The Structure of Evolutionary Theory The Structure of Evolutionary Theory The Structure of Evolutionary Theory (2002) is Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould's technical book on macroevolution and the historical development of evolutionary theory. The book was twenty years in the making, published just two months before Gould's death. Aimed primarily at professionals, the volume is divided into two parts. The first is a historical study of classical evolutionary thought, drawing extensively upon primary documents; the second is a constructive critique of the modern synthesis, and presents a case for an interpretation of biological evolution based largely on hierarchical selection, and the theory of punctuated equilibrium
The Structure of Evolutionary Theory explores the concept of "hierarchy" in the action of evolution (the idea that evolution may act on more than one unit simultaneously, as opposed to only acting upon individual organisms). In the arena of "efficacy" he explores the forces beside natural selection that have been considered in evolutionary theory. In the arena of "scope" he considers the relevance of natural selection to the larger scale patterns of life. Gould was motivated to write the book by contrasting the opinions of Darwin and Hugh Falconer about the future of Darwinism. Part I of the book focuses on the early history of