In Search of Human Nature: The Decline and Revival of Darwinism in American Social Thought

by Carl N. Degler

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History in 1972, and a past president of both the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association, Carl Degler is one of America's most eminent living historians. He is also one of the most versatile. In a forty year career, he has written brilliantly on race ( Neither Black Nor White , which won the Pulitzer Prize), women's studies ( At Odds , which Betty Friedan called "a stunning book"), Southern history ( The Other South ), the New Deal, and many other subjects. Now, in The Search for Human Nature , Degler turns to perhaps his largest subject yet, a sweeping history of the impact of Darwinism (and biological research) on our understanding of human nature, providing a fascinating overview of the social sciences in the last one hundred years.
The idea of a biological root to human nature was almost universally accepted at the turn of the century, Degler points out, then all but vanished from social thought only to reappear in the last four decades. Degler traces the early history of this idea, from Darwin's argument that our moral and emotional life evolved from animals just as our human shape did, to William James's emphasis on instinct in human behavior (then seen as a fundamental insight of psychology). We also see the many applications of biology, from racism, sexism, and Social Darwinism to the rise of intelligence testing, the eugenics movement, and the practice of involuntary sterilization of criminals (a public policy pioneered in America, which had sterilization laws 25 years before Nazi Germany--one such law was upheld by Oliver Wendell Holmes's Supreme Court). Degler then examines the work of those who denied any role for biology, who thought culture shaped human nature, a group ranging from Franz Boas,
Ruth Benedict, and Margaret Mead, to John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. Equally important, he examines the forces behind this fundamental shift in a scientific paradigm, arguing that ideological reasons--especially the struggle against racism and sexism in America--led to this change in scientific thinking. Finally, Degler considers the revival of Darwinism without the Social Darwinism, racism, and sexism, led first by ethologists such as Karl von Frisch, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and Jane Goodall--who revealed clear parallels between animal and human behavior--and followed in varying degrees by such figures as Melvin Konner, Alice Rossi, Jerome Kagen, and Edward O. Wilson as well as others in anthropology, political science, sociology, and economics.
What kind of animal is Homo sapiens and how did we come to be this way? In this wide ranging history, Carl Degler traces our attempts over the last century to answer these questions. In doing so, he has produced a volume that will fascinate anyone curious about the nature of human beings.

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Evolution, Philosophy, Psychology

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important work addressing the ongoing and sometimes touchy relationship between the social sciences and biology. Degler's work is an important contribution to this contested territory.

While there are many scholars (myself included) who see the two domains as linked, others have contested the relevance of biology for understanding human society. Regrettably, social darwinism and eugenics helped to make Darwinian explanations of human behavior unpopular.

This book explores that relationship--those who objected to applying Darwinian principles to humankind and those who embraced it.

The end result is a nice work exploring the links between the two domains--and the debates over how those domains relate to one another.

[Luke Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good history of the field of sociobiology, which has been subsequently, stupidly, extremely cancelled, providing an excellent example of all that is wrong with academia. Pretty dry writing. Incredible to read this and think about the fact that we're in a place where it's taken for granted (at least in the dominant culture) that "race" is not only real but essential and all encompassing, while sex is entirely socially constructed. All available evidence would say the precise opposite. Strange times huh.

[Ian Divertie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting on Social Darwinism and its influence on America and American religion. Need to reread it, its been awhile.