You too Can Find ‘Grandeur in this View of Life.’ A Linguistic Remedy for Resisting the Desire to Abandon Darwin’s Origin of Species

Abstract

Given the scientific, socio-cultural, philosophical, and anthropological implications of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, it should be within reach of every motivated reader to discover its theoretical intricacies by reading the original source, On the Origin of Species. That said, many students, researchers, or interested readers in general admit that the dense prose and complex explanations have led them to abandon their reading of it. Therefore, in this chapter, I propose a linguistic remedy, through semantic analysis of some of the most emphatically expressive parts of the work, to avoid renouncing its reading in a fit of desperation. To do this, I analyze exclamatory passages from the Origin that denote scientific-aesthetic emotions, especially Darwin’s admiration, passion, and respect for nature and the study of it. My aim is to awaken in the reader a similar interest by paying detailed attention to Darwin’s sensibility and expressiveness throughout these passages. The desired result would be for the reader to empathize with the author and his enthu- siasm for transmitting the grandeur that characterizes the view of life explained throughout the Origin and, therefore, to wish to go on reading it, despite the cognitive fatigue Darwin’s arguments might sometimes cause.