DARWINISM: ITS USES AND ABUSES
A Feit Interdisciplinary Seminar
IDC 4050: 3 seminar hours; 3 credits
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:40-6:55
Spring 1997
This course, led by Susan Tenenbaum (Political Science) and Mary Jean Holland (Natural Sciences), will examine the uses and abuses of Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection as it came to influence thinking across a variety of disciplines. Questions to be explored include; To what extent does natural selection shape human culture, e.g., ethical and moral values, sex roles, parental responsibility, divisions by class and race? Is there a "gene" for homosexuality, alcoholism, violent behavior, or academic achievement? What is the impact of "social Darwinism" on policy areas such as immigration, welfare, education, and criminal justice? What are the moral problems created by the human genome project/ Does genetic engineering across species boundaries change the "rules" for evolution?
Syllabus
| Date | Topic | Readings, etc. |
| 1/30 | Introduction | |
| 2/04 | Darwin's Life (JHW) | |
| 2/06 | Natural Selection (JHW) | |
| 2/11 | Darwin on Human Nature | Selections from The descent of Man (moral faculties) |
| 2/13 | Darwin on Human Nature | Selections from The Descent of Man (sex) |
| 2/18 | What Darwin didn't Know | Human diversity, chapters 1-3 |
| 2/25 | Genes and Environment | Human Diversity, chapters 4-6 |
| 2/27 | Human Genome Project | |
| 3/04 | Genetic Testing | |
| 3/06 | Genetic Testing | Video: Promise and Perils of biotechnology |
| 3/11 | Social Darwinism | Malthus, Spencer, Sumner, Carnegie |
| 3/13 | Social Darwinism | |
| 3/18 | Eugenics: History & Policy | Immigration materials, Buck v. Bell |
| 3/20 | Eugenics: History & Policy | |
| 3/25 | Prenatal Screening Implications | Cowan, RoeWade |
| 3/27 | Social Discrimination | Kitcher |
| 4/01 | EXAM | |
| 4/03 | Intelligence Testing | Human diversity, chapters 6-8, Murray & Herrinstein, Jensen, The Biology of Race, chapter 4 |
| 4/08 | Race/Education/Class | |
| 4/10 | Sociobiology | The Biology of Race chapters 6-7, Wright |
| 4/15 | Creationism | Movie: Inherit the Wind |
| 4/17 | Creationism | McLean v. Arkansas |
| Spring Break | ||
| Student Presentations | ||
| 4/29 | Connie Lam Lois Shellie | Evolution of Bipedalism IQ Test |
| 5/01 | Annick Sullivan Alfredo Ramirez Ellen Favelyukis | Gender Identity/Sex Roles Gender Identity/Sex Roles Altruism |
| 5/06 | Robin Boyce Norene Kyi Aniko Banfi | Crime Crime Creativity |
| 5/08 | Sabirhan Hasanoff Maria Barone Miguel Vasquez | Cloning Homosexuality Homosexuality |
| 5/10 | Karina Sarmiento Jena Kim Jesus Sterling | Immigration Eugenics/Nazis Eugenics/Nazis |
| 5/15 | Wrap Up/Celebration | |
Return to Darwin and Darwinism homepage
Last updated 30 December 1998 (JHW)