In several of his later books The Variation of Animals and 
Plants Under Domestication (1868), The Descent of Man and Selection 
in Relation to Sex (1871) and The Expression of Emotions in Animals and 
Man (1872), Darwin expanded on many topics introduced in Origin of 
Species. The Descent of Man was Darwin's approach at the question of 
human evolution which he had so carefully skirted in Origin (though it 
was the immediate interpretation most readers took from it), and was 
where he put forward his theory of sexual selection as a method for 
explaining the differences between males and females, and between 
different races and cultures. This work, along with The Expression 
of Emotions in Animals and Man, also developed his idea that even 
the human mind and cultural sensitivities were developed by natural 
and sexual selection, an approach which still persists today in 
evolutionary psychology.

The link between Darwin's original theory and the idea that there was 
no line at all to draw between man and beast would forever make 
Darwin a symbol of iconoclasm, a 19th century Copernicus who removed 
humanity's privileged role in the center of the universe. For this, 
Darwin would ever be characterized as "the monkey man", and cartoons 
often depicted him as part ape.

Darwin's life work provoked continuing discussions in the scientific 
community, and established more than anything else that "evolution" 
itself had occurred: not necessarily that it was by natural or sexual 
selection (this particular recognition would not become fully standard 
until the rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's work in the early 20th century 
and the creation of the modern synthesis). He became a member of the 
Royal Society of London in 1839 (on the basis of his collecting during 
his voyages) and of the French Academy of Sciences (l'Académie des 
Sciences) in 1878.

Darwin died in Downe, Kent, England, on 19 April 1882 and was given 
a state funeral. William Spottiswoode, President of the Royal Society 
arranged for Darwin to be buried in Westminster Abbey near Isaac 
Newton, despite Darwin's wishes that he be buried in Downe.


Views on religion

Charles Darwin came from a Non-conformist background, then studied 
Anglican theology with the aim of becoming a clergyman, at a time of 
religious and political turmoil in England. Though he recalled that 
"Whilst on board the Beagle I was quite orthodox" he later struggled 
with faith and became increasingly agnostic.

A popular Christian urban legend falsely claims (variously) that he 
"converted" to Christianity on his deathbed. 

Legacy

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution based upon natural selection 
changed the thinking of countless fields of study from biology to 
anthropology. His work was extremely controversial by the time he 
published it and many during his time didn't take it seriously. 
Darwin's theory of evolution was a significant blow to creationism 
and notions of intelligent design prevalent among 19th century 
Europe.

As a humorous celebration of the theory of evolution, the annual 
Darwin Award is bestowed on individuals who "aid the process of 
evolution by demonstrating their unfitness" through fatally stupid 
actions.

In Australia's Northern Territory, the capital city (originally 
Palmerston) was renamed Darwin to commemorate the author's 1839 
visit there, and the territory now also boasts Charles Darwin 
University and Charles Darwin National Park.

Darwin was given particular recognition in 2000 when his image 
appeared on the Bank of England ten pound note, replacing Charles 
Dickens. His impressive and supposedly hard-to-forge beard was 
reportedly a contributing factor in this choice. Darwin's Portrait 
on the £10 Note 

Darwin came fourth in the 100 Greatest Britons poll sponsored by 
the BBC and voted for by the public.


Social Darwinism and eugenics

A version of natural selection was also applied to human society 
(politics, economics, etc.). The most famous of these doctrines 
is Social Darwinism, a term that first appeared in about 1900, where 
the rule of the strong is justified by claims that it merely 
reproduces in society Nature's rule that the fittest survive. 
Whether Darwin was a "Social Darwinist" is an anachronistic 
question: in Darwin's age, there was little distinction between 
"Darwinism" and what we would now call "Social Darwinism." While 
Darwin was "progressive" in certain ways—he was a staunch 
abolitionist who vigorously opposed slavery, and he was a 
monogenist in terms of his views on race, feeling that all 
men were of the same species regardless of their race (which at 
the time was a very controversial position to be arguing)—in many 
other ways he was a typical Victorian landed gentleman. His views 
on women, racial differences, and social classes were reflective 
of his position in life (he believed women to be inferior to men, 
"lower" races to be inferior to "higher" ones, and was particularly 
disliking of the Irish), and though he was not so sexist, racist, 
or classist as many of his contemporaries, these elements of his 
thought are often hard for modern readers to reconcile with his 
overall scientific approach. He also took some of the views 
espoused by his cousin Francis Galton that intelligence and 
talent were hereditary traits among humans, and agreed with 
some of his eugenic ideas—which at this point bore no resemblance 
to their 20th century expressions—by which to encourage breeding 
among the most "fit" humans in society and discourage breeding 
among the "unfit." Over time, people would be read the scientific 
implications of Darwin's theories as having no necessarily overt 
political ramifications, and modern usage of evolutionary theory 
does not necessarily draw many of the conclusions Darwin did from 
it in his time.