Ideas about nature, natural philosophy, and Darwinism are huge in Leviathan. After all, one of the sides in the fight calls themselves Darwinists.
Don't get the concepts of Darwinism described in the book confused with Darwinism in the real world, though—there's a bit of overlap, but many of the discoveries on which the boffins base their work weren't made until much later (DNA, for instance) and they definitely weren't made by Darwin. Remember: This is an alternate history.
If we focus on the ideas expressed in Leviathan, though, we're dealing with issues of trying to control nature, of interrelated ecosystems, and of the limits of human power.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- Deryn loves to fly, but she also loves natural philosophy. How do these two passions work together in her character?
- Dr. Barlow and the other boffins are very concerned with the way ecosystems are held in balance, but they seem to have no qualms about disturbing this balance by fabricating new species. Is there ever any tension between theory and practice?
- The crew of the Leviathan tests the limits of human power over nature when they crash on the glacier. How does understanding these limits help or hinder the characters' appreciation for natural philosophy?
- Why do you think the Clankers find the Darwinists' science "ungodly"?
Chew on This
The idea that all elements of an ecosystem are interrelated is a metaphor for the entangling alliances that bring all of Europe into war.
While the Darwinists talk a lot about the interrelatedness of life, in practice, they seem to regard humans as superior to other life forms.