Darwin Succeeded through Huxley Conspiracies

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That title got your attention. While it is provocative and possibly emotive to use the word conspiracy, it is not done casually in this case. People who are attracted to the history of science (and a bit about the culture of Victorian England) should be interested in what follows.

The Huxley name was held by several noteworthy individuals, especially Thomas Henry and his son Julian. T.H. was considered Darwin's Bulldog because of his aggressive promotion of evolution, and Julian carried on the activities in many ways.

There were many factors that made Darwin's story successful. The Huxleys were instrumental in promoting Darwinism through conspiracies and influence.

There were many factors that made Darwin's story successful, including Victorian society and how people supported each other. The Huxleys were instrumental in bringing Darwin to the fore and keeping evolution going.

Something very interesting is how that sidewinder T.H. didn't really believe in Darwinism, but something more akin to Gould's punctuated equilibrium. He used Darwin and evolution as a means to distance science from God. Both Thomas and Julian were supporters of "scientific racism" and eugenics, but like Charlie Darwin, T.H. wanted to abolish slavery — even though they believed white Victorian Englishmen were superior to darker folks. Julian used his influence to save Darwinism from fading from view by using his influence with neo-Darwinism. There are many things about them that are unsavory, and that the best thing Darwin did for evolution was: die. Thomas exploited that as well.
A new book is out about a family that “championed evolution” for Darwin: the Huxley dynasty. In Nature today (7 Nov 2022), Stuart Mathieson reviews An Intimate History of Evolution: The Story of the Huxley Family by Alison Bashford Allen Lane (2022).

Before he reveals some disturbing details about the Huxleys, predominantly Thomas Henry (“Darwin’s Bulldog”) Huxley and his son Julian Huxley and their ” vexed influence on science and society,” Mathieson pauses with drum roll for the standard Darwin commercial. Darwinism is the greatest doctrine in the history of science and anybody who denies this is a muddle-headed anti-truth loser. Got that?

To read the rest and see the conspiracies, see "The Huxley Conspiracy to Sell Darwinism." On a related subject with Victorian culture and propaganda, I recommend "The Eclipse of Wallace by Darwin."