- Evolution in America: Innovations, Idiosyncrasies and Blind Spots

Institution:

The Evergreen State College

Subject:

Description:

Faculty: Bret Weinstein (biology), Nancy Koppelman (American studies) Major areas of study include biology, history of technology, American studies and philosophy of science. Class Standing: This Core program is designed for freshmen. The theory of evolution is the central organizing principle of all modern biology. Since the publication of Charles Darwin's masterwork, The Origin of Species (1859), this theory has come to affect explanations in a wide range of cultural arenas, from the technological to the social. Cultures certainly change; are we correct to say that they "evolve" This program will look simultaneously at the nature of biological evolution, and at patterns of technological, social and cultural change that have unfolded over three centuries of American history. We will learn Darwin's theory and study its influence. We will ask how evolutionary processes and explanations have shaped how people live, work, engage in politics, understand history and social change, address social problems, think creatively, grapple with human limitations, and incorporate new inventions and technologies into everyday life. We will study theories of change from competing epistemological approaches, consider their sources of authority, and learn how to evaluate them. With modernizing and contemporary life in the United States as our context, we will examine ideas about colonialism, race, inheritance, wealth, poverty and gender, for example, in an effort to see how evolutionary theory interacts with other ways of explaining change over time. We will study the development of certain technologies, forms of social organization, and cultural meanings as 'model systems.' We will try to understand how the American social and economic environment has shaped their trajectory. For example, the invention of the automobile, the abolition of slavery, and the extension of equal rights to women can be seen as outcomes of evolutionary processes. But are they What difference does it make how we explain these important historical developments We will be especially interested in understanding abiding American "blind spots," such as our historically inadequate efforts to protect the environment, the development of an unsustainable scale of consumerism, and the pervasiveness of a market mentality. We will think about the strengths and weaknesses of the human mind to comprehend the meaning of what people do, such as inventing new technologies and using natural resources. We'll consider the possibility that people have cultural predispositions to recognize certain opportunities and to overlook particular hazards. We will ponder the particular idiosyncrasies of Americans-a people with an abiding belief in progress and the value of an ever-rising standard of living-as we have created our history, and now anticipate our future. Authors may include Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Chandler Burr, Mary Shelley, Jared Diamond and Richard White. Student writing will focus on analyzing and evaluating theoretical, expository, scientific and literary texts, and learning how to make persuasive and interesting arguments for informed and thoughtful points of view. This program is an excellent choice for students who have a desire to learn about and understand the making of modern American society. Total: 16 credits each quarter. Enrollment: 46 Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in the social sciences, the sciences, and the humanities. This program is also listed under Society, Politics, Behavior and Change, Scientific Inquiry, Programs for Freshmen.

Credits:

16.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.evergreen.edu

Phone Number:

(360) 867-6170

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Quarter

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