FYS 1044 - Evolution and Identity in Science Fiction

Hours: 4
Since the mid-nineteenth century, Darwin’s theory of natural selection and other theories of evolution have been central to our understanding not only of the natural world, but of human nature and humanity’s place in the universe. In this class, we will examine evolutionary theories from Lamarck, Darwin, and Dawkins (and some offshoots of these theories, such as Social Darwinism, free market economics, and the meme) through the prism of science fiction and imaginative fiction. We will investigate ways that evolutionary theory informs our understanding of who we are (and who we are not) by framing how we think about identity and difference, nationalism and war, what constitutes an ideal society, and what the future might hold for humankind.

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FYS 1044 - Evolution and Identity in Science Fiction