LNAT Free Resource 2 (Charles Darwin)

Charles Darwin

The life of Charles Darwin is often misrepresented – or at least overstated. For one thing, he never used the word ‘scientist’ to describe himself, preferring to call himself a naturalist. This is because the word ‘scientist’ was not coined until 1833. Interestingly, it was used as a derogatory term to imply that natural philosophers (as men of science were then called) were becoming too specialised to be considered philosophical. This is a fact that few people know – a fact that only history of science students seem to be aware of.

Today, philosophy and science seem to be recognised as two separate fields, the latter being rooted in more ‘empirical’ basis. Again, this was not a distinction appreciated by contemporaries in Darwin’s. Although, there were references to ‘scientists’ appearing in the 1870s in letters from North America, but this is likely more to do with the different sense of the word (rather than Darwin trying to elevate himself by granting himself the title of ‘scientist’).

Other phrases attributed to Darwin, such as ‘survival of the fittest’, was not actually a term used by Darwin himself. Rather, it was coined as an alternative to ‘natural selection’ – a term Darwin did used by philosopher Herbert Spencer. The term was only included in the 5th edition of Origin in 1869 (also authorised by Darwin). This should remove a lot of negative attitudes surrounding Darwin, arising from the fact that survival of the fittest seem to imply that organisms must actively take advantage of their environment and other organisms to be called the ‘fittest’ and more importantly, survive. This seems to evoke idea of a battle to the death between species – the stuff of Hollywood – such that those we see today are a sort of victor after a brutal fight for the title.

However, natural selection is something akin to passive survival of naturally occurring advantageous situations. For example, Darwin recognised an association between deafness in cats and the colour of their fur and eyes. Cats with blue eyes (subject to exceptions) were more likely deaf. This is far different from an active choice on the part of those species to obtain a victor title.

Other praiseworthy traits of Darwin include his time spent with his family, such as in observing the characteristics of bees. Less praiseworthy include his views on race, women, and slavery.

Question 1

Which of the following statements are not true?

1. Natural selection was and is a recognised philosophical view.
2. A long time ago, there was no one that was called a ‘scientist’.
3. Cats with blue eyes are always deaf.
4. Darwin would refer to himself as a naturalist.
5. At a point in time, Darwin would probably feel insulted to be called a scientist.

The answer is C. The passage clearly states “subject to exceptions” in brackets. This is a straightforward question that does not require exclusion of options A, B, D or E.

Question 2

According to the passage, what is a “scientist”?

1. A person who practices science.
2. One who determines which animals are the ‘fittest’ in natural selection
3. A researcher of bees like Darwin
4. A diminishing term for philosophers with a narrow focus of philosophy.
5. One who researches on animals.

The answer is D. This is because the author is writing the passage in the context of giving nuance to what the term scientist meant at a different time in history. Option A is too general and based on your own understanding rather than the text. Option C is wrong as it is simply an example of what a scientist does from the passage, rather than what a scientist is. Option E is a more vaguely worded version of Option C and is likewise wrong.

Question 3

Which of the following is likely a fair claim about Darwin?

1. Darwin constantly changed his view as shown by the fact he publishes several editions of the textbook
2. Darwin only studies a fixed number of species
3. Darwin prioritises work over family
4. Darwin’s theory has attracted some controversy
5. Darwin’s central theory is inspired by the work of his contemporaries

The answer is D. This is clear from the talk about active choice versus passive choice. Option A is wrong as the presence of several editions does not necessitate a constant change in the author’s view. Option B is wrong as we are not told of the exact number of species Darwin studies. Option C is wrong as the passage mentions the time he spends with his family as praiseworthy. Option E is wrong as the only time we see Darwin’s contemporaries spoken about is when they did not appreciate the distinction between science and philosophy.

Question 4

Which of the following can we tell from the passage about the character of Darwin?

1. He is one of the most misrepresented scientists
2. He has negative views of the church and religion
3. He spends ample hours with his family
4. He possessed some controversial views
5. He eventually preferred the term ‘scientist’ over ‘naturalist’

The answer is D. This is seen from the last sentence with regards to his views about women (but NOT his views on natural selection as that was a misunderstanding by his critics). Option A is wrong as there is no scale of misrepresented scientists to deem Darwin the most, Option B is wrong as that is bringing out outside information, Option C is wrong as there is no necessity that “praiseworthy” means “ample hours”, and Option E is wrong as he probably maintained disdain for the term.

Question 5

What is the dominant tone of the passage?

1. Cynical
2. Informative
3. Calm
4. Reluctant
5. Annoyed

The answer is B as one of the author’s purpose is to provide greater clarity to Darwin but also being honest about Darwin’s less attractive sides.