Karl Löwith, in his book Meaning in History (1949), argues that in Christian theology the meaning of history is tied to viewing our world as a realm of sin and death. He believes that the change in the meaning of history starting in the eighteenth century was the result of the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution. This article examines the role of Darwinism, alongside these two factors, in changing the meaning of history. It also offers a critique of Löwith’s view and, more broadly, of similar beliefs about the idea of progress and modern eschatology. The article argues that Darwinian evolution and evolutionary thinking are inseparable from the modern worldview, and that they help resolve the ambiguities in this worldview that concerned philosophers like Löwith.
Arefi, B. (2026). The role of evolutionary logic in the modern approach to the philosophy of history. Journal for the History of Science, (), -. doi: 10.22059/jihs.2026.408595.371866
MLA
Arefi, B. . "The role of evolutionary logic in the modern approach to the philosophy of history", Journal for the History of Science, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22059/jihs.2026.408595.371866
HARVARD
Arefi, B. (2026). 'The role of evolutionary logic in the modern approach to the philosophy of history', Journal for the History of Science, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22059/jihs.2026.408595.371866
CHICAGO
B. Arefi, "The role of evolutionary logic in the modern approach to the philosophy of history," Journal for the History of Science, (2026): -, doi: 10.22059/jihs.2026.408595.371866
VANCOUVER
Arefi, B. The role of evolutionary logic in the modern approach to the philosophy of history. Journal for the History of Science, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22059/jihs.2026.408595.371866
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