PHIL 319 Darwin and Design
This course aims to introduce students to the nature and implications of evolutionary theory, at both the scientific and philosophical levels. We will begin with one of the classic arguments from design, familiar to Darwin himself, before proceeding to Darwin's alternative in the Origin of Species. We will then read contemporary accounts of the impact of Darwin's theory on traditional, purposive ways of explaining biological phenomena, before proceeding to contemporary accounts of the status of function, design, and purpose in biological explanation. We then conclude with a discussion of the ethical and religious implications of Darwinian theory from the perspective of the present day. Enduring Questions addressed: (1) What does it mean to be human? What is our place in nature and the cosmos? (2) What does it mean to know? What and how much can we know? (3) What is the proper relationship between faith and reason?