The Many Faces of Evolution in Europe c. 1860-1914

by Patrick Dassen

The idea that the world, not only of man but also of nature, was subject to a continuous process of change has taken strong root since the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1859, Charles Darwin demonstrated that these changes were the result of immutable, eternal laws - although everything was subject to change, it was only in accordance with these laws. from the second half of the nineteenth century down to the First World War, this vision of change and determination was interpreted in many different ways, both pessimistically and optimistically. It is striking that a fear of degeneration often went hand in hand with a belief in an upward evolutionary process and was not confined to any particular political spectrum. This volume, number XIV in the series, contains the papers presented at a workshop on the reception and interpretation of the theory of evolution, organised by the editors in April 2003. It covers the many, often irreconcilable faces, of the theory of evolution concerning not only the concrete substantive interpretation but also the many different fields of late nineteenth century thought by concentrating on cultural life in the broadest sense - political, social, scientific and artistic, both literature and the visual arts. This volume illustrates the versatility of the concept of evolution, and of degeneration as well, with the emphasis on the Netherlands. It not only presents the contradictions and many-sidedness of the post-Darwinian world, but also the continuity with the world before 1860. Moreover, it reveals one clear co-ordinating theme, namely that the theory of evolution was used as justification for many different ideologies and practices.

Hardcover

First published December 31, 2005

About the author

Patrick Dassen promoveerde op het werk van Max Weber in zijn politieke en intellectuele Duitse context: De onttovering van de wereld. Max Weber en het probleem van de moderniteit in Duitsland, 1890 - 1920 (1999), dat ook uitgegeven werd door Van Oorschot. Hij werkte bij het Duitsland Instituut in Amsterdam en aan de universiteiten van Groningen en Amsterdam. Sinds 2004 doceert hij aan de Universiteit Leiden.