A DANGEROUS IDEA

Ample details and a well-researched backstory paint a picture of a pivotal court case that’s both surprising and familiar.

A century before social concepts like the frequently misunderstood critical race theory made their way into mainstream discourse—before an unprecedented rise in hostile takeovers of library and school boards aimed at book censorship—Charles Darwin’s scientifically sound theory of evolution was a hot-button issue. Using extensive research and primary source material to great effect, Levy takes readers on a deep dive into the Scopes trial of 1925, a lawsuit designed to push back against the recently enacted House Bill 185, aka the Butler Act, prohibiting “any instruction ‘that man has descended from a lower order of animals’” in Tennessee public schools. This account jumps through time, from the trial itself to the origins of Darwin’s work and the background and history of the trial’s major players, providing insight into their principles and motivations. The author calls out historical racism and atrocities, including white supremacy and eugenics embedded in concepts such as “survival of the fittest” (which she emphasizes is a phrase that Darwin didn’t coin), juxtaposing them against the moral outrage over the concept of evolution. Though occasionally overly dense with detail and background information, this meticulous work is generally well written and accessible. Moments of clarity around the weight and importance of this trial bring home its implications for the modern U.S. educational system.

A compelling, well-researched account.