Darwin-L Message Log 5:128 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:128>From azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu  Mon Jan 24 18:12:21 1994

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 18:20:32 CST
From: "asia z lerner" <azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu>
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: tools stopping evol'n

	Who was the first person to suggest that humans used technology
	instead of organic adaptation to cope with their environment? That is,
	how old is the idea that the evolution of human material culture
	allows humans to escape evolution?

Alfred Wallace, the co-discoverer of the theory of evolution alongside Darwin,
had this idea. It's in a paper he published in 1863, I don't quite remember
the name, but the word "races" is in it, the point being that, for Wallace,
the fact that humans are no longer under pressure to evolve physically, but
only mentally, explained the apparent stability of racial traits.

Asia

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