Search : Index : Faculty of Arts : History and Philosophy of Science
Prev 136-028 History of Astronomy
Next 136-031 Science, Philosophy and History
136-029 Darwinism | |
Note | Formerly available as 136-102. Students who have completed 136-102 Darwinism: Man, Woman and Nature in the History of Biology are not eligible to enrol in this subject. |
Availability | 1st year |
Credit Points | 12.5 |
Coordinator | Dr Mark Madison |
Semester | 2 (view timetable) |
Contact | Two 1-hour lectures and a 1-hour tutorial per week |
Subject Description | An exploration of the work of Charles Darwin and later theories of evolution in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The social and scientific background of evolutionary theories in Great Britain, Germany, the United States, and Australia will be compared. The relations between biological claims and social theories will be examined through topics including: social Darwinism, racial science, evolution of sex and gender, behaviourism, evolution of the mind, eugenics, sociobiology, environmentalism, and science and religion. The popular understanding of Darwinism through literature and films will also be explored. This subject should be of interest to any students who would like to learn more about the origins of the life sciences and themselves. |
Assessment | Three short essays of 500 words each, and a final essay of 1500 words, and a 1-hour class test. |
Prescribed Texts |
|
Search : Index : Faculty of Arts : History and Philosophy of Science
Prev 136-028 History of Astronomy
Next 136-031 Science, Philosophy and History
Status: Official 1999 Last Modified: Tuesday October 20 11:47 SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Technology Services Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email Enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au