136-329 Darwinism (Science 3)

Formerly available as 136-102/029. Students who have completed 136-102 or 136-029 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. Students cannot gain credit for both this subject and 136-102 before 1999 or 136-029 after 1998. Only available at science third year; for other levels, see 136-029 Darwinism. This subject is based on 136-029 but involves additional work.

Two second-year HPS subjects.

This subject explores the origins and the implications of Charles Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution by means of natural selection. It begins by examining the diverse sources from which the theory was constructed during the late 1830s: the geological data used to challenge Biblical stories of Creation and the Great Flood; the observations of plants and animals that began to suggest common descent; the evolutionary theories that preceded Darwin's; and the fraught socio-economic context that arguably helped inspire Darwin's vision of a natural world steeped in struggle. The course goes on to examine the reasons why Darwin delayed publishing for more than twenty years and the reception of his theory following the appearance of The Origin of Species in 1859. The course then charts how Darwin's basic theory was refined by successive generations of biologists. It also examines the application of evolutionary theory to questions of politics, warfare, colonialism, economics, as well as race, class and gender, during the late 19th and 20th centuries. The course concludes with a discussion of Darwin's legacy both in terms of the relationship between science and religion, and the emergence of evolutionary approaches to understanding human mind and behaviour.

• develop skills in written and oral communication;

• conduct independent research;

• make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument;

• form defensible judgements based on a critical evaluation of conflicting arguments.

A tutorial assignment of 1500 words 25% (due mid-semester), a long essay of 3000 words 50% and a 1500-word project on an advanced topic related to the subject but not covered in classroom teaching 25% (both due at the end of semester).

• P J Bowler, Evolution: the history of an idea. (3rd ed) University of California Press 2003.