PLEASE NOTE THAT CLASS WILL BEGIN AT 8:15 every day!

Reading: Please read the syllabus carefully and bring in any questions about how this class will work. Read the creation story from the book of Genesis (B’reshit) in the Hebrew Bible from an anthropologist’s point of view. If this is a sacred text to you, try to step outside that understanding for the moment to reflect on what the creation story says to you about the culture from which it arose.

Focus questions: What is the depicted relationship between humans and other life in this story? What is the depicted relationship between the creative force and humans?

Pre-class assignments:

1. Go to the main library and find the following rooms: The microform reading room, the reference desk, and the Iowa Room. Ask the librarian in the Iowa Room to tell you about any resources there that might be relevant to the subject of this tutorial (you’ll have to explain it to her). At the reference desk, introduce yourself to the librarian on call and ask about the best book s/he has read in the last year. Come to class prepared to tell me what you’ve found out.
2. Write a single, well-constructed paragraph that answers both of the focus questions. You may quote the text at most twice in the paragraph, and then only in brief. Bring a copy of your paragraph to class.

The goals of this class period are to appreciate how human cultures vary in their origin stories (or "creation myths") and to consider what meaning these stories may bring to the people who live in that culture. This should help us understand why the story of the origin of species developed by Darwin, and Western science in general, has cultural ramifications.

Reading: Your assignment is to use library resources to find a translation of a creation myth from the culture that you’ve chosen. Choose an excerpt to share with the class. I’ll ask you to read it aloud. Bring in a typed copy, so I can photocopy it for the whole class. The excerpt should be less than 1 page typed and take 3-5 minutes to read aloud. You are not required to send in discussion questions for this class.

1. What similarities/differences does this creation myth have with other origin stories with which you are familiar?
2. For your myth, what is the depicted relationship between humans and other life? What is the relationship between the creative force and humans depicted?

Writing assignment due (by 1 p.m.): One-paragraph answer to 8/24 focus question.

Writing assignment due next week (9/5): Write a 1-page essay that compares/contrasts the creation myth you found with that in the Hebrew Bible. Make sure your essay discusses how the myths reflect (or create?) differences between the two cultures. You may assume your reader has read the first 2 chapters of Genesis and the excerpt you brought into class today.

9/3: Darwin’s mechanism of evolution

Reading: Evolution of Racism (ER): Ch. 1

1. What personality traits of Darwin were important in determining the nature of his thesis and the circumstances surrounding its publication? (ER)
2. What is the goal of the "Introduction" to the Origin of Species? How does Darwin structure this short chapter to achieve these goals? (Handout)
3. Write a short paragraph condensing the logic of each of the sections presented (e.g., "Geometric rate of increase," "Struggle for existence," etc.). (EE)
4. What elements of a Darwinian view of the world are apparent in Dillard’s poem? Based on what you’ve read of Darwin so far, are there differences from a Darwinian worldview?

Reading: Recapitulation and Conclusion to Origin of Species (1^st ed.) [Handout]

Focus questions:

1. Outline the structure of this final chapter. Does it have a good structure for a "conclusion?"
2. What is the logical structure of Darwin's arguments in support of his theory? Does each paragraph have a similar structure?
3. At the bottom of p. 5 Darwin states the "chief cause" for resistance to his theory. Do you agree, or are there more important causes?
4. What scientific and philosophical consequences of his theory does Darwin identify at the end of the book? Was he correct in his predictions of how biology would be altered by this theoretical shift? Which do you believe are most important?

Writing assignment due today (1pm): Write a 1-page essay that compares/contrasts the creation myth you found with that in the Hebrew Bible. Make sure your essay discusses how the myths reflect (or create?) differences between the two cultures. You may assume your reader has read the first 2 chapters of Genesis and the excerpt you brought into class today..

Writing assignment due on 9/12 (1 pm): Answer one of the focus questions from 9/5 or 9/7 in a single paragraph (1/2 page maximum). Put the question at the top of the page.

Reading: Evolution of Racism (ER): Chapters 2 and 3

Focus questions:

• In what ways were Darwin and Huxley's personal histories and personalities similar? different? How did their scientific philosophies compare?

• What do you conclude about the nature of Victorian science based on the picture painted by Shipman in these chapters? Do you believe that scientific controversies are settled in a similar manner today?

• Outline the logic of Huxley's arguments about the origins of humans. What are the philosophical implications of his conclusions excerpted at the bottom of page 65?

