ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Rethinking Darwinism: New Perspectives on the History of Evolutionary Thought

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

English Abstract

Darwin and Darwinism have long dominated the history of evolutionary thought. For generations, Darwin has been portrayed as either the heroic founder of evolutionism or its unrivaled central figure, shaping both scholarly and popular understandings of evolutionary science. Historians of science, sometimes too quick to echo the claims of scientists themselves, have often accepted such Darwin-centered narratives uncritically. Yet recent scholarship has challenged this orthodoxy, emphasizing that “Darwinism,” however defined, was never the sole locus of evolutionary debate. Rather, it was one important strand within a broader and older debate on organic transformation that spanned diverse intellectual traditions, disciplines, and regional contexts. This roundtable calls for novel approaches to the history of evolutionary thought by discussing new interpretations of Darwin, Darwinism, and the meanings of evolutionism more broadly.

Each speaker addresses a different aspect of this historiographic challenge. Richard Delisle questions natural selection as the core of Darwin’s theory, suggesting it was only an auxiliary component within the broader Darwinian framework. David Ceccarelli examines Darwin’s controversial role in evolutionary studies of emotion and the complex reception of his work during a period of growing disciplinary specialization. Bogdana Stamenković highlights Lyell’s partial but significant acceptance of evolution, emphasizing other intellectual contributions beyond Darwin. Koen Tanghe argues that, like heliocentrism or electricity, evolution originated as a premature notion and explores Charles Darwin's role in its long maturation process. Martin Ribeiro retraces the post-Darwinian history of evolutionary thought, emphasizing the plurality of approaches that cannot be reduced to a single adaptationist framework. Finally, Maurizio Esposito offers a reflection on what a reimagined historiography of evolutionism, one that decenters Darwin and Darwinism, might look like.

Sub Unit

• Roundtable

Participants

• Richard Delisle, University of Lethbridge

• David Ceccarelli, Roma Tre University

• Bogdana Stamenkovic, University of Belgrade

• Koen Tanghe, Ghent University

• Martin Ribeiro, University of Lisbon

Session Organizer

• Maurizio Esposito, University of Milan