Syllabus (PDF)

Course Description

In the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin gave us a model for understanding how natural objects and systems can evidence design without positing a designer: how purpose and mechanism can exist without intelligent agency. Texts in this course deal with pre- and post-Darwinian treatment of this topic within literature and speculative thought since the eighteenth century. We will give some attention to the modern study of 'feedback mechanisms' in artificial intelligence. Our reading will be in Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Darwin, Butler, Hardy, H. G. Wells, and Turing. There will be about 100 pages of weekly reading--sometimes fewer, sometimes more.

We will concern ourselves mainly with four topics.

1. The first topic is William Paley's problem: Does the existence of design (organized, self-sustaining, or self-reproducing systems) argue that there is a designer or organizer, an intelligent agency responsible for its creation?
2. The second topic is Daniel Dennett's and John Searle's problem: Can such allegedly 'designed' systems be credited with intelligence themselves?
3. The third topic concerns the place of Darwin's Origin and his idea of Natural Selection in the course of debates on the first two problems.
4. The fourth topic is the implication of Darwin and Darwinism for ideas of nature and of mankind's place therein, as well as collateral, and often independent, manifestations of such 'undesigned' worlds in literary texts.

The materials in this course offer a mixture of discursive and narrative texts dealing with a variety of evolutionary issues. In this class, we read what many thinkers and writers have had to say about one of the great human questions: how the realm we call 'nature' defines our existence. Your reading and discussion of authors who have considered this question will help provide you with a historical foundation for understanding a rich literary tradition, as well as many assumptions held by people in contemporary industrial cultures.

Class Format: Two 1.5 hour general meetings, with in-class discussion of readings and exploration of issues raised by them. Discussion will be our main means of exploring the class topic. Class participation will count. In order to promote discussion, I will also break the class down into small discussion groups from time to time. I expect every student to contribute to class discussions. Because most of our classes will be spent discussing the readings, keeping up with your reading is extremely important. This class has been designated a communication-intensive class by the Hass-D Committee. The class will place additional emphasis on writing and speaking, with extensive revision of two of your essays (No. 2 and 4). The other two essays (No. 1 and 3) may be revised for a higher grade within one week after they have been returned to you. You will also be asked to give two short class presentations. Grades will be based on four 1-page summaries (10%), two short talks (10%), and four 5-page essays (80%). Class participation will be factored in to your final grade as a plus, minus, or neutral. Late papers will be penalized unless extensions are granted well in advance of the paper deadline. Extensions will not be granted except in emergency situations. Class attendance is required. There will be no final exam in the class.