Darwin and Lincoln

I've previously written about the fact that these two great men were born on the same day.

Today I came across another item that bears consideration. It is a review of a book that examines Darwin's attitude toward slavery. The thesis of the book is that Darwin's hatred of slavery was as important a force in his life as his commitment to scientific inquiry.

Here's an example: At the end of Voyage of the Beagle are Darwin's most powerful words towards the racism he observed.

chapter 21
"On the 19th of August we finally left the shores of Brazil. I thank God, I shall never again visit a slave-country. To this day, if I hear a distant scream, it recalls with painful vividness my feelings, when passing a house near Pernambuco, I heard the most pitiable moans, and could not but suspect that some poor slave was being tortured, yet knew that I was as powerless as a child even to remonstrate."

Worth a look.