Charles Darwin Character Analysis in Sapiens

Charles Darwin was a scientist who formulated the theory of evolution. Darwin posited that human beings evolved from other animals, thereby questioning the widespread belief that humans are inherently different from other animals. Harari references Darwin to stress that humans aren’t fundamentally different from creatures on Earth: chance events enabled humans to climb to the top of the food chain, but the situation could easily change.

Charles Darwin Character Timeline in Sapiens

The timeline below shows where the character Charles Darwin appears in Sapiens. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Human-Caused Ecological Devastation Theme Icon

Harari notes that we humans like to think of ourselves as unique. When Charles Darwin proposed that Homo sapiens are just another kind of animal, people were outraged. Some still... (full context)

Fiction, Cooperation, and Culture Theme Icon

...in contrast, assumes that humans don’t know what’s important about the world. Harari thinks that Darwin, for example, didn’t claim to “solve the riddle of life once and for all.” Today’s... (full context)

...the H.M.S. Beagle to chart South America’s coasts for military purposes. They took along Charles Darwin, who discovered the theory of evolution on that trip. Harari thinks about a story in... (full context)