Speaker
Jacy Young (York University, Psychology)
Title
The Importance of Progress: Social Policy Implications of Organic Selection
Abstract
In 1896 three individuals, James Mark Baldwin, Conwy Lloyd Morgan, and Henry Fairfield Osborn, each independently proposed an evolutionary selection theory known as organic selection. This selection theory allowed learning to play a determinate role in biological evolution without recourse to neo-Lamarckian ideas of inheritance. The aim of this paper is to provide an account of the development of organic selection that situates the theory within the socio-cultural context of its emergence. It is argued that organic selection must be understood as thoroughly a theory of the Progressive Era. In an era where race suicide was a legitimate concern, organic selection provided a rationale for expansive educational initiatives by suggesting that such education would improve individuals, as well as their descendants. Thus, organic selection, by providing a non-Lamarckian role for learning in biological evolution, suggested that initiatives aimed at racial progress could legitimately include those of an educational nature.
Note
This is an alternative format presentation. The paper should be read prior to attending the colloquium. If you wish to attend, but have not yet received a copy of the paper, please contact the Colloquium Coordinator, Laura Ball, at lcball@yorku.ca.