Skip to main content

MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

  • en
  • de
  • en
  • de
  • Institute

    Institute

    Founded in 1994, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin is one of the more than 80 research institutes administered by the Max Planck Society. It is dedicated to the study of the history of science and aims to understand scientific thinking and practice as historical phenomena.

    • About the Institute
    • About the Max Planck Society
    • Library
    • Gender Equality
    • Information for People with Disabilities
    • Sustainability Initiative
    • Getting Here
    • Contact Us
  • People

    People

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.

    • Staff & Scholars
    • Artists in Residence
    • Journalists in Residence
    • Alumni (Since 2015)
  • Research

    Research

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises departments under the direction of Etienne Benson and Dagmar Schäfer.

     

    In addition are Research Groups, each directed by one Research Group Leader.

     

    The Institute also comprises of a Digital Humanities Team, doctoral students, an International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS), and research and teaching cooperations with other institutions worldwide.

    • Dept: Knowledge Systems and Collective Life
    • Dept: Artifacts, Action, Knowledge
    • –
    • RG: Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
    • RG: China in the Global System of Science
    • RG: Premodern Sciences of Soul & Body
    • –
    • Digital Humanities Team
    • International Max Planck Research School
    • Cooperations
    • Doctoral Research
    • All Projects
    • Past Departments & Research Groups
  • Publications & Resources

    Publications & Resources

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) engages with the research community and broader public, and is committed to open access.

     

    This section provides access to published research results and electronic sources in the history of science. It is also a platform for sharing ongoing research projects that develop digital tools.

     

    The Institute’s research is also made accessible to the wider public through Feature Stories and the Mediathek’s audio and video content.

     

    • Publications
    • Digital Resources & Databases
    • Mediathek
    • Research Reports
    • Feature Stories
    • About Open Access
  • News & Events

    News & Events

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science frequently shares news, including calls for papers and career opportunities. The Media & Press section highlights press releases and the Institute's appearances in national and global media. Public events—including colloquia, seminars, and workshops—are shown on the events overview.

    • Events
    • Institute News
    • Press Releases
    • In the Media
  • Career

    Career

    These pages present the range of opportunities to work at the MPIWG. They list current advertisements for jobs and fellowships, explain the framework of each type of role, provide information on special programs, and describe the working environment at the Institute.

    • Current Job Opportunities
    • –
    • About Positions at the MPIWG
    • Fellowship Program
    • Research Stays
    • Journalist-in-Residence Program
    • Artist-in-Residence Fellowships
    • –
    • Working at the MPIWG

Search and Keywords

Disciplinary groups
Perspectives and Methods
Video
Mediathek Landing Page
  • Aug 13, 2025
  • 00:03:09

Research Reels: Historicizing the Liberal Antiracism of Cultural Evolution

  • Cameron Brinitzer
  • Dept. KSCL

In this Research Reel, alumnus Postdoctoral Researcher Cameron Brinitzer presents his paper on the origins of cultural evolution theory in the US-American debates on race and intelligence of the 1960s. Despite being developed as a response to the racism of postwar genetics, he argues that its liberal conception of racism makes it incapable of refuting scientific racism.

Publication

  • Brinitzer, Cameron. "Historicizing the Liberal Antiracism of Cultural Evolution." History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 46, no. 4 (2024): Article 46. https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0010-59C1-0.
Copyrights

Produced by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Image: Isochron map of the "spread of early farming from the Near East to Europe," in L. L. Cavalli-Sforza and M. W. Feldman, Cultural Transmission and Evolution: A Quantitative Approach, Princeton: Princeton University Press (1981), p. 43.

Music: Blue Dot Sessions - Vessel One (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Go to Cameron's publication
  • Human & Social Sciences
  • Life Sciences
  • Medicine & Health
  • Natural Philosophy
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Imprint
  • Data Protection
  • Accessibility
Internal:
  • Intranet
  • Webmail
  • Welcome Page
  • Library

An Institute of
the Max Planck Society for the
Advancement of Science