Revolutions in the head: Darwin, Malthus and Robert M. Young

Abstract The late 1960s witnessed a key conjunction between political activism and the history of science. Science, whether seen as touchstone rationality or oppression, was fundamental to all sides in era Vietnam War. This essay examines historian Robert Maxwell Young's turn Marxism radical politics during this period, especially his widely cited account ‘common context’ nineteenth-century biological social theorizing, which demonstrated centrality Thomas Malthus's writings on population for Charles Darwin's formulation theory evolution by natural selection. From perspective, bound up with pressing contemporary issues: ideologies class race neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory, revival Malthusian control, role science military conflict. aim provide basis action – ‘head revolution’ that would accompany change. force argument blunted subsequent decades disciplinary developments within science, including emergence specialist Darwin studies, focus practice changing associations ideas. engaged standpoint, however, has remained influential even historians moved from understanding ideology work.