The phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ is often incorrectly attributed to Darwin. In fact, it was coined by the philosopher Herbert Spencer in response to reading Origin of Species five years after the first edition was published. Alfred Russel Wallace, whose own theory about the mechanics of evolution was almost identical to Darwin's, wrote to Darwin in 1866 with a lengthy criticism of Darwin’s term ‘natural selection’ and pleaded with him to minimise confusion by adopting 'Survival of the fittest'. Darwin introduced the phrase in a few places in his works from 5th edition of Origin in 1869. However, he never abandoned the term ‘natural selection’ and only saw ‘survival of the fittest’ as a synonym or auxiliary phrase to help make his meaning clear to his readers.
Wallace was a leading Victorian naturalist, with wide-ranging interests from biogeography and evolutionary theory to spiritualism and politics. He was born in 1823 in Usk, a small town in south-east Wales, and attended a grammar school in Hertford. At the age of 13, he was forced to leave school and enter a trade because of financial hardship. He joined an older brother in London as a builder’s apprentice, and the following year started work as a land surveyor with another brother, travelling to different parts of England and Wales and collecting plants.
The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of Origin. Darwin got the fourth edition to the printers in July. Much to Darwin’s annoyance, however, publication was delayed by Murray, who judged that it would sell better if released later in the year. Darwin also completed the major part of what was to become Variation. Debate about Darwin’s theory of transmutation continued in 1866, with important commentaries appearing in France, Germany, and Italy.
Lengthy analysis of sources of misunderstanding of natural selection. Advocacy of Spencer’s term "survival of the fittest" instead of "Natural Selection". ARW urges CD to stress frequency of variations.
Returns ARW’s notes. He will work up subject much better than CD.
Apologises for the note of illiberality in his letter regarding ARW’s work on the colouring and other sexual differences in mammals.
Discusses laws of inheritance based on sexual selection.
He questions the extent of applicability of principles of protection and sexual selection to lower animal forms, though Ernst Haeckel has shown how protection may account for transparency and absence of colour in lower oceanic animals.
Thinks GHL’s articles are quite excellent; hopes they will be republished.
Discusses adaptation. Doubts whether similar conditions without selection can produce similar organs independent of blood relationship: "resemblances due to descent and adaptation can commonly be distinguished".
Discusses luminous insects, electrical organs of fish, thorns and spines.
The phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ is often incorrectly attributed to Darwin. In fact, it was coined by the philosopher Herbert Spencer in response to reading Origin of Species five years after the first edition was published. Alfred Russel Wallace, whose own theory about the mechanics of evolution was almost identical to Darwin's, wrote to Darwin in 1866 with a lengthy criticism of Darwin’s term ‘natural selection’ and pleaded with him to minimise confusion by adopting 'Survival of the fittest'. Darwin introduced the phrase in a few places in his works from 5th edition of Origin in 1869. However, he never abandoned the term ‘natural selection’ and only saw ‘survival of the fittest’ as a synonym or auxiliary phrase to help make his meaning clear to his readers.