9/12 Reading: Morpho Eugenia from Angels and Insects by A.S. Byatt, pp. 1-84

Focus questions:

1. From its first page, this novella is characterized by analogies and parallels. Keep track of the major kinds of parallels drawn by the author, and by the characters themselves. How are they used? What patterns of meaning do they reveal or suggest?
2. A remarkable feature of the narrative is its use of inset texts. Examine the two from today's reading, the section from Adamson's journal and the story of Cupid and Psyche. What is the relationship between these inset texts and the main narrative? What is their significance?
3. "Morpho Eugenia" is written in the tradition of historical fiction, narrative fiction that is meant to "realize" the past by representing it both vividly and accurately. Consider the following questions related to this goal:

Writing assignment due today(1pm): Answer one of the focus questions from 9/5 or 9/7 in a single paragraph (1/2 page maximum). Put the question at the top of the page.

Writing assignment due on 9/19 (1 pm): 1-page essay: Choose a scene from the novella and argue for its importance in the narrative and/or for a theme that Byatt is developing.

Reading: Morpho Eugenia pp. 84-end.

Focus questions:

• Consider the two major inset texts of the second half of the novella, Adamson's book (pp. 113-115, 116-120, 127-133) and the long fairy tale that Matty Crompton writes (pp. 137-160). Consider what the main concern of each text is and develop an argument for its importance as a parallel to the main narrative.

• Consider Harald Alabaster's writings and Adamson's response as an example of the philosophical/religious conflict brought about by Darwin's work.

• Consider the developing relationship between Adamson and Matty Crompton during the second half of the novella. How is this used to drive the narrative forward? What insights does it give you with respect to the position of women during this time?

9/19 -- Angels and Insects -- film based on Morpho Eugenia

We will meet at the usual time to discuss this film. Please send in a question for discussion. Times for viewing will be announced.

Focus questions:

1. How has the effect of the narrative been altered by its presentation in this form? What aspects are weakened? Strengthened?
2. What qualities of the characters have the actors brought to their performances that are their own invention (i.e., not those of A.S. Byatt)?

Writing assignment due today (1pm): 1-page essay: Choose a scene from the novella and argue for its importance in the narrative and/or for a theme that Byatt is developing.

Writing assignment due on 9/26 (1 pm): Complete the assignment on the last page of the "Exercise on Citation and Paraphrase" handout. Use the text section on pages 108-9 of the Evolution of Racism, beginning with the last paragraph "Herbert Spencer was among . . ." and ending with " . . . natural selection would act mechanically." Your four paragraphs together do NOT have to constitute a paper; in fact, they may attempt to summarize the same aspect of the excerpt. Each may also focus on a subset of the excerpt, as you see fit. Please use the MLA style for citation and referencing your source.

9/21 -- Chapters 4 and 5 of Shipman's The Evolution of Racism.

"Advice for students on citation and scholarship" by Judy Hunter (handout)

"Exercise on citation and scholarship" by Judy Hunter (Handout)

These chapters consider the acceptance of Darwin's theory in Germany, highlighting the roles of Rudolph Virchow and Ernst Haeckel.

1. Shipman paints a sharp contrast between the nature of science, scientific society, and the nature of politics in England and Germany. Characterize these differences and consider their importance to the way in which Darwinism became accepted in Germany.
2. At the end of Chapter 5, Shipman states, "Between them, Virchow and Haeckel defeated empirical science in Germany altogether." Evaluate this claim critically. Were they bad scientists? Were they different types of scientists? How did their political convictions influence with their scientific philosophies, or, conversely, did their philosophies determine their political views?

9/26 -- Chapts 6 and 7 of The Evolution of Racism, and excerpts from Darwin's Descent of Man [Handout]

1. Characterize Darwin's views of human racial variation, as depicted in these excerpts, in light of the use of evolutionary arguments in favor of racial differences.

2. In Chapt. 6, Shipman traces the origins of the eugenics movement in England and America and its ties to ideas of "Social Darwinism." What features of Spencer's social philosophy are tied directly to Darwinian principles? Which features are not derived from Darwin, and what might be their origins? Consider carefully the logic of Galton, Pearson and other eugenicists arguments as they move from descriptions of human similarities across generations to social policy. What assumptions do they make? Are they defensible at all?

3. Why was the social outcome of the eugenics movement so much more extreme in Germany than in England or America (or was it)? Consider the different political conclusions drawn from eugenic principles, as well as economic and historical factors.

Writing assignment due today (1pm): Complete the assignment on the last page of the "Exercise on Citation and Paraphrase" handout. Use the text section on pages 108-9 of the Evolution of Racism, beginning with the last paragraph "Herbert Spencer was among . . ." and ending with " . . . natural selection would act mechanically." Your four paragraphs together do NOT have to constitute a paper; in fact, they may attempt to summarize the same aspect of the excerpt. Each may also focus on a subset of the excerpt, as you see fit. Please use the MLA style for citation and referencing your source.

