Uniformitarianism has had two separate meanings, both more prevalent in 19th-century discourse:Within
religious philosophy, Uniformitarianism ("with a capital U") is the belief that the
Universe has existed as it is now for an infinite time and will continue to exist for ever. This view is opposed to traditional theological views and modern science.Within
scientific philosophy,
uniformitarianism ("with a small u") refers to the principle that the same processes that shape the universe occurred in the past as they do now, and that the same laws of physics apply in all parts of the knowable universe. This
axiomatic principle, not often referred to as an "-ism" in modern discussions, is particularly relevant to
geology and other sciences on a long timescale such as
astronomy and
paleontology. The leading geologist of Darwin’s era, a Scot named
Charles Lyell (1797 – 1875), incorporated
James Hutton’s gradualism into a theory known as uniformitarianism. The term refers to Lyell’s idea that geological processes have not changed throughout Earth’s history. Thus, for example, the forces that build mountains and erode mountains and the rates at which these forces operate are the same today as in the past.
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The hypothesis that current geologic processes, such as the slow erosion of a coast under the impact of waves, have been occurring in a similar manner throughout the Earth's history and that these processes can account for past geologic events. See also catastrophism.
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