The instructional treatment of biological evolution: from subjection to the “enjoyment of knowledge”
This article adopts a historical and literary perspective in examining the treatment of biological evolution when it is subjected to religious representations that are underpinned by a political agenda. Theoretical reference is made to Foucault’s understanding of power-knowledge relationships, which is combined with an approach aimed at fostering the “enjoyment of knowledge” as developed by Astolfi (2010). This approach was tested with three groups of Tunisian secondary students by holding tests followed by discussions with a scientist, and then analyzing the resulting discursive data through the lens of the “microphysics” of power. The results suggest the contributions, but also the limitations, of the processes that were implemented.