On the Origin of Species the second edition, Darwin added an epigraph from Joseph Butler affirming that God could work through scientific laws as much as through miracles, in a nod to the religious concerns of his oldest friends. The "Introduction" establishes Darwin's credentials as a naturalist and author, then refers to John Herschel's letter suggesting that the origin of species "would be found to be a natural in contradistinction to a miraculous process": WHEN on board HMS "Beagle", as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present
Essay on the Origin of Languages Essay on the Origin of Languages Essay on the Origin of Languages () is an essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau published posthumously in 1781. Rousseau had meant to publish the essay in a short volume which was also to include essays "On Theatrical Imitation" and "The Levite of Ephraim." In the preface to this would-be volume, Rousseau wrote that the "Essay" was originally meant to be included in the "Discourse on Inequality", but was omitted because it "was too long and out of place". The essay was mentioned in Rousseau's 1762 book, "Emile". In this text, Rousseau lays out a narrative