Abstract

This paper reviews the main publications of German speaking authors on the theory of evolution and Darwinism over the last ten years. The principal lines of interpretation are described. These include criticisms by biologists and philosophers of the "synthetic" theory of evolution; suggestions of a new "critical" and "physicalistic" evolution theory; and criticisms and comments regarding the philosophical materialistic theories. Various viewpoints of the impact of Darwinism and the influence of the theory of evolution on many social and cultural fields are discussed. Lastly, research by scholars of philosophy and of the history of science on Darwin's theory is described. In particular, the opportunity for research on the theory of evolution and Darwinism in institutes for the history of science in the Federal Republic of Germany is analyzed