About
Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) was an English physician, poet, naturalist, and inventor, a leading figure of the Enlightenment. Grandfather of Charles Darwin, he formulated an early theory of evolution, suggesting that all warm-blooded animals descend from a single 'living filament'. He founded the Lunar Society of Birmingham, an intellectual circle that included James Watt, Matthew Boulton, Joseph Priestley, and Josiah Wedgwood. His epic poem The Botanic Garden (1791) made him famous, while his Zoonomia (1794-1796) influenced medicine and biology. He practiced medicine in Lichfield and Derby, declining an invitation to become personal physician to King George III.
* 1731-12-12 — † 1802-04-18
Major works
- The Botanic Garden (1791)epic poem
- Zoonomia; or, the Laws of Organic Life (1794-1796)scientific treatise
- A Plan for the Conduct of Female Education in Boarding Schools (1797)educational essay
- Phytologia (1800)botanical treatise
- The Temple of Nature (1803)poem
Key milestones
- 1765Founded the Lunar Society of Birmingham.
- 1794-1796Published Zoonomia, a major work on medicine and biology.
- 1802Died in Derby, leaving an influential legacy.
Themes
evolutionbotanymedicineinventionsocial reform
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov · getty.edu