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Thomas Henry Huxley (; 4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist (comparative anatomist), known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Huxley's famous debate in 1860 with Samuel Wilberforce was a key moment in the wider acceptance of evolution and in his own career. Huxley had been planning to leave Oxford on the previous day, but, after an encounter with Robert Chambers, the author of ''Vestiges'', he changed his mind and decided to join the debate. Wilberforce was coached by Richard Owen, against whom Huxley also debated about whether humans were closely related to apes. Huxley was slow to accept some of Darwin's ideas, such as gradualism, and was undecided about natural selection, but despite this he was wholehearted in his public support of Darwin. Instrumental in developing scientific education in Britain, he fought against the more extreme versions of religious tradition. Originally coining the term in 1869, Huxley elaborated on 'agnosticism' in 1889 to frame the nature of claims in terms of what is knowable and what is not. Huxley states, "Agnosticism, in fact, is not a creed, but a method, the essence of which lies in the rigorus application of a single principle... the fundamental axiom of modern science... In matters of the intellect, follow your reason as far as it will take you, without regard to any other consideration... In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable.".〔Huxley, T. H. (Feb, 1889). II. Agnosticism. In Christianity and Agnosticism: A controversy. New York, NY: The Humboldt Publishing Co. Retrieved from http://archive.org/stream/agnosticism00variuoft/agnosticism00variuoft_djvu.txt〕 Use of that term has continued to the present day (see Thomas Henry Huxley and agnosticism).〔Huxley T. H. 1889. Agnosticism: a rejoinder. In ''Collected Essays vol 5 Science and Christian tradition''. Macmillan, London.〕 Huxley had little formal schooling and was virtually self-taught. He became perhaps the finest comparative anatomist of the latter 19th century.〔Poulton E. B. 1909. Charles Darwin and the origin of species. London.〕 He worked on invertebrates, clarifying relationships between groups previously little understood. Later, he worked on vertebrates, especially on the relationship between apes and humans. After comparing ''Archaeopteryx'' with ''Compsognathus'', he concluded that birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs, a theory widely accepted today. The tendency has been for this fine anatomical work to be overshadowed by his energetic and controversial activity in favour of evolution, and by his extensive public work on scientific education, both of which had significant effects on society in Britain and elsewhere.〔Lankester E. Ray 1895. The Right Hon. T. H. Huxley. ''Athenaeum'', 6 July. Lankester commented that Huxley was "only accidentally a zoologist".〕〔 'Huxley in perspective', 235–261, an outstanding summary of Huxley in his social & historical context, scarcely mentions his zoological work.〕 ==Biography== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Henry Huxley」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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