The place of history in science: reassessing the Darwinian revolution

September 2017August 2021
ARC Future Fellowship

This project will examine how historical representations of Darwin and his revolutionary theory have influenced the shape and direction of modern evolutionary science itself. It will show how certain historical assumptions about Darwin and natural selection have constrained evolutionary thinking in particular ways. Conversely, it will demonstrate how contemporary developments in evolutionary science have changed historians' understanding of the history of evolution. The expected outcomes include a new understanding of the mutual interactions between history and science, capacity building in the field of the history of science, and interdisciplinary collaborations across the biological sciences and humanities.

Project members

Photo of Ian Hesketh

Associate Professor Ian Hesketh

ARC Future Fellow
Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities
Jamie Freestone

Dr Jamie Freestone

Postdoctoral Reseach Fellow
Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities
Mr Henry James-Meiring

Mr Henry-James Meiring

Doctoral Student
Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities