Humanities 1911 Syllabus 2021-2022 PDF

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1911 Syllabus 2021-2022 including assignment details...

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Humanities/Faculty of Arts York University

Course Outline F/W 2021/22

HUMA 1911 9.0 DARWIN, EINSTEIN AND THE HUMANITIES

Course Directors:

Prof. Bernard Lightman ([email protected]) 046 McLaughlin College 416 736 2100 x22028 Prof. Katharine Anderson ([email protected]) 231 Founders College 416 736 2100 x22026

Tutorial Leaders: Su Huai ([email protected]; Tutorial 1)

2 Bernard Lightman ([email protected]; Tutorial 2) Amanda Hohmann ([email protected]; Tutorial 3) Chandni Vadhavana ([email protected]; Tutorial 4)

Times and locations: Please note that this is a remote learning course until the health crisis has passed, with the exception of the two in-person tutorials. The course, including the submission of assignments, participation/discussion and test-taking, will take place on the course’s Moodle. Some on campus may take place in winter term, as public health guidelines and instructor and student availability allows. Here are the tutorial times: Tutr 01. Fridays 10:30-12:30 [in person] HNE 034 Tutr 02. Mondays 10:30-12:30 [in person]. Ross S130 Tutr 03. Fridays 12:30-2:30 [remote] Tutr 04. Tuesdays 4:30-6:30 [remote] The lecture components of the course (short videos, audio files, and any activities connected to these) will be asynchronous. These materials will be posted on the E-Class site and students are expected to view the relevant materials for each week’s tutorial, and use the activities assigned to prepare for that tutorial. Attending tutorial meetings is crucial to success in the course. Attendance is not optional. The tutorials are discussion classes. Tutorials 01 and 02 will be conducted in person, and tutorials 03 and 04 will be conducted on zoom (remotely). Course webpage: E-Class Technical requirements for taking the course: Several platforms will be used in this course (e.g., E-Class, Zoom, etc.) through which students will interact with the course materials, the course director/TA, as well as with one another. Please review this syllabus to determine how the class meets (in whole or in part), and how office hours and presentations will be conducted. Students shall note the following:  Zoom is hosted on servers in the U.S.  In addition to watching the weekly lecture videos on your own, you must prepare for and attend a weekly class called a tutorial. Tutorials in HUMA 1911 are discussions that require your active participation. They are not lectures: they

3 involve exchange and dialogue with your classmates. Because they are collaborative, your virtual presence, with camera on, is necessary for this aspect of the course. To preserve a fair collaborative environment where students can exchange their views and experiment with ideas, these meetings will NOT be recorded. Unless there are exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances we expect to see you at this weekly live zoom meeting. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the class. If you miss a tutorial discussion, you should contact your tutorial leader to explain, and either show up for office hours the following week, or request an individual meeting as necessary with your instructor to catch up. In the first weeks of the course, we will discuss how to prepare for these discussions, how to involve yourself, and what to do if you have questions or concerns. Please review the technology requirements and FAQs for Moodle. You will need a stable, higher-speed Internet connection, and a computer with webcam and microphone, in order to participate in tutorial meetings, that will take place on Zoom. The materials for lectures (e.g. videos) will be available on the E-Class website. Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help: Zoom@YorkU Best Practices Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide Computing for Students Website Student Guide to eLearning at York University To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run. Organization of the course: This course is divided into weekly modules that are composed of lecture materials and a discussion (aka tutorial). Lecture materials will be pre-recorded and asynchronous, meaning that you will view them whenever you wish, depending on when they are posted on the E-Class website and when they need to be seen in preparation for your tutorial. Tutorial are synchronous, meaning that they will take place at the specified time on Zoom. As a general rule, readings for the tutorials should be done after viewing the lectures and accompanying lecture material and before the tutorial takes place. The lecture materials introduce you to the readings for the tutorial for that week. Course webpage: E-Class course site. Virtual office hours: Tutorial leaders with inform you of their office hours, likely to be held on Zoom.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

