Darwinism is a
theory of
biological evolution developed by the English
naturalist Charles Darwin and others, stating that all
species of
organisms arise and develop through the
natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and
reproduce. Also called
Darwinian theory, it originally included the broad concepts of
transmutation of species or of evolution which gained general scientific acceptance after Darwin published
On the Origin of Species in 1859, including concepts which predated Darwin's theories, but subsequently referred to specific concepts of natural selection, of the
Weismann barrier or in
genetics of the
central dogma of molecular biology. Though the term usually refers strictly to biological evolution,
creationists have appropriated it to refer to the
origin of life, and it has even been applied to concepts of
cosmic evolution, both of which have no connection to Darwin's work. It is therefore considered the belief and acceptance of Darwin's and of his predecessors' work—in place of other theories, including
divine design and
extraterrestrial origins.
