AP Success - AP European History: Darwin's Evolutionary Impact
"Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."
Charles Darwin, "On the Origin of Species," 1859
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the impact of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' on 19th-century European thought?
It reinforced the Church's teachings about the divine creation of all living creatures.
It promoted the idea that human societies progress through cooperation rather than competition.
It had little influence on contemporary scientific thought until the 20th century.
It challenged traditional beliefs by providing a natural explanation for the development of species.
Question 2
Darwin's reference to 'the war of nature, from famine and death' most directly suggests which of the following concepts?
Divine Providence
Lamarckian inheritance
Natural selection
Geocentric universe
Question 3
The idea that 'endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved' would have most likely contradicted the views of which of the following groups?
Creationists who believed in the immutability of species
Advocates of Romanticism who emphasized the beauty and diversity of nature
Utilitarians who focused on the greatest happiness for the greatest number
Supporters of the Industrial Revolution who saw technology as the pinnacle of progress
Question 4
The phrase 'this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity' reflects Darwin's reliance on which of the following scientific principles?
Alchemy and the transformation of substances
The centrality of the Earth in the universe
The divine right of kings to rule
Empiricism and observation of natural laws
Question 5
Darwin's work, as exemplified in the provided passage, contributed to intellectual debates in Europe by:
Promoting the idea that historical events are predetermined and unchangeable.
Providing a scientific framework that influenced discussions on human society and its development.
Asserting the moral superiority of European civilization over other cultures.
Encouraging the abandonment of scientific inquiry in favor of religious explanations.
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