4 This course is concerned with the origins and impact of the ideas of two of the most influential scientists of the modern era, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein. Utilizing a variety of sources including scientific texts, art, literature, the periodical press, and relevant secondary sources, we will develop a better understanding of how science and culture interact while we acquire the critical reading, thinking, and writing skills that enable us to engage these materials at a deeper level. In the first half of the course, we will focus on Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. We begin by examining the intellectual, cultural and social roots of Darwin's scientific thought, followed by discussion of his The Origin of Species (1859) and the controversy it engendered. From there, we move on to investigate the impact of key Darwinian themes on notions of gender, literature, religion, politics, and philosophy. The second half of the course will center on Einstein's theory of relativity, focusing first on its origins in the cultural, intellectual, and social milieu of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe. Then we will focus on Einstein’s impact on the humanities, including such topics as the nature of space and time, quantum theory and probabilistic methods, the world of science fiction, and the development and subsequent global impact of the nuclear bomb. We will also consider how scientists have been depicted in popular culture by comparing movies from the Cold War era and today.

Course readings The majority of the material to be read will be posted in digital form on the E-Class website or it will be available in electronic form on the York library website. There is one book you will need to obtain from the York University Bookstore or another source, such as the second-hand bookstores websites abebooks Canada or Book Depository.com: Matthew Stanley. Einstein’s War: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I (New York: Dutton, 2019). We will use this book as our main guide to Einstein’s life and work in the first half of the second term. You will be expected to read about 2 chapters a week. It’s a good idea to get started on this biography over the December break. Evaluation. Assessment Assignment 1—letter analysis Assignment 2—Origin of Species quote analysis Assignment 3—Analysis of Darwin’s Descent of Man

Due date October 3rd, 2021

Value (% of final grade) 5%

October 24th, 2021

10%

Nov. 14th, 2021

10%

5 Assignment 4—Analysis of passage from The Time Machine Fall term exam

November 28th, 2021

10%

Take home exam, due date during December exam period TBA Tutorial for week of January 10, 2022 Sunday, February 20 (the beginning of reading week) Sunday, March 13

15%

Assignment 5—Darwin 10% artefact exercise Assignment 6— 15% Assignment on Einstein’s War Assignment 7— 10% Assignment on Merton and Einstein Monday April 11, 2022 15% Assignment 8 Final (officially the last day to project: comparative submit term work) analysis of science and scientists in the movies Note: See the E-Class website Darwin assignments section for information on the “Golden Ticket” option, which allows you a 48 hour extension on any one of the fall term essays. Academic honesty and integrity In this course, we strive to maintain academic integrity to the highest extent possible. Please familiarize yourself with the meaning of academic integrity by completing SPARK’s Academic Integrity module at the beginning of the course. Please also review the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. Breaches of academic integrity range from cheating to plagiarism (i.e., the improper crediting of another’s work, the representation of another’s ideas as your own, etc.). All instances of academic dishonesty in this course will be reported to the appropriate university authorities. We know students never sign up for a course intending to behave dishonestly. Plagiarism can sometimes occur because tasks and academic practices are unfamiliar to you. Deliberate plagiarism and cheating occurs when students become overwhelmed by multiple assignments, or overwhelmed by anxiety, and seek shortcuts. If you are becoming stressed about your work in this course, reach out to your instructor for an individual conversation. The goal of each instructor in this course is to help students succeed; to achieve that, we need to hear from you as concerns build, not after they are already mountains. Please note the following important date for Fall/Winter 2021-22:  For both full-year (Y) and Fall-term (F) courses, classes will start on September 8, 2021. Winter-term (W) classes will start on January 10, 2022.

6   

Reading Week will occur between October 9 and 15 2021 in the Fall term, and between February 19 and 25, 2022 in the Winter term. The last date to submit term work is December 7 in the Fall term, and April 11 in the Winter term. December 8 is Fall Study Day. The formal exam period in the Fall will run from December 9 to 23, 2021. The Winter exam period will run from April 12 to 29, 2022. Please note we do not have a exam in this course during the April exam period; we do have a take-home exam due in the December exam period (date TBA).

