Evolution, Utopia, and Satire in Robert Ellis Dudgeon’s Colymbia (1873)

This article is devoted to the utopian novel Colymbia (1873), written by the Scottish doctor and homeopath Robert Ellis Dudgeon. The analysis focuses on the work’s indebtedness to the evolutionary discourse of natural selection, the survival of the fittest, and adaptation, which contributes to the vision of Colymbian society as a biopolitical utopia and turns it into a satirical reflection of contemporary Victorian mores and beliefs as regards matters like education, eugenics, and the role of the state. The article also investigates the engagement of Darwinism with the discourse of the empire, informing the novel’s preoccupation with nationhood and race. Finally, the article lays emphasis on the question of scientific progress in Colymbia, which not only enables the state’s aquatic existence through a more sustainable relationship with the natural environment, but also underpins its claims of evolutionary superiority and dominance. (KP)