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To talk of "scientists" is a bit of an anachronism - but the main scientifc critcisms of Vestiges were that it gave no plausible evidence or mechanisms. NBeale (talk) 20:58, 20 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What source makes that statement? From Victorian Sensation, the response of men of science was more complex, and tellingly delayed in a way that doesn't come over in the current article. Also, I note you've added Hooker's early comment to Darwin out of historical sequence, and in the section before the "Darwin" section which opens with Darwin's response to that letter. All a bit confusing – any reason not to have the two letters together? . . dave souza, talk21:56, 20 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think the reception section had it about right before the last edit. Vestiges was originally ignored by the scientific and religious establishements (which were not really separate in Britain in 1844) and then attacked as its popularity became apparent. The lack of a scientfiically testable mechanism, and the numerous (especially in the first edition) errors of scientific fact provided fodder for the negative reviews, but the motivation for the hostility was largely ideological, much of it spillover from earlier debates about the veiws of divisive radical figures like Robert Edmond Grant. Most of it came from folks like Sedgwick with ties to the established Church, and some came from radicals like Huxley who disliked the the fact that it implied that the universe was progressing in accordance with some kind of divine plan. We should take care to avoid confusing the substance of the criticisms with the motivation for their rancour and intensity. There are perfectly reliable sources including historians like Bowler, Larson, Secord etc. who cover this all in some detail. Rusty Cashman (talk) 07:10, 21 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's very hard to say that the motivation was largely ideological. Huxley and Sedgwick were about as far apart ideologically as you could get in the "scientific" world. And if Albert read it to Victoria it can hardly have been seen as wildly subversive. If we can source properly nuanced statements from reputable historians that is fine, but remember most of these have ideological axes to grind as well. As far as I can see, the objections to Vestigies were both scientific and ideological and we should be very cautious about trying to decide that one trumped the other. NBeale (talk) 07:55, 21 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
