Religious dissidence, humanitarianism and evolution: the case of Antoni Bergnes de las Casas (1801-1879)

The university lecturer Antoni Bergnes de las Casas (1801-1879), who is remembered above all as a Hellenist and an introducer of romanticism, played a key role in Barcelona, Catalonia and throughout Spain thanks to his tireless work in publishing. Between 1830 and 1843, Bergnes ran a prestigious publishing company with which he published numerous works, some of which he translated himself, and managed several periodical publications with a notable impact.

During the course of his life, Bergnes maintained a progressive liberal political stance, and had great social sensibilities and religious convictions that were close to Protestantism and especially to the Quaker movement. His humanitarianism comes out through his publications, which included his thoughts on antislavery, his defence of the reform of prisons and mental hospitals, and his concern for the education of women and for the most disadvantaged sectors of society. In all probability, his socio-political and religious conceptions predisposed him in favour of Lamarck's evolutionary theory, which he disseminated broadly through the works published by his publishing company and through different articles that appeared in the various magazines he edited.