Darwinism Evolving

This monograph traces the historical development of Darwinian evolutionary theory through successive theoretical frameworks from the nineteenth century to the present. Depew examines how Darwin's original insights have been continuously reformulated through interaction with changing scientific paradigms, particularly in physics and mathematics. The work demonstrates that evolutionary theory represents not a static doctrine but a dynamic research program that has adapted to incorporate new scientific methodologies while maintaining core commitments to natural selection.

The analysis begins with Darwin's own formulation, which Depew situates within Victorian mechanical philosophy and Newtonian physics. He shows how Darwin borrowed metaphors from political economy and struggled to articulate selection mechanisms without teleological language. The narrative then follows evolutionary theory's transformation through the statistical revolution in biology, examining how population genetics emerged from the synthesis of Mendelian inheritance with Darwinian selection. Depew details the mathematical formalization of evolution through the work of Fisher, Wright, and Haldane, showing how statistical mechanics provided new tools for conceptualizing evolutionary change.

Central to Depew's account is the Modern Synthesis of the 1940s, which he presents as both achievement and constraint. While successfully integrating genetics with natural history, this synthesis also narrowed theoretical possibilities by privileging gradualist assumptions. The work then explores how molecular biology, developmental constraints, and complexity theory have challenged and enriched the synthetic framework. Depew particularly emphasizes how non-equilibrium thermodynamics and self-organization theory offer new ways of understanding evolutionary dynamics beyond simple selection.

Throughout, Depew maintains careful neutrality regarding theological implications, though he acknowledges that design arguments represent a persistent foil against which evolutionary theory defines itself. He notes how each reformulation of Darwinism has prompted renewed theological responses, from natural theology's collapse to process theology's emergence. The intellectual history approach allows Depew to show how scientific and philosophical concerns remain intertwined in evolutionary discourse without advocating particular positions in these debates.

The monograph's significance lies in demonstrating that evolutionary theory's plasticity and adaptability paradoxically strengthen rather than weaken its scientific status. By showing how Darwinism evolves through engagement with new scientific frameworks while preserving core insights about variation and selection, Depew illuminates both the robustness and limits of naturalistic explanation in biology.