Module overview
Few names in the sciences are as widely recognised as Charles Darwin. His 1859 publication On the Origin of Species laid out the modern theory of evolution and secured his place in the history books. Today, evolutionary concepts permeate society well beyond biology. Competition between businesses, for example, is often described in terms of adaptation and ‘survival of the fittest’ – though this phrase was not actually coined by Darwin in On the Origin of Species. Despite his fame, most people still know relatively little about Darwin’s life and work. For example, after the publication of Origin, Darwin went on to write at least eight more books on topics ranging from the science of emotions to the ecology of worms. Darwin’s life spanned almost the entire Victorian era, a period marked not only by the integration of science into British culture and the industrial economy, but also by the rise of mass print culture and new media, the abolition of the slave trade, and increasing challenges to religious authority. In addition, the development of Darwin’s theory was embedded within global debates about gender, environment, politics, race, and empire—discussions that both preceded and long outlasted his life.
This module examines the making of evolutionary thought in the nineteenth-century through the lens of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution via natural selection. The aim is not to provide a straightforward biography, but to use Darwin as a focal point for exploring broader social and cultural issues central to the development of scientific modernity. In addition, this module will examine how myths and memories surrounding Darwin have been constructed throughout history, and how these constructions continue to permeate contemporary society. Organised thematically, the module will cover topics including: evolutionary theories before Darwin; evolution and gender; evolution and religion; Alfred Russel Wallace, the forgotten co-founder of evolution via natural selection; Darwin, empire and evolution beyond Britain; and evolutionary thought in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.