People have long struggled with the notion that humans have descended from non-human ancestors. In his 1871 volume Descent of Man, Charles Darwin comprehensively applies his views on evolutionary theory and shared ancestry, including his adaptive mechanisms of natural and sexual selection, to human beings. Using countless examples, rational arguments, and the voice and writing style of a Victorian gentleman, Darwin convincingly demonstrates that humans gradually evolved from animals. The book, therefore, challenges its readers with what it means to be human as Darwin addresses the emergence of language, culture, morality, notions of beauty, sexual attraction, and the origin of race from our animal ancestors. This course helps students learn to read Darwin’s rich text, to understand the extraordinary depth, collaborative style, and limitations of his science, to engage critically with the enduring questions and tensions the text raises, and to reflect on the ways that Darwin’s work still resonates in biology and culture today.
Prerequisites
completion of a Foundations Program natural science course.
Semester Offered
Fall