A critical examination of the history of the natural and social sciences in cultural and religious context from the Enlightenment to the First World War.

This paper examines the revolution in the natural sciences spearheaded by Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" (1859). We begin by tracing important interconnections between science and empire during the 18th century before focusing on the rise of evolutionary theorising in Britain and Europe during the 19th century. Taking a contextualist approach to the history of science, we explore the political, intellectual, racial, ethical and religious controversies that erupted after 1859 in Britain, Europe and New Zealand.