The Origin of Species · Chapter
Compensation and Economy of Growth explained
Darwin examines the law of compensation or balancement of growth, as proposed by Geoffroy and Goethe, and its applicability to both domestic productions and species in nature.
What happens
Darwin examines the law of compensation or balancement of growth, as proposed by Geoffroy and Goethe, and its applicability to both domestic productions and species in nature. He argues that while compensation may occur in some cases, natural selection tends to economize by reducing superfluous structures rather than requiring a corresponding development elsewhere. He illustrates this with examples from domestic animals, plants, and parasitic cirripedes, concluding that natural selection can develop an organ without necessitating the reduction of an adjoining part.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because Darwin shifts from a defensive posture against objectio…
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Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Natural Selection and the Struggle for Existence
Darwin argues that natural selection economizes by reducing superfluous structures, benefiting individuals in the struggle for life.
- Adaptation and the Utilitarian Doctrine
The reduction of useless structures under changed conditions illustrates how natural selection favors utility and economy.
Characters to notice
- Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Proposed the law of compensation or balancement of growth alongside Goethe.
- Goethe
Expressed the law of compensation as 'in order to spend on one side, nature is forced to economise on the other side.'
Key passages
“in order to spend on one side, nature is forced to economise on the other side.”
Nature must balance growth, so that if one part develops excessively, another part is deprived.
Goethe's formulation of the law of compensation.
“natural selection is continually trying to economise in every part of the organisation.”
Natural selection constantly works to reduce waste in the organism's structure.
Darwin's broader principle of economy in nature.
“the saving of a large and complex structure, when rendered superfluous, would be a decided advantage to each successive individual of the species; for in the struggle for life to which every animal is exposed, each would have a better chance of supporting itself, by less nutriment being wasted.”
When a structure becomes unnecessary, its reduction saves energy and improves survival chances in the struggle for existence.
Darwin's explanation of why parasitic cirripedes lose their shells.
