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.