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

In Search of Human Nature traces the rise and fall of Darwinian evolutionary theory in American social sciences during the 20th century. The book examines how biological explanations for human behavior were first embraced, then rejected in favor of cultural and environmental factors. The narrative follows key figures and intellectual movements that shaped this dramatic shift in scientific thinking. Through archival research and analysis of academic works, Degler documents the transition from biological determinism to cultural determinism in fields like anthropology, psychology, and sociology. The work centers on the complex relationship between science and society, particularly how political and social forces influence scientific thought. This historical account reveals broader patterns in how Americans have understood human nature and behavior across decades of social change. The fundamental tension between biological and environmental explanations for human behavior remains relevant to modern debates about identity, equality, and social policy. Degler's analysis raises enduring questions about how science and culture interact to shape our understanding of ourselves.

Readers describe this as a detailed history of how biological explanations for human behavior fell out of favor in social sciences between 1890-1940, before returning in recent decades. Readers appreciate: - Clear explanations of complex debates between nurture vs nature camps - Documentation of how politics and ideology influenced scientific thinking - Balanced presentation of opposing viewpoints - Thorough research and extensive citations Common criticisms: - Writing can be dry and academic - Some sections feel repetitive - Could better explain modern evolutionary psychology - Focuses more on institutional/academic history than the scientific theories Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (14 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (8 ratings) One reader noted it "helps explain why social sciences rejected biological explanations for so long." Another called it "dense but rewarding for understanding the history of nature-nurture debates." No reviews found on Google Books or other major review sites.

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🔹 Carl Degler won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1972 for a different book (Neither Black nor White), establishing his credentials as a meticulous researcher of American social history before tackling this exploration of Darwinism. 🔹 The book traces how American social scientists dramatically shifted from embracing biological explanations of human behavior in the early 1900s to almost completely rejecting them by the 1930s. 🔹 Margaret Mead, whose work features prominently in the book, initially set out to prove biological determinism but ended up becoming one of the strongest voices for cultural determinism after her studies in Samoa. 🔹 The author shows how the horrors of Nazi Germany's eugenics programs led many American scientists to distance themselves from biological explanations of human behavior, fundamentally changing social science research for decades. 🔹 The book was published in 1991, just as the Human Genome Project was getting underway, making its discussion of the biology-versus-environment debate particularly timely and prescient.