由於其個人獨特的生命背景與歷程，一般咸認為美國詩人艾蜜莉．狄金森（1830-1886）詩作中，充滿了對自然世界的細膩觀察以及精神世界的嚮往和追求。這樣的看法，固然是將狄金森的詩作，置放於十九世紀英國浪漫主義、美國愛默生的超越主義等文藝思想脈絡之下，以期盼引發及獲得對其詩作更深刻的詮釋與閱讀。然而，事實上，在十九世紀這百年當中，最重大的思想衝擊，莫如英國自然學者查爾斯．達爾文（1809-1882）於一八五九年所出版的《物種源始》（另譯《物種起源》）所帶來的影響為甚。達爾文所提出不假未知力量的物種演化理論，非但已成為今日科學／生物學研究的基石，同時也廣泛影響了十九世紀大西洋兩岸的社會、文化、藝術及科學等各層面的發展與演繹。 本論文擬從十九世紀「科學－宗教」、「物質－精神」之間的拔河與辯論為經，以發掘狄金森與達爾文兩人生命歷史當中的異同及互動為緯，透過閱讀狄金森的文字書寫（包括詩作與書信等）以及達爾文《物種起源》（初版及第二版），探討兩人於「演化」觀念上的交疊與對話。基於上述討論，我以為狄金森的文字書寫，藉由普遍出現於詩作裡、無論是自然領域，抑或觀念領域上的對立主題與意象，誠然為詩人企圖揉合十九世紀科學論述、宗教爭議與個人思想於詩的寫作之中；藉由生動的表現、積極的反省與回應各種衝突與對立的實體和觀念，來展現其迥異於全然唯心或全然唯物的「演化詩學」。 本論文共分為五章。在引論中，首先藉著閱讀現今生物行為學研究，帶入狄金森詩作中的生物與科學主題，企圖將狄金森放置於十九世紀達爾文及其演化觀念的脈絡下。第一章嘗試整理十九世紀「科學－宗教」、「物質－精神」之間的辯論，來檢視狄金森與達爾文兩人生命歷史中常被忽略的相似處與交集。第二章討論狄金森詩作中的科學主題，用以凸顯詩人對當代科學思想的發展所做的積極回應。第三章先討論十九世紀「科學方法與精神」的內涵，將達爾文《物種起源》與狄金森的詩作並置閱讀，從「死亡」、「演化路徑」、「視界的物質性」三個層面來發展鋪陳詩人的「演化詩學」。最後，檢視與思考前述各篇章所帶出的議題，並援引蕭沆（E. M. Cioran）思考文字與科學時代之間的關係、諾里斯（Margot Norris）所指出達爾文作為於今難已復見的「生物中心觀」文學傳統之濫觴，以及尼采「懷疑為人的兩棲本質」，總結提出狄金森「演化詩學」成為一種文學觀的可能。 / From the traditions of English Romanticism, Emersonian Transcendentalism, and the seclusion of the poet, Emily Dickinson’s poetry has generally been read and regarded as lyrical and spiritual. In addition, the most studies of Dickinson’s poetry tend to show the idiosyncrasy and uniqueness of the poet with her observations of Nature, use of language, feminine identity, or the mixture of these three topics. However, scholarly efforts over the years also indicate that for a better and fruitful understanding and appreciation of Emily Dickinson, we have to examine and interpret her life and writings under bigger ideological and cultural contexts of the nineteenth century. Among the innovations of knowledge and conceptions in the nineteenth century, Darwin’s materialistic theories to explain the evolution of species by means of natural selection, in the eyes of the naturalist’s contemporaries and modern people, are certainly still one of the most scientifically important and ideologically controversial ideas. In this study of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, I would like to argue that as a poet of great intellect, whose poems are filled with scientific contents and observations of the natural world, Emily Dickinson not only is familiar with Darwinian biological arguments but also incorporates evolutionary ideas, not limited to Darwin’s, into her poetic writings. Moreover, as Darwinian theories have triggered the debates between science and religion, the constant reflections on religious faith are also pervasive in Dickinson’s poetry and her correspondence. Thus, instead of reading Emily Dickinson’s writings straightforwardly under the framework of Darwinism, I would like to put Darwin and Dickinson in parallel—the transatlantic intersections of their lives and their works, The Origin of Species and Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Through examining these nineteenth-century historical and cultural figures and the interactions between different currents of ideologies, we will hopefully be able to see more clearly and uncover how Dickinson renders this well-known biological theory and further develops her own poetic evolution, which surpasses the materialistic and metaphysical boundaries in the physical as well as spiritual worlds.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:16:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Enezio Eugenio de Almeida Filho.pdf: 4288341 bytes, checksum: 6d7c3e5e0f23728ac321058b96f617c8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-17 / Discovery Institute - Center for Science and Culture / This research follows the line of History and Theory of Science that has as a goal to explain the construction of scientific thought by discussing the foundation of hypotheses and theories within their historical contexts. The goal of this thesis is to analyze Mivart´s critiques and Darwin´s answers, and to verify if they were scientifically well formulated and based considering the scientific context of that time. The reason for writing this work is an attempt to fill a gap in the History of Science about the scientific controversy between Mivart and Darwin on the role of natural selection in the origin of species. This work´s hypotheses are two: that Mivart´s critiques, despite being religiously motivated, were plausible scientifically, and that Darwin answered them fully. This research analyzes the primary sources of Mivart (Genesis of species) and Darwin's Origin of Species, and other secondary sources. The result reached was that Mivart´s critiques were indeed scientific, and that Darwin answered them according to the evidences and scientific knowledge then available / Esta pesquisa segue a linha de História e Teoria da Ciência que objetiva trazer esclarecimentos sobre a construção do pensamento científico através da discussão da fundamentação de hipóteses e teorias dentro do seu contexto histórico. O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar as críticas de Mivart e as respostas dadas por Darwin, e verificar se elas estavam bem formuladas e fundamentadas cientificamente considerando-se o contexto científico daquela época. A justificativa para a realização desta trabalho é tentar preencher uma lacuna em História da Ciência sobre a controvérsia científica entre Mivart e Darwin sobre o papel da seleção natural na origem das espécies. As hipóteses deste trabalho são duas: as críticas de Mivart, apesar de terem sido religiosamente fundamentadas, eram cientificamente plausíveis, e Darwin as respondeu satisfatoriamente. O aspecto teórico-metodológico foi a análise das fontes primárias de Mivart (Genesis of species) e de Darwin (Origin of species), e outras fontes secundárias. O resultado obtido foi que as críticas de Mivart eram científicas, e que Darwin respondeu-as conforme as evidências e o conhecimento científico da época

