Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers - all related. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival - a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature). from http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/
I've often questioned why the not-so-great argument of Creationism vs Evolution is posed with only two possible views/answers. Doing so locks us into a perpetual back and forth with no possible satisfying outcome. A review of science and philosophy of that time period reveals many more writers with many more applicable views on this non-question. People should read more, think more, feel more instead of trying to "be right". [Dale Pond]
See Also
atheistic materialism
Evolution of Mass
Evolution
Harmonies of Tones and Colours - Developed by Evolution
Laws
Life Force
Life
Progressive Evolution
Propositions of Force and Matter - Le Bon
sympathetic evolution
System of Evolution
The Evolution of Matter
1.20 - Evolution and Devolution of Frequency