: Variation Under Domestication
• Chapter 2: Variation Under Nature
• Chapter 3: Struggle for Existence
• Chapter 4: Natural Selection
• Chapter 5: Laws of Variation
• Chapter 6: Difficulties on Theory
• Chapter 7: Instinct
• Chapter 8: Hybridism
• Chapter 9: On the Imperfection of the Geological Record
• Chapter 10: On the Geological Succession of Organic Beings
• Chapter 11: Geographical Distribution
• Chapter 12: Geographical Distribution, continued
• Chapter 13: Mutual Affinities of Organic Beings : Morphology : Embryology : Rudimentary Organs
• Chapter 14: Recapitulation and Conclusion