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:16:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andreza Polizello.pdf: 806973 bytes, checksum: 2f1d51dd54a25808c194bffdd9f6ab2c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-14 / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo / Francis Galton (1822-1911) made important contributions in several fields of science. Among other things, he was the founder of the Biometric School developed by Karl Pearson and Walter Frank Raphael Weldon. The aim of this dissertation is to discuss Galton s ideas on inheritance developed during the period between 1855 (when he published his first works on the subject) and 1889 (when he published the book Natural inheritance), especially focusing his theory of stirps (1872), taking into account the other microscopic models of inheritance proposed in the 19th century. Besides that, it will compare Galton s theory of stirps to Darwin s hypothesis of pangenesis. Moreover, it will try to detect if there were significant changes in Galton s thought concerning the subject during this period. It will also try to elucidate if the low impact received by the theory of stirps was due to a weak foundation. This dissertation contains an introduction and five chapters. Chapter 1 presents some microscopic models of inheritance which were proposed during the 19th century. Chapter 2 discusses Darwin s hypothesis of pangenesis and its test made by Galton. Chapter 3 analyses Galton s theory of stirps. Chapter 4 discusses about the development of Galton s theory of heredity from 1865 to 1892. Chapter 5 provides some final remarks on the subject. This study led to the conclusion that Galton s proposal presented some peculiarities which differentiated it from the other ones of his time such as the experimental test of pangenesis, the performance of several experiments with peas, dogs and the study of genealogies and in addition to this, his concern in giving a statistical treatment to the data. A comparison between his several works showed a continuity of his thoughts on heredity with no significant changes / Francis Galton (1822-1911) trouxe importantes contribuições para diversos campos da ciência. Entre outras coisas, ele foi o fundador da Escola biometricista desenvolvida por Karl Pearson e Walter Frank Raphael Weldon. O objetivo desta dissertação é discutir as idéias de Galton acerca da herança desenvolvidas durante o período compreendido entre 1855 (quando ele publicou seus primeiros trabalhos sobre o assunto) e 1889 (quando ele publicou seu livro Natural inheritance), focalizando especialmente sua teoria das estirpes (1872), levando em conta os outros modelos microscópicos de herança propostos durante o século XIX. Além disso, comparará a teoria das estirpes de Galton com a hipótese da pangênese de Darwin. Procurará detectar se houve mudanças significativas no pensamento de Galton em relação ao assunto tratado durante esse período. Procurará também elucidar se o baixo impacto recebido pela teoria das estirpes se deveu a uma fundamentação fraca. Esta dissertação contém uma introdução e cinco capítulos. O Capítulo 1 apresenta alguns modelos microscópicos de herança que foram propostos durante o século XIX. O Capítulo 2 discute a hipótese da pangênese de Darwin e seu teste feito por Galton. O Capítulo 3 analisa a teoria das estirpes de Galton. O Capítulo 4 comenta sobre o desenvolvimento da teoria da hereditariedade de Galton de 1865 a 1892. O Capítulo 5 apresenta algumas considerações finais sobre o assunto. Este estudo levou à conclusão de que a proposta de Galton apresentou algumas peculiaridades que a diferenciavam das outras propostas de sua época tais como o teste experimental da pangênese, a realização de vários experimentos com ervilhas, cachorros e o estudo de genealogias e, além disso, sua preocupação em dar um tratamento estatístico aos dados. Uma comparação entre seus diversos trabalhos mostrou a existência de uma continuidade em seus pensamentos sobre hereditariedade e a ausência de mudanças significativas. Além disso, parece que o baixo impacto recebido pela teoria das estirpes de Galton não se deveu a uma fundamentação deficiente

