In Pragmatism’s Evolution , Trevor Pearce demonstrates that the philosophical tradition of pragmatism owes an enormous debt to specific biological debates in the late 1800s, especially those concerning the role of the environment in development and evolution. Many are familiar with John Dewey’s 1909 assertion that evolutionary ideas overturned two thousand years of philosophy—but what exactly happened in the fifty years prior to Dewey’s claim? What form did evolutionary ideas take? When and how were they received by American philosophers? Although the various thinkers associated with pragmatism—from Charles Sanders Peirce to Jane Addams and beyond—were towering figures in American intellectual life, few realize the full extent of their engagement with the life sciences. In his analysis, Pearce focuses on a series of debates in biology from 1860 to 1910—from the instincts of honeybees to the inheritance of acquired characteristics—in which the pragmatists were active participants. If we want to understand the pragmatists and their influence, Pearce argues, we need to understand the relationship between pragmatism and biology. “Offers a detailed study of what exactly that connection looked like, adding both breadth and depth through an impressive collection of sources . . . . Pragmatism’s Evolution is about the role of evolution, as a theory, in American pragmatism, as well as the early evolution of pragmatism itself. Although Pearce’s intellectual historical analysis is intentionally held apart from social, cultural, or political considerations, it raises important questions for future projects that might draw on these connections.” ― Isis "The merit of [Pearce's] book lies in the huge amount of historical information and precision he brings to a familiar story. . . . His contextualist approach provides even more substance by drawing attention to correspondence, courses, conversations, institutions and venues in addition to published books. . . . Pearce's book is rich in detail, well-delivered and well-written. It will be invaluable to both scholars of pragmatism and historians of science alike and certainly proves the usefulness of the history of science in increasing our understanding of pragmatist theses, whether in metaphysics or ethics, beyond a vague ritualistic reference to Darwin. . . . Pearce has done a superb job." ― Metascience "[An] important book." ― Acta Biotheoretica "Meticulously researched and convincingly argued. . . . Pearce's method is historical and contextualist in the capacious sense, carefully focusing on how context informs content, and eschewing simply reconstructing a particular thinker's arguments in favor of a more nuanced focus on the diverse way these pragmatist thinkers engaged with biology, including correspondence, lecture notes, minutes from formal and informal clubs, newspaper articles, journal publications, and professional debates. Using a cohort approach based on the year each cluster of thinkers he discusses graduated, Pearce shows how evolutionary ideas were debated and appropriated from one generation to the next. A significant and edifying work, this book will interest students and academics alike, particularly philosophers and historians of biology but also those who appreciate nonreductive applications of evolutionary ideas to philosophy. . . . Recommended." ― Choice "[Pearce] brings a historian's appreciation for, and training in handling, material and textual evidence, along with the philosophical analysis. . . . Pearce's work provides far greater detail than was previously possible. . . . A major contribution to pragmatism and its evolution." ― History: Reviews of New Books "A major contribution to our understanding of the history of pragmatism, the specific influences, developments, and consequences. . . . [It] should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the history of American philosophy." ― The Quarterly Review of Biology "There is much to recommend Pearce's comprehensive and engaging study, which shall provide a valuable resource to all scholars and researchers working on late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century American philosophy. . . . The attention which Pearce gives to the British idealists and to Spencer, in particular, is an especially welcome feature of his excellent monograph. . . . Amongst its many other virtues, then, Pearce's text represents a welcome contribution to efforts at extending the pragmatist canon beyond the familiar trio of Peirce, James, and Dewey—which is not to deny that these figures receive the attention they merit in any history of pragmatism. As such, Pearce's text deserves to be very warmly received amongst scholars of pragmatist philosophy." ― Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "Pearce has done something remarkable and all too rare: written a book at the intersection of philosophy, science, and history that is equally excellent in all three respects. Scholarly, path-breaking, and not be