Book Launch: ‘Evolutionary Theory and Education’ (2025, Brill)
Aline Nardo (Edinburgh University)

In this session, Aline Nardo will introduce her new book Evolutionary Theory and Education: The Influence of Evolutionary Thinking on Educational Theory and Philosophy. The volume explores the interplay between modern educational and evolutionary theory, particularly through the concepts of adaptation, selection, and inheritance. The session will centre on the idea of ‘progress’, investigating how evolutionary theories of change have shaped our understanding of educational progress, both with respect to individual development and social change. In particular, the contrast between Dewey’s conception of gradual change and Vygotsky’s view of development as occurring through qualitative leaps will be explored.

Aline Nardo is a Lecturer in Philosophy of Education at the University of Edinburgh. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higer Education Academy and former Fulbright Scholar. Her current research interests include dwelling, the temporality of teaching, and ethics education.