Robert Knox

Robert Knox
Robert Knox, FRSE FRCSE MWS (4 September 1791 – 20 December 1862), was a Scottish anatomist, zoologist, ethologist and physician. He was a lecturer on anatomy in Edinburgh, where he introduced the theory of transcendental anatomy. However, he is now mainly remembered for his involvement in the Burke and Hare murders. A cavalier approach to obtaining cadavers for dissection after the passage of the Anatomy Act and disagreements with professional colleagues ruined his career. A move to London did not improve matters. His later pessimistic view of humanity contrasted sharply with his youthful attachment to the ideas of Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.

Knox devoted the latter part of his life to theorising on evolution and ethnology. His work on the latter further harmed his legacy and overshadowed his contributions to evolutionary theory.

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Books with Robert Knox

Burke & Hare

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2.77 avg rating — 104 ratings — published 1980
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Crusoe: Daniel Defoe, Rober...

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3.83 avg rating — 52 ratings
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The Doctor Dissected: A Cul...

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3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2011
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A New Race of Men: Scotland...

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3.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2013
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The Anatomist

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3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1932
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Empires and Revolutions: Cu...

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3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2017
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Beyond the Enlightenment: S...

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2023
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