HSEM2055V: Biology and Society: How Evolution Shapes Our Lives

Evolution is a contested idea in our society. However, in a very real sense, evolution shapes our lives. In order to understand both the controversy surrounding evolution and its impact on individuals and society, this course explores a variety of themes at the intersection of biology and philosophy and is co-taught by a biologist and philosopher of biology. We will investigate various dimensions of human evolution and applications of different evolutionary ideas to understanding ourselves with a special focus on health and disease. Then we turn to how humans alter or control the evolutionary process through domestication, conservation of species, and climate change. Finally, we look at the intersection of evolution and religion in the public sphere, the evolution of ideas about the human species (including questions about biological race realism), and how both culture and language evolve. We close the course by reflecting on what the future of human evolution might look like.

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