Darwin's Masterful Use Of Rhetoric

While in Professor Walters' class on the 11th I was involved in a fascinating discussion the class had about Darwin's use of rhetorical devices to more powerfully convince his readers of his Theory's validity. It is after all remarkable that a man who was advancing so radical and blasphemes a proposition was not immediately and wholly rejected by the entirety of Victorian Society. There must have been something especially persuasive in the crafting of Darwin's argument that allowed his incipient theory to grow beyond the embryonic stage. We discussed particular rhetorical devices of Darwin's such as his building up and defeating of seemingly massive problems to his theory. For example on page 199 Darwin openly admits "[other naturalists] believe that very many structures have been created for beauty in the eyes of man... This doctrine, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory". He also says later on page 201 "If it could be proved that any part of the structure of any one species had been formed for the exclusive good  of another species it would annihilate my theory". Darwin seems to present to reader an obvious and dooming flaw in or problem with his theory at which it is probable an opponent would attack him. He then eloquently defeats the apparently imposing problem with a statement as simple as his reply to the problem on 201 "Although many statement maybe found in work on natural history to this effect, I cannot find one which seems to me of any weight". The deceptively easy defeat of the Goliath problems leads the reader to an inflated view of the solidity of Darwin's theory; increasing his credibility in his/her mind. The order in which Darwin presents his points is also a rhetorical strategy. He begins his book with the easy to understand principal of artificial selection. especially to the Darwin's contemporary readers, who lived much more closely with livestock, these principals were before them everyday and easy to comprehend. These processes also put mankind in a much more Genesis 1:28 friendly position of dominion over the earth. Only after establishing the principles of his theory upon concrete and less offensive grounds does Darwin delve deeper into his more abstract and shakier arguments. These examples of Darwin's careful construction of his argument show his mastery not only of science, but also of rhetoric.