Darwin opposed saltation, insisting on gradualism in evolution as in geology (uniformitarianism). In 1710, Leibniz applied ideas of gradualism and uniformitarianism to linguistics in a short essay. Uniformitarianism, incrementalism, and reformism are similar concepts. Modern geologists do not apply uniformitarianism in the same way as Lyell. In recent years, geologists have begun to question the laws of uniformitarianism Lyell laid out. Volume 1 introduces Lyell's theory of uniformitarianism. This book, which influenced the thought of Charles Darwin, successfully promoted the doctrine of uniformitarianism. He is best known, however, for his role in elaborating the doctrine of uniformitarianism. Though Hutton believed in uniformitarianism, the idea was not widely accepted at the time. The four together make up Lyell's uniformitarianism. The rise in uniformitarianism made the introduction of a new catastrophe theory very difficult. So, Lyellian uniformitarianism was unnecessary. In this work Babbage weighed in on the side of uniformitarianism in a current debate.