Not having a telly, Martin Mottram came late into our debate about evolution inspired by Richard Dawkins’ TV series. But now that he’s here he has some interesting information. ‘My father V.H. Mottram, one time professor of Physiology and Dietetics, London,’ he tells us ‘wrote, in 1946 or thereabouts, a book called The physical basis of personality published by Penguin. A second edition was published about five years later, in which a further short chapter was added. In this he discussed – if I remember correctly – the very same problem – i.e. God and our personality (design or natural selection).’
Martin says his father was a Friend at Shaftesbury meeting.
Eye is intrigued to discover what Professor Mottram had to say in the forties about a subject which is becoming increasing contentious today. But we are a little frustrated in efforts to lay hands on the second edition of his book. FH library has the first edition (1944) in the catalogue, although not on the shelf, but not the second. We will have to hunt around the Euston Road (British Library or Wellcome Library), or perhaps a reader might just be harbouring this possibly illuminating book?