La naturalización de la economía-política y su influencia en la biología darwiniana: Townsend, Malthus y el germen de la selección natural
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-781Palabras clave:
Malthus, Darwin, Townsend, lucha por la existencia, economía-política, evolución, leyes de pobres, selección naturalResumen
Introducción: La relación entre el origen de la biología evolucionista darwiniana y la economía política de corte liberal ha sido un caso de estudio relevante para historiadores y filósofos de la ciencia. Metodología: Este artículo explora, mediante un análisis exhaustivo de fuentes primarias y secundarias, cómo algunas nociones de la economía clásica, particularmente de la teoría de Malthus, influenciaron en las ideas de Darwin. Resultados: Se argumenta que el influjo de Malthus en la biología evolucionista no fue accidental. La economía política británica, desde los fisiócratas hasta Adam Smith y Joseph Townsend, naturalizó la economía, facilitando así el traslado conceptual a la biología. Discusión: Se defiende que Townsend precedió a Malthus en la naturalización de la economía, plantando semillas de una proto-concepción de la lucha por la existencia. Conclusiones: Este estudio reafirma la significativa repercusión de la economía política en la teoría de Darwin, concluyendo que la agudización de la naturalización de la economía política fue un elemento crucial para que tal influencia se produjera y fuera fructífera.
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