Writing assignment due on 10/3 (1 pm): Find a popular article (from a magazine or newspaper op-ed page) from the last five years that addresses some aspect of the biology of racial differences. Summarize the article in 1-2 paragraphs.

9/28 -- Chapts. 8 and 9 of The Evolution of Racism.

1. In Chapt 8, Shipman characterizes the response of some evolutionary biologists to social Darwinist views of racial differences. What is the basis of Huxley and Haddon's critique of racial biology?
2. Identify the key differences that split biology in the early part of the twentieth century, as well as the breakthroughs that reunited them. How was this "New Synthesis" view of evolution distinct from a purely Darwinian view (i.e., why is it called "neo-Darwinism")?
3. Chapter 9 chronicles the first post-war attempts to fashion a scientific response to the excesses of racial biology of the first half of the century. What new conflicts did this episode illuminate? What are the roots of the conflicts?

10/3 — Chapts. 10, 11 and 12 of The Evolution of Racism.

• In chapter 10, Shipman describes conflicts over the understanding of human diversity by focussing on Carleton Coon and portraying him as caught between the opposing camps of Harvard physical anthropologists (Hooton and Sheldon) and the anti-racist evolutionists of the New Synthesis (Washburn, Montagu and Dobzhansky). What are some of the scientific errors made by the Harvard anthropologists? In Shipman's view, why is Coon unjustifiably ignored? Do you agree?

• Contrast Dobzhansky's view of human evolution with Coon's. Shipman is very openly advocating the position that Coon's was a reasonable theory that deserved consideration. Do you agree with this?

• Consider Dobzhansky's statement "It is the duty of a scientist to prevent misuse and prostitution of his findings." Marshall arguments both for and against this position.

Writing assignment due today (1pm): Find a popular article (from a magazine or newspaper op-ed page) from the last five years that addresses some aspect of the biology of racial differences. Summarize the article in 1-2 paragraphs.

Writing assignment due on 10/10 (1 pm): Write a two-page essay that critiques the article you found last week. Assume your reader has NOT read the text of the article. In writing your essay, consider the relationship between today's debate about the biology of racial differences and that of the last 150 years.

10/5 -- Chapts 13, 14 and epilogue of The Evolution of Racism.

• Consider the story told in chapters 13 and 14 in light of the article you have selected for your paper. Are there common threads between this reading the one you've chosen? Be prepared to discuss your article with the rest of the class.

• In the Epilogue, Shipman reviews some recent developments in human genetics and evolutionary biology in attempt to illustrate the value of the study of human variation. Are you convinced by her argument that we can do so AND avoid the traps of racism and typological thinking? Or do you agree "there are types of research that shouldn't be done?"

Charles Darwin. 1871. Excerpts from The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex

Herbert Spencer. 1893. The Rights of Women. Chapter 20 from The Principles of Ethics.

G. Ferrero. 1894. The problem of woman, from a bio-sociological point of view. The Monist 4: 261-274.

James Weir. 1895. The effect of female suffrage on posterity. American Naturalist 29:815-825.

Please read carefully and send me a question for discussion. Make sure the question is interpretative, rather than a "factual." Our discussion will be based on the best questions submitted.

Writing assignment due today (1pm): Write a two-page essay that critiques the article you found last week. Assume your reader has NOT read the text of the article. In writing your essay, consider the relationship between today's debate about the biology of racial differences and that of the last 150 years.

Writing assignment due on 10/24 (1 pm): No assignment due this week.

10/12

Antoinette Brown Blackwell. 1875. Sex and Evolution. From The Sexes throughout Nature. (handout).

Please read carefully and send me a question for discussion. Make sure the question is interpretative, rather than a "factual." Our discussion will be based on the best questions submitted.

Smuts, B. 1992. Male aggression against women: an evolutionary perspective. Human Nature: 3:1-44.

In response to a long history of biological justification for restrictive gender roles, many feminists (male and female) prefer to assume that aspects of human behavior are primarily controlled by culture, i.e., by learning in specific environments, and are therefore not explainable by Darwinian logic. Yet, there are a growing number of biologists and anthropologists (male and female) who study evolution of human behavior while considering themselves "feminists." Consider how Barbara Smuts approaches the study of male aggression as an example of this sort of biologist. How does she handle the problem of evolutionary (biological) vs. cultural explanations of behavior?

Writing assignment due today (1pm): No assignment due.

Writing assignment due on 10/31 (1 pm): Write a two-page critique on a popular or scholarly article that considers the biology of sex differences. You should turn in a copy of your article with your paper, but assume your reader has NOT read the text of the article. In your paper, you should consider the historical genesis of the arguments (where do the ideas come from?), as well as considering their logical and/or factual basis. In order to do this well, you may find it necessary to cite references beyond the article or the texts we consider in class.

