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moments in history
Darwin’s ‘idiots’ and other animals

Why was the so-called ‘idiot’ population of victorian britain so important to Charles Darwin’s
theory of evolution? Simon Jarrett looks back at a little-known aspect of his work that aimed
to show there were close links between humans and animals

hen charles darwin published Intelligent life began with reflex actions,
On the Origin of Species by with no conscious thought or intention.
wMeans of Natural Selection in Reflexes then developed into instincts,
1859, it is no exaggeration to say that he which involved a small element of
changed how we view the world. consciousness, and were passed from
He demonstrated that animal and plant generation to generation within species.
species had slowly evolved over millions Instinct then evolved into conscious action,
of years by a process known as natural in which animals, human or otherwise,
selection, in which they adapted to their could make choices as their minds
environment in order to survive. developed memory and understanding.
Human beings and other animals had all Humans had the most highly developed
begun as single-cell organisms in sludgy consciousness of all, which is why reflex
swamps, eventually becoming those and instinctive actions were far less visible
marvellously sophisticated and complex in them than in other species. Nevertheless,
organisms we are today. as observations of idiots, small children
This theory of evolution threw the world and higher animals showed, humans were
into disarray. It became difficult to maintain built on reflex and instinct just like all the
that human beings were specially created other species. Idiots were largely instinctive
by God 5,000 years ago, as believed by and reflexive, while “normal” infants
those who interpreted the bible literally. developed into fully conscious humans.
The world was far older; human beings Charles Darwin as ape: the idea that humans Darwin’s theory gave rise to a new
were much less special and of humbler evolved from apes was new at the time discipline of animal (or comparative)
origin than people had believed. psychology. Practitioners observed animal
many questions arose about human had been prepared to acknowledge. behaviour and compared it that of to
origins, and some were to have important So-called idiots were, for Darwin, an human infants and “idiots” to try to
implications for people with learning excellent way of demonstrating this. understand how the mind developed.
disabilities. After Origin of Species, he published It was at around this time that the idea
First, if humans and other animals two books, The Descent of Man (1871) of “mental age” became important in
evolved physically, they must also have and The Expression of the Emotions in psychology. Chimps could perform at the
evolved mentally. The human mind must Man and Animals (1872). In both, he level of a four-year-old child when given
have moved to full consciousness from a tackled the subject of human evolution. tasks to do in experiments, seen as greatly
state of nothingness. How did this happen? In The Expression of the Emotions, he to their credit. Adult idiots also performed
Second, if some human and animal described joy and high spirits, which he at a similar level, much to their detriment.
species had the same origin, and if some saw as instinctive reactions across species This thinking persists today. Many books
animals evolved into humans, could we to pleasurable feelings. He gave examples claim that apes, monkeys, dogs, cats, birds,
detect similar behaviours and mental of “idiots” for whom laughter was the cows and even fish are very similar in their
activity across species to prove these most prevalent emotional expression. This mental lives to humans, and are conscious,
connections? could not, he argued, be attributed to intelligent and emotional beings.
them having “distinct ideas” – they were Lurking beneath this school of thought
‘Lower’ form of life just instinctive expressions of pleasure. lies Darwin’s quest to narrow the gap
Darwin took a particular interest in those In The Descent of Man, he described between the human and animal to prove
he called “idiots”, using the language of what he believed to be the animal-like evolutionary theory. A key element of that
his time. He saw them as a “lower” form characteristics and habits of “idiots”, quest was to exaggerate the incapacities,
of human life; therefore, if he could show some of whom were “remarkably hairy”, inabilities and animal-like qualities of
striking similarities between them and the lacked speech, ascended stairs on all those he called idiots, to prove the
“higher” animals, this would be evidence fours, climbed trees, smelt their food animal-human link. n
of the evolutionary process. before eating it or made grimaces. He Darwin C (1859/1998) On the Origin of Species
His aim was to narrow the consciousness compared those who were “continually by Means of Natural Selection. Ware:
gap between humans and animals, to gambolling and jumping about” with Wordsworth editions The Hornet/Wikimedia Commons
prove that, while humans had developed lambs who “delight to frisk on any hillock”. Darwin C (1871/ 2004) The Descent of Man and
into the most complex and sophisticated of These observations all supported Selection in Relation to Sex. London: Penguin
all animals, they were far closer to animals Darwin’s emerging theory of how the Darwin C (1872/ 2009) The Expression of the
both mentally and physically than people mind evolved. Emotions in Man and Animals. London: Penguin

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