COURSE INFORMATION
ENGLISH 404-01 / FALL 2009 / IMAGINING SCIENCE

BOOKS ORDERED FOR THE COURSE:

Philip Appleman, ed., Darwin (Norton)
Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate (Penguin)
Science, Evolution, and Creationism (National Academies of Science)
Elof Axel Carlson, Neither Gods nor Beasts: How Science Is Changing Who We Think We Are  (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press)
David Barash, Nanelle Barash, Madame Bovary’s Ovaries (Delta)
D.M. Thomas, The White Hotel (Penguin)
Toni Morrison, Beloved (Vintage)
Ian McEwan, Saturday  (Anchor)         

PAPERS:

Two essays.  The first, around 1200 words, will focus on materials from the first four weeks of the course.  The second, around 3000 words, can focus on any aspect of the course materials and should creatively apply evolutionary perspectives to literary works.  See schedule for due dates.

EXAMINATIONS:

One, an essay-style, do-at-home examination, focused mainly on Carlson, Pinker, and Slingerland.  Due in class on October 27.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Discussion-Leader-For-A-Day.  You’ll generate materials to provoke discussion for one class during the semester.  This will not take the form of a “report,” but should rather be a guide to the key points of the reading for the day.

GRADING:

First draft of Essay #1: 10%
Final draft of Essay #1: 15%
Do-at-home exam: 25%
Lead-the discussion: 10%
Essay #2: 35%
Attendance, participation, preparedness to discuss materials: 5%

OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS:

On the most straightforward level, this course is designed to help you explore, critique, and practice applications of Darwinian ideas to the study of literary texts, as this process is being dev eloped by several innovative literature-based thinkers.  In larger terms, it’s designed as a chance to consider how humanities disciplines can position themselves relative to biology, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science, and to reflect on (as Elof Carlson’s subtitle puts it) “how science is changing who we think we are.”  I see myself as a fellow explorer, not as an expert.  I expect us to work through the materials collaboratively, seriously, open-mindedly; I trust that the efforts you put into your essays will take you to genuinely new insights.

Reading Schedule