<p>This dissertation examines Charles Darwin’s major texts together with literary works by turn-of the-century American women writers—Nella Larsen, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Kate Chopin—in order to trace how evolutionary theory shaped transatlantic cultural ideas of race, particularly black identity, and gender. I focus on the concept of “descent” as the overarching theme organizing categories of the human in evolutionary terms. My perspective and methods—examining race and gender from a black feminist perspective that draws on biopolitics theory, as well as using close reading, affect theory, and attention to narrative in my textual analysis—comprise my argument’s framework. By bringing these perspectives and methods together in my attention to the interplay between Darwinian discourse and American literature, I shed new light on the turn-of-the-century transatlantic exchange between science and culture. Throughout this dissertation, I argue that descent constitutes a central concept and point of tension in evolutionary theory’s inscription of life’s development. I also show how themes of human-animal kinship, the Western binary of rationality and materiality, and reproduction and maternity circulated within this discourse. I contribute to scholarly work relating evolutionist discourse to literature by focusing on American literature: in the context of turn-of-the-century American anxieties about racial and gender hierarchies, the evolutionist paradigm’s configurations of human difference were especially consequential. Moreover, Larsen, Gilman, and Chopin offer responses that reveal this hierarchy’s varied effects on racialized and gendered bodies. I thus demonstrate the significance of examining Darwinian discourse alongside American literature by women writers, an association in need of deeper scholarly attention, especially from a feminist, theoretical perspective. </p><p>This dissertation begins with my application of literary analysis and close reading to Darwin’s major texts in order to uncover how they formed a suggestive foundation for late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century ideologies of race and gender. I use this analysis as the background for my investigation of Larsen’s, Gilman’s, and Chopin’s literary texts. In Chapter 1, I conduct a close reading of Darwin’s articulation of natural selection in <i>The Origin of Species</i>and focus on how Darwin’s syntactical and narrative structure imply evolution as an agential force aimed at linear progress. In Chapter 2, I analyze Darwin’s articulation of the development of race and gender differences in <i>The Descent of Man</i>, as well as Thomas Henry Huxley’s <i>Evidence as to Man’s Place in Nature</i>, and argue that Darwin’s and Huxley’s accounts suggest how anxiety over animal-human kinship was alleviated through structuring nonwhite races and women as less developed and hence inferior. In Chapter 3, I argue that Larsen’s novel <i>Quicksand </i>interrogates and complicates aesthetic primitivism and biopolitical racism and sexism, both rooted in evolutionist discourses. Finally, in Chapter 4, I focus on Gilman’s utopian novel <i>Herland</i>and select short stories by Chopin. While Gilman unambiguously advocates for a desexualized white matriarchy, Chopin’s stories waver between support for, and critique of, racial hierarchy. Reading these authors together against the backdrop of white masculine evolutionist theory reveals how this theory roots women as materially bound reproducers of racial hierarchy.</p>

The worlds of Dickens's novels and of Darwin's science reveal striking similarity in spite of their involvement in different areas. The similarity comes from the fact that they shared the ethos of Victorian society: laissez-faire capitalism. In The Origin of Species, which was published on 1859, Charles Darwin theorizes that nature has evolved through the rules of natural selection, survival of the fittest, and the struggle for existence. Although his conclusion comes from the scientific evidence that was acquired from his five-year voyage, it is clear that Dawinian nature is reflected in cruel Victorian capitalism. Three novels of Charles Dickens which were published around 1859, Bleak House, Hard Times, and Our Mutual Friend, share Darwinian aspects in their fictional worlds. In Bleak House, the central image, the Court of Chancery as the background of the novel, resembles Darwinian nature which is anti-Platonic in essence. The characters in Hard Times are divided into two groups: the winners and the losers in the arena of survival. The winners survive in Coketown, and the losers disappear from the city. The rules controlling the fates of Coketown people are the same as the rules of Darwinian nature. Our Mutual Friend can be interpreted as a matter of money. In the novel, everything is connected with money, and the relationship among people is predation to get money. Money is the central metaphor of the novel and around the money, the characters kill and are killed like the nature of Darwin in which animals kill each other. When a dominant ideology of a particular period permeates ingredients of the society, nobody can escape the controlling power of the ideology. Darwin and Dickens, although they worked in different areas, give evidence that their works are products of the ethos of Victorian England.