Introduction:
Understanding Russell’s theory of evolution must begin from the assessment of human activities as significant causative agents of evolutionary processes in all living things. History, according to the basic doctrine of this theory, is simply a manifestation of evolutionary processes in a sequential manner across time and space. Development, progress, and the perishing of plant and animal species are conceptualized as observable forces of the role of evolution in historical processes.
Discussion:
One of the central arguments developed by Russell in his evolutionary theory is that human actions and activities can and do occasion evolution (Russell, 54). Some of the activities that human beings engage in have been known to affect the evolution of other species that are exposed to these activities. Evolution affects the progress of history. The movement of time and events is determined by the degree of evolution that takes place in human beings.
Another argument that Russell brings to the fore is that human evolution and the evolution of non-human species affect each other. The evolutionary processes of humans, for instance, will affect the evolution of animals. The sum total of Russell’s theory is that that evolution and history are ultimately related. Evolution determines the direction that historical processes follow (Ruseel,166).
According to Russell, the basic characteristics of species are determined by their level of development. Russell theory of evolution suggested the aspect of competition among the species so that the ones that are poorly developed lose out in the battle for survival while the ones that a relatively better developed win in the battle for survival. This theory could be expanded to give meaning to other theories and school of thought that have been developed to understand the manifestations of human behavior. For instance, this theory could be applied to the theory of genetic clock in order to understand the process of change that take place within a species.
In line with this theory, it is possible to trace the precise point when species change by observing the characteristics of carbon in their fossils. This theory could be put into use for exposing the internal biological mechanisms that take place within an organism. The genetic clock or the molecular clock could be understood together with Russell’s theory of evolution in the process of determining the course of changes that took place and the specific period within the evolutionary process. Historians could enlist these theories for the purposes of understanding the geographical distribution of races around the globe.
Historical processes such as migrations of races to common geographical places could be contextualized within the overall process of racial differences as they occur within a certain geographical process. Humans and other species of animals adapt to the environment in which they are placed; they evolve in certain ways to suit their environments. For example, humans who live closer to the equator tend to have darker skin than those who live further away.
Russell’s concept of evolution focuses on some processes such as the relative decline of certain species with relation to others. Understanding the cultural domination of some species over others involves the determination of the comparative strengths and weaknesses of adaptations among them. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the red squirrel is almost extinct due to the introduction of the bigger, stronger grey squirrel. In some circumstances, this theory can be applied to human beings, in terms of racial groups.
When faced with the challenge of survival, species will generally adapt various attributes that might adjust them to the external forces and stimuli. This adjustment determines whether the species and other species that relate to them survive or perishes. For instance, Russell argues that certain diseases that afflict mankind have grown resistant to the medicines traditionally used. These diseases grow more virulent and change in characteristics even leading to the emergence of new diseases that defy all medication.
Russell’s theory does not provide sufficient explanations for happenings like wars and conflicts in terms of how they fit into the general process of evolution. Events that have been explained through this theory could equally find alternative explanations of factors that do not relate to the theory. Similarly, some of the factors that have been utilized in explaining the distribution of species have included economic and political factors. Both ancient and recent societies made conscious decisions that affected their populations without regard to evolutionary processes. Furthermore, cataclysmic occurrences such as floods and natural disasters have affected world populations since the ancient times.
On this score, it appears that more forces determine the shape of the society and the population of human beings and animals than are accounted for within the theoretical framework. The Swine Flu had a significant impact on the population of the affected animals. Events such as genocides and the Black Death had a significant impact on the population of human beings. No possible evolutionary explanation that can be used in explaining the force behind the enormous extermination of populations. Accounting for success in the migration of races to different territories would imply going against the grain of Russell’s theory. This shows that there are biological and historical limitations to Russell’s theory. The historical process of the emergence and development of global citizenship demonstrates that there are many other contributing factors to the situation.
Competing perspectives against this theory have suggested that races and communities may occupy a given territory purely as a matter of territorial organization. This argument could be reinforced by the fact that interracial discourses and migrations have continued to thrive as the human population engages the processes of integration. However, the explanation in support of the genetic clock has been considered in a way that illustrates the relationship among the human race. It is possible to determine linkages of races along the course of history by tracing the manifestation of common characteristics in their genetics.
Conclusion:
Russell’s theory of evolution provides a succinct illustration of the interconnectivity between evolutionary processes and historical development. This theory can be relied upon to expand the significance of evolution as a stimulus of development of species across time and space. It must be acknowledged, however, that there are elements of the human situation that cannot be explained sufficiently by Russell’s theory. For example, plagues and genocides cannot be explained by the evolution theory. Nevertheless, the theory encourages a deeper investigation into the role of normal human activities in evolutionary processes. Understanding the impact of our activities as agents of historical development within the framework of evolution unites the discourses of science and history into a meaningful whole.
