Pitzer College
Psychology/Philosophy 130 - Monkey Business:
Continuing Controversies in Human Evolution
Spring, 2010

Here's the most pertinent information regarding the 'mechanics' of the course--We'll discuss additional details on the first day of class.

Class will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m
All class meetings will be held in Broad Hall, room 210.

David Moore's office hours will be on:

Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
and Wednesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Brian Keeley's office hours will be on:

Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and by appointment

And of course, both of us are happy to make individual appointments to talk with you at a time that's convenient for you, if you're unable to come in during our office hours.

THE POINT:

Ever since Darwin first posited a plausible mechanism for evolution 150 years ago, scientists and non-scientists alike have used his ideas to support their own concepts about the nature of human nature. Thus, although Darwin's theory is as well supported by empirical evidence as the best theories in any science, it remains controversial. Considering that his position can be very simply stated, his idea has turned out to be remarkably complex, allowing for disagreement among scientists about the particulars of the theory; in addition, some non-scientists--including some remarkably powerful political and theological lobbies--continue to resist the consensus of the scientists, producing the disagreements over Creationism and 'Intelligent' Design(ism) that continue to be discussed in the media and at both the highest levels of our government (the White House and Congress) and the lowest (local school boards). In class, we will examine the history, concepts, and philosophy behind Darwin's ideas, exploring in the process the fields of Evolutionary Psychology, Natural History, and Primatology, among others. We will also consider the relationship between development and evolution as we attempt to build an understanding of Natural Selection that is free of the confused notions that have become attached to it over the years. This course will leave you with a relatively sophisticated understanding of Darwin's insights about the origin of species, as well as a feel for some of the controversies that continue to produce debate today, in the academy and in society at large.

The BOOKS we'll be reading from in this course include:

   Appleman, P. (Ed., 2000). Darwin: The Norton Critical Edition (3rd ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Co. (NCE on the syllabus)

   Gould, S. J. (1992). Bully for brontosaurus: Reflections on natural history. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. (BB on the syllabus)

   Kitcher, P. (2007). Living with Darwin: Evolution, design, and the future of faith. New York: Oxford University Press. (LD on the syllabus)

THESE THREE BOOKS HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE BOOKSTORE. We will also be reading portions of other miscellaneous books and articles; copies of these readings will be made available on Pitzer's Sakai website.

Click here to return to the HOMEPAGE for Monkey Business
Click here to see the SYLLABUS for Monkey Business
Click here to see the REQUIREMENTS for Monkey Business
Click here to see the GOALS for Monkey Business
Click here to go to Brian Keeley's homepage
Click here to go to David Moore's homepage