Schedule of readings and activities Fall Term 2021 Fall Term Week 1: Week of September 8 - 10

Week 2: Sept. 13 -17

Lecture: 1. Introduction to the Course* [Please view introductory lecture before your first tutorial. Friday tutorials begin to first meet on Sept. 10, Monday tutorial on Sept. 13, and Tuesday tutorial on Sept. 14] 2. Critical Skills: Primary and Secondary Sources

Reading(s): none. Tutorials will have introductory meeting. Lecture Title: World Explorations Part 1. The Beagle Voyage Part 2. Darwin as Observer Part 3. Darwin as Ethnographer Reading(s): Excerpts from Darwin’s Journal of Researches

Week 3: Sept. 20 – 24

Lecture: Darwin’s Delay: After the Beagle Part 1. Intro: After the Beagle Part 2. Theorizing Natural Selection Part 3. Delaying Publication Part 4. Critical Skills: Analysing Letters, Part 1 Part 5. Critical Skills: Analysing Letters, Part 2 Accompanying Lecture Materials: 1) Video on “Getting to Know Darwin’s Science,” https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/learning/universities/getting-knowdarwins-science Reading(s): Selected Darwin letters from 1838-1859 To J.D. Hooker, 11 Jan. 1844. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCPLETT-729.xml To W.D. Fox 29 April [1851]. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?

7 docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1425.xml;query=Annie;brand=default To Charles Lyell. 18 [June 1858] https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/? docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2285.xml;query=Lyell%201858;brand=default To T.H. Huxley. 28 December [1859]. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT2611.xml;query=Huxley%201859;brand=default Assignment 1 given out (letter analysis)—due Sunday October 3rd Week 4: Sept. 27 – Oct. 1

Lecture: The Origin of Species Accompanying Lecture Materials: Part 1. The Origin of Species Part 1 Part 2. The Origin of Species Part 2 Part 3. Interview with Professor Janet Browne Part 4. Critical Skills Lecture: Quote Analysis Reading(s): Concluding Chapter from Darwin. 1860. On the Origins of Species, second edition (London: John Murray)

Week 5: Oct. 4 - 8

Lecture: Victorian Responses to Darwin Part 1. Religion, Science, and the Origin Part 2. Darwin’s Opponents, Darwin’s Defenders Part 3. Post-Origin Debates Part 4. Critical Skills lecture: building an argument Accompanying Lecture Materials: Jon Topham, “Biblical Herbarium,” from the Leeds “History and Philosophy of Science in 20 Objects” Readings: Huxley. “Darwin on the Origin of Species” Sedgwick. "Objections to Mr. Darwin'sTheory of the Origin of Species" Assignment 2 given out (short quote analysis section from the Origin)—due October 24th

Week 6: Oct. 11 -15 Week 7: Oct. 18 -22

Reading Week (no classes) Lecture: The Darwinian Worldview Part 1. The Conservative Darwinians Part 2. The Radical Darwinians Part 3. Critical Skills: Controlling Questions, Devising Outlines and Presenting Evidence

8 Week 8: Oct. 25 29

Reading: Allen, “Evolution” Lecture: Naturalizing Human Kind Part 1. Evolution of the Human Mind and Body Part 2. Darwin’s Human Books Part 3. Sexual Selection and the “Woman Question” Part 4. Critical Skills: Close Readings Accompanying Lecture Materials: 1) Video on “Face of Emotion” by Paul White https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/tags/video Video on Darwin and Women https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/tags/video Reading: Selections from Darwin’s The Descent of Man

Week 9: Nov. 1 - 5

Assignment 3 handed out (analysis of Darwin’s Descent of Man) and due Nov. 14 Lecture: Darwin and Race Part 1. Darwin and Race Part 1 Part 2. Darwin and Race Part 2 Part 3. Interview with Professor Greg Radick Part 4. Critical Skills: Reading Fiction Part 1 Reading: Haag, “The Secret Photos of Professor Agassiz”

