Module code: HST6404
Teaching Staff: Edmund Ramsden
Credits: 15
Module Convenor: Dr Ed Ramsden
The "Darwinian Revolution" is considered one of the major intellectual transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries. This module will explore the background, formation and consequences of Charles Darwin's work, placing it firmly in intellectual and social context, from the Age of Revolution through to more recent controversies regarding sociobiology, eugenics and biological racism. This module will focus on the shift from natural history to biology, on changing conceptions of evolution in France, Britain, Germany and the United States, and on the ways in which evolutionary ideas have challenged and influenced scientific, religious, political, and social thought.
Assessment: Book Review 25%, Research Essay 75% Level: 6