Buss, D.M. 1994. The strategies of human mating. American Scientist 82: 238-249. (handout)

Small, M. F. 1992. The evolution of female sexuality and mate selection in humans. Human Nature: 3:133-156. (on reserve in Science Library).

Focus question:

Both articles examine human mating from an evolutionary perspective, but do they come to the same conclusions? Develop a list of similarities and differences in the assumptions behind hypotheses and the tests of these hypotheses described by the authors. On what basis can you evaluate the different authors' claims about human mating and sexuality?

Dawkins, R.D. Excerpts from The Blind Watchmaker, pp. 78-90.

Bateson, G. Excerpts from Steps to an Ecology of Mind and Mind and Nature, pp. 91-96.

Jacob, F. Excerpts from The Possible and the Actual, pp. 97-101.

Margulis, L., and M. McMenamin. Excerpts from Marriage of Convenience, pp. 102-109.

Corning, P. Excerpts from The Synergism Hypothesis: A Theory of Progressive Evolution pp. 109-118.

Focus question: We are now going to turn towards the consideration of the meaning of evolution, in order to see how people reconcile (or don’t) scientific with religious views of the world. In today’s reading we see a variety of attempts to characterize the evolutionary process through metaphor. What are the consequences of these various metaphors on one’s view of the evolutionary process and its results? Assuming that the authors describe biological details accurately, why do they arrive at different views of the evolutionary process? Does it reflect a bias? a different philosophical perspective?

Writing assignment due today (1pm): Write a two-page critique on a popular or scholarly article that considers the biology of sex differences. See last assignment sheet for details.

Writing assignment due on 11/7 (9 am): Your assignment for this week is a trial 4-year plan. The goal of this exercise is NOT to lock you into 4 years of courses, but to have you confront the roadblocks to crafting your potential course of study. You will have to choose a trial major, and perhaps a concentration, and make sure you can complete their requirements. You may also want to choose an off-campus program, usually done during your junior year. Use the college catalogue to set up the plan. After you have come up with a 4-year plan, go back to this year's course schedule (Fall and Spring) and see if you can take all the classes you've listed. If there is a conflict, choose a different class.

Focus question: Today’s readings focus on the role of will, or volition, in evolutionary change. What creates the appearance of progressive or willful change? In what ways can organisms’ behavior influence evolutionary change? Does this mean that evolution can be progressive? purposeful?

Week 11 -- Progressive evolution

Please make an appointment to see me during one of my advising times (posted outside my door). Your assignment for this week, due by Tuesday 11/7 at 9 am or earlier (if you sign up for a Monday appointment), is a trial 4-year plan. The goal of this exercise is NOT to lock you into 4 years of courses, but to have you develop an appreciation of potential roadblocks to crafting your ideal course of study. You will have to choose a trial major, and perhaps a concentration, and make sure you can complete their requirements. You may also want to choose an off-campus program, usually done during your junior year. Make sure you can answer all the questions on the accompanying sheet as well.

After you have come up with a 4-year plan, go back to this year's course schedule (Fall and Spring) and see if you can take all the classes you've listed. If there is a conflict, choose a different class. When you come in for your appointment, we'll discuss your plan and sign you up for Spring semester classes. Have fun!

Writing assignment due on 11/14: Submit 3 questions for a survey whose goal is to understand people’s views of the mechanisms and meanings of evolution. These questions may deal with any aspect of evolution we’ve discussed (e.g., racism, sex, metaphors, religious belief, etc.). Don’t try to do everything in one question! After you compose each question, explain the reasoning behind its construction: What are you trying to find out? How are you gaining this knowledge with (hopefully) the least ambiguity? Use the Web Page to submit your survey questions by 7:30 am. I’ll also want discussion question submitted for the same day.

Teilhard de Chardin, P. Excerpts from The Phenomenon of Man, pp. 145-164.

Huxley, J. Excerpts from New Bottles for New Wine, pp. 165-175.

Focus questions:

Today’s readings represent two attempts to reconcile evolutionary biology with grander views of the cosmos and human beings’ place in it. Barlow describes Huxley’s view as "akin to Teilhard’s -- but absent God." What are the other distinctions between their views? Try to identify in Teilhard’s writing connections to his theological views -- would you describe them as typically Christian? typically Catholic? Try to identify in Huxley’s writings the influences of his liberal political views, remembering Huxley’s role in the anti-Nazi and anti-racist campaigns. Do each of these writers present a coherent and/or appealing belief system? Could (or do) these systems form the center of religious/ethical movement, i.e., a belief system shared by a social group? Why or why not?