Progress Unchained
Ideas of Evolution, Human History and the Future

Bowler traces ideas about progress using evolutionary biology to throw light on parallel changes in the understanding of social development.

Peter J. Bowler (Author)

9781108842556, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 4 March 2021

314 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.59 kg

'Peter Bowler's most recent book adds to his long career and to his many authoritative studies of the history of ideas involving evolutionary theory from the 18th century to the present. His latest work presents an excellent survey of discussions on 'progress' writ large … Bowler's survey of the intellectual history of the doctrine of progress over the past few centuries offers an authoritative and comprehensive account, whereas his more provocative thesis serves to generate some questions as well as productive discussion.' Stewart Kreitzer, Journal of the History of Biology

Progress Unchained reinterprets the history of the idea of progress using parallels between evolutionary biology and changing views of human history. Early concepts of progress in both areas saw it as the ascent of a linear scale of development toward a final goal. The 'chain of being' defined a hierarchy of living things with humans at the head, while social thinkers interpreted history as a development toward a final paradise or utopia. Darwinism reconfigured biological progress as a 'tree of life' with multiple lines of advance not necessarily leading to humans, each driven by the rare innovations that generate entirely new functions. Popular writers such as H. G. Wells used a similar model to depict human progress, with competing technological innovations producing ever-more rapid changes in society. Bowler shows that as the idea of progress has become open-ended and unpredictable, a variety of alternative futures have been imagined.

Preface
1. Introduction: ladders and trees
Part I. The Ladder of Progress and the End of History: 2. From the chain of being to the ladder of creation
3. The hierarchy of humanity
4. Progress to paradise: Christianity, idealism and history
5. Ascent to utopia: the quest for a perfect society
6. End of an era?
Part II. Toward a World of Unlimited Possibilities: 7. Darwinian visions
8. The uniqueness of humans
9. Branching out: the evolution of civilizations
10. Toward an uncertain future
11. Epilogue: where did it all go wrong?
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Evolution [PSAJ], History of science [PDX], Impact of science & technology on society [PDR], Philosophy of science [PDA], History of ideas [JFCX]