I enjoyed the progression of the conversation starting with the mindset of the early great minds and beginning of naturalistic and typological thinking. It made a lot of sense to go into all the views of the time, such as natural theology. It also made sense to discuss the timeline of when Darwin’s supporters came to his side and from what view they were convinced to depart from. I was particularly interested in hearing the early life of Darwin and how different pieces of his upbringing paved the path for him to have the necessary interactions with the right people. It makes these historical figures much more real when we have discussions based on their childhood, education, and personal/social life.
Yes, the static textbook treatment of historical figures does not typically bring them to life. Hopefully, digging deeper into their history will also make the trip more meaningful as well