Explorations - The Plinian Society and the Birth of Evolutionary Science in 19th-Century Edinburgh

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian's Podcast

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What if the intellectual debates of 19th-century Edinburgh held the secrets to modern evolutionary science? Join us on Beyond the Text as we uncover the fascinating world of the Plinian Society, where influential minds like Robert Jameson and Robert Edmund Grant engaged in fiery discussions about Lamarckian theory amidst a thriving scientific and literary culture. Discover how the Enlightenment ideals of the time fueled groundbreaking ideas, with contributions from Abraham Gottlob Werner's Neptunism and James Hutton's uniformitarianism challenging the status quo of Earth's geological history.
Get a front-row seat to Edinburgh's experimental forays into simulating environmental mutations in chickens, foreshadowing Darwin's theories of natural selection. Explore the intricate web of societal and religious tensions, particularly the Church of Scotland's evangelical opposition to evolutionary science, that created an atmosphere of intense debate and innovation. We'll also delve into the pivotal roles of Lord Morton in selective breeding and Robert Knox in comparative anatomy, and how their rivalries and controversies paved the way for future scientific breakthroughs, ultimately influencing the contentious origins of eugenics.

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1. Exploring Evolutionary Ideas in Edinburgh (00:00:00)

2. Edinburgh's Evolutionary Landscape Unveiled (00:10:17)