Week 1

Topic

Reading

Assignment
 

Opening Gambits
W 09/04 Introduction to the class None  
Week 2      
M 09/09 Discussion of Twilight Los Angeles You should have read it before the school year began  
W 09/11 The Sociobiological view of human behavior

Wilson, On Human Nature, Chapters 1 & 2

  
Week 3      
M 09/16 Ditto Aggression OHN: Chapter 5  
W 09/18 Open Day:
Science at Pitzer		 None First paper due
Week 4      
M 09/23 Sex!* OHN: Chapter 6  
W 09/25

Sociobiology of Religion*

 OHN: Chapter 8  
Week 5      
M 09/30 What is Science?
Traditional view*		 Popper, “Science: Conjectures and refutations"  
W 10/02 Traditionally-radical views
(Guest lecturer, Ken Howarth)		 Kuhn, Selection from Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Feyerabend, ""How to Defend Society from Science"		  
Week 6 An Existentialist Critique of the Press & the Internet
M 10/07 Kierkegaard, Father of Existentialism Kierkegaard, The Present Age, "Introduction" and beginning
of essay [pp. 9-59]		 First Argumentative Paper Due
W 10/09

Kierkegaard (cont.)*

 Kierkegaard, The Present Age [pp. 59 -86]  
Week 7      
M 10/14

Dreyfus, Philosopher of Technology*

 Dreyfus, On the Internet, Introduction, Chapters 1 & 3  
W 10/16 Dreyfus (cont.)* Dreyfus, On the Internet, Chapter 4 & Conclusion  
Week 8      
M 10/21 NO CLASS (Fall Break)    
W 10/23 Writing Workshop NONE Second Argumentative Paper due
Week 9 A Tale of Two Biologists
M 10/28

Watson & the Discovery of the Structure of DNA*

 Watson, The Double Helix [pp. 1-58]  
W 10/30

  Watson (cont.)*

 Watson, The Double Helix [pp. 58-91]  
Week 10      
M 11/04 Watson concluded, Rosalind Franklin,
and the Famous Paper Itself*		 Watson, The Double Helix [pp. 92-133, 153-158, 237-241]  
W 11/06 Keller on Barbara McClintock,
Situating her life & its importance*		 Keller, A Feeling for the Organism, "Forward," "Preface",
Chapters 1-3 [pp. xi-61]		  
Week 11      
M 11/11

McClintock:
Making discoveries, being ignored*

 Keller, A Feeling for the Organism, Chs. 4-8 [pp. 63-138]  
W 11/13

McClintock:
Finally...vindicated*

 Keller, A Feeling for the Organism, Ch. 9-12 [pp. 139-207]  
Week 12 Two Contemporary Biologists take a Critical Perspective on Their Own Discipline
M 11/18 Richard Lewontin, Marxist Biologist Lewontin, Biology as Idealogy, "A Reasonable Skepticism",
"All in the Genes?"		  
W 11/20 Lewontin (cont.)* Lewontin, Biology as Idealogy, "Causes and their effects" Critique Paper due
Week 13      
M 11/25 Lewontin on the Human Genome Project* Lewontin, Biology as Idealogy, "The Dream of the Human Genome",
"Science as Social Action"		  
W 11/27

Cancel for Turkey Day

 None Final Paper Prospectus due before you leave
Week 14      
M 12/02   Gould's Account of
Scientific Racism		 Gould, Mismeasure of Man, pp. 19-61 (Two Introductions)
& Chapter 5 (The Heriditarian Theory of IQ")		 Meeting with Moore class
W 12/04   Gould, Some conclusions* Gould, Chapter 7 & Epilogue ("A positive Conclusion",
"Critique of the Bell Curve" & "3 Centuries' Perspective..."		 Meeting with Moore class
Week 15      
M 12/09   Gould, Neuroscience & racism* Gould, Mismeasure of Man, Ch. 3.  
W 12/11 Conclusion None  
Finals     Final research paper due during Finals week