Browse Hierarchy HST6404: The Darwinian Revolution: The History of a Dangerous Idea

The "Darwinian Revolution" is considered one of the major intellectual transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries. This module will explore the background, formation and consequences of Charles Darwin's work, placing it firmly in intellectual and social context, from the Age of Revolution through to more recent controversies regarding sociobiology, eugenics and biological racism. This module will focus on the shift from natural history to biology, on changing conceptions of evolution in France, Britain, Germany and the United States, and on the ways in which evolutionary ideas have challenged and influenced scientific, religious, political, and social thought. Students will critically engage with both historical and scientific sources, with an emphasis on the history of biology and evolutionary theory. Students will be encouraged to reflect on how ideas of evolution have been used in contemporary debates, and how history can be used to interrogate and complicate these interpretations. There is an important comparative dimension to the module, as it looks at evolutionary ideas in France, Germany, Britain and the United States. Students will gain and understanding of how and why evolutionary ideas took the form that they did in different national contexts.