Uniformitarianism
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Uniformitarianism has had two separate meanings, both more prevalent in 19th-century discourse:
- Within religious philosophy, Uniformitarianism ("with a capital U") is the belief that the Universe has existed as it is now for an infinite time and will continue to exist for ever. This view is opposed to traditional theological views and modern science.
- Within scientific philosophy, uniformitarianism ("with a small u") refers to the principle that the same processes that shape the universe occurred in the past as they do now, and that the same laws of physics apply in all parts of the knowable universe. This axiomatic principle, not often referred to as an "-ism" in modern discussions, is particularly relevant to geology and other sciences on a long timescale such as astronomy and paleontology. The leading geologist of Darwin’s era, a Scot named Charles Lyell (1797 – 1875), incorporated Hutton’s gradualism into a theory known as uniformitarianism. The term refers to Lyell’s idea that geological processes have not changed throughout Earth’s history. Thus, for example, the forces that build mountains and erode mountains and the rates at which these forces operate are the same today as in the past.
[edit] References
- Campbell, Reece; Biology Sixth Edition; Benjamin Cummings, copyright 2002
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