The Darwinian Revolution

Semester and Year	FA 2011
Course Number	IDSEM-UG1156
Section	001
Instructor	Gene Cittadino
Days	Mon,Wed
Time	2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement	SCI

Description

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection may be the single most influential, and controversial, scientific theory ever proposed. This course will examine the origin, nature, and consequences of Darwin’s theory, with an emphasis on interrelationships among the social, cultural, and intellectual dimensions of the scientific enterprise. Topics include the connections between Darwinian theory and social, political, and moral discourse in Victorian Britain; initial and more recent scientific and public controversies; resistance to the theory by conservative Christians; applications and misapplications of the theory, such as Social Darwinism, eugenics, and sociobiology; and the influence of Darwinian thought on literature and the arts. In addition to Darwin’s Origin of Species and excerpts from Voyage of the Beagle and Descent of Man , readings will likely include Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos , selections from Malthus, Spencer, and Huxley, and recent works by Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould, among others.

Syllabus

IDSEM-UG1156

Course Type

Interdisciplinary Seminars (IDSEM-UG)