Abandoning evolution. The forgotten history of antievolution activism and the transformation of American social science

From its inception, antievolution activism has been aimed not only at the natural sciences but also, and almost as often, at the social sciences. Although almost entirely overlooked by scholars, this activism played a significant part in the development of American social science in the early twenti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIsis Vol. 103; no. 4; p. 687
Main Author Lienesch, Michael
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.2012
Subjects
Biological Evolution
Christianity
History, 20th Century
Humans
Social Sciences - history
United States
United States
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Summary:From its inception, antievolution activism has been aimed not only at the natural sciences but also, and almost as often, at the social sciences. Although almost entirely overlooked by scholars, this activism played a significant part in the development of American social science in the early twentieth century. Analyzing public writings and private papers of antievolution activists, academic social scientists, and university officials from the 1920s, this essay recalls this forgotten history, showing how antievolution activism contributed to the abandonment of evolutionary theory and the adoption of a set of secular, scientific, and professional characteristics that have come to define much of modern social science.
ISSN:0021-1753
DOI:10.1086/668963