The racial legacy of naturalists: analysis of racial interpretations in a global context, from 18th to 20th century

Call for Papers
The racial legacy of naturalists: analysis of racial interpretations in a global context, from 18th to 20th century

Journal: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission Deadline: 14 August 2026

Overview
This special issue examines how naturalists from the 18th to the 20th century interpreted human variation and contributed to the construction of racial categories. It traces how ideas about race emerged within specific scientific, political, and cultural contexts and then circulated globally across Europe, the Americas, and beyond. The issue also revisits major figures such as Linnaeus, Agassiz, Darwin, Mendel, Galton, and Wallace, while connecting their work to later developments in genetics, anthropology, and public policy.

Scope
The special issue welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from the history and philosophy of science, anthropology, science and technology studies, postcolonial theory, and critical race studies. It is interested in key figures, texts, collections, networks, and epistemic structures through which race became a scientific category. Topics include racial theories of naturalists, the role of material and print culture, comparative case studies of local adaptations of racial thought, scientific institutions and racial classification, the connection between biological race and political ideology, and post-war or postcolonial reinterpretations of race.

Guest Editors

• Brian Becerra-Bressant — UNAM.

• Erica Torrens Rojas — UNAM.

Submission Information
Manuscripts may be submitted between 8 January 2026 and 14 August 2026. Authors should use Editorial Manager and select the article type “VSI: Naturalists racial legacy.” The call states that submissions suitable for review will undergo double-anonymized peer review, and accepted papers will be published immediately in the next regular issue while also appearing on the special issue webpage. Inquiries about topic suitability can be directed to Prof. Erica Torrens Rojas at torrens@ciencias.unam.mx.

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