Week 10: Nov. 8 12

Lecture: Evolution and Victorian Culture Part 1. Evolution and Victorian Culture Part 1 Part 2. Evolution and Victorian Culture Part 2 Part 3. Interview with Oliver Gaycken Part 4. Critical Skills: Reading Fiction Part 2 Accompanying Lecture Materials: Video “Man’s Genesis” (D. W. Griffith, 1912) Reading: Gaycken. “Early Cinema and Evolution” in Evolution and Victorian Culture, 94-120 [e copy on library website: https://doiorg.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/10.1017/CBO9781139236195]

Week 11: Nov. 15 -19

Lecture: Degeneration and Evolution Part 1. Degeneration and Evolution Part 1 Part 2. Degeneration and Evolution Part 2 Part 3. Degeneration of Evolution Part 3 Part 4. Critical Skills: Creating an Essay Outline

9 Reading: H. G. Wells, The Time Machine [e-book on library website] Assignment 4 handed out (analysis of passage from The Time Machine) due Nov. 28 Lecture: Darwin in Modern Politics Part 1. Darwin in Modern Politics Part 1 Part 2. Darwin in Modern Politics Part 2 Part 3. Interview with Ron Numbers Part 4. Critical Skills: Proofreading

Week 12: Nov. 22 - 26

Readings: Selections from Michael Behe. 1996. Darwin’s Black Box Robert Dorit. “Molecular Evolution and Scientific Inquiry, Misperceived.” Lecture: Darwin as Icon Part 1. Darwin as Icon, part 1 Part 2. Darwin as Icon, part 2 Part 3. How to approach the artefact assignment

Week 13: Nov. 29 – Dec 3

Reading: Janet Browne, "Looking at Darwin: Portraits and the Making of an Icon," volume 100, *Isis* (September 2009), 542-570. [In the Focus Section on "Darwin as a Cultural Icon"] Assignment 5 handed out (Darwin artefact exercise)—due in Tutorial week of January 10th Winter Term 2022 Schedule of Lectures, readings and assignments Overview: Your presentation on Darwin artefact is due in tutorial meetings during the first week of term (10%). Your assignment on Einstein’s War is due Sunday, February 20 (15%). Your essay on Merton is due by Sunday Mar 13 (10%). Your essay analyzing the representation of the scientist in film is due Apr 11 (15%). Week 1: Jan. 10-14

Lecture: From Darwin to Einstein This week your lecture welcomes you back to second term and provides a re-orientation to HUMA 1911, including an overview of your term’s work. For tutorial: Your presentation of your Darwin artefacts. This short oral presentation is worth 10% of your grade. You should have

10 already chosen your artefact and thought about the points you want to make. This week, write a script, rehearse and time your delivery! For more details, see the video on the assignment posted in the last class of December. The first several pages of Janet Browne’s article on Darwin’s portraits is also an important resource, especially if you are wondering how to interpret your artefact. See further information on this assignment in the Darwin Assignments section of the e-class.

Week 2: Jan. 17-21

Week 3: Jan. 24-28

Week 4: Jan. 31-Feb. 4

Week 5: Feb. 7-11

Prepare for this term’s work by starting Matthew Stanley, Einstein’s War, 1-37 [prologue, chapter 1]. Lecture: Einstein and the 20th Century This week you have a lecture to watch (in three parts) that introduces Einstein’s biography and then examines the myths and the science surrounding his brain anatomy. You also have a short (6 minute) audio interview with Brian Burrell. Burrell is author of Postcards from the Brain Museum (NY: Broadway, 2005). Reading/discussion for tutorial: Matthew Stanley, Einstein’s War, 38-92 [chapters 2 & 3]. Lecture: Einstein’s World: Science, Philosophy and Religion This week’s materials deal with Einstein’s interest in philosophy and his various statements on religion and on his own religious beliefs. The lecture videos (two) and a documentary called “Closer to Truth: What is Philosophy of Science” will introduce you to these statements, and to key ideas and vocabulary of the philosophy of science. Reading/discussion: Albert Einstein, “Religion and Science (1930),” Ideas and Opinions (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1982), 36-40; Albert Einstein, "The World as I See It (1931)." Ideas and Opinions (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1982), 8-11. Lecture: Electrons, Atoms, Ether This week’s lecture (three parts) discusses the picture of the physical world in the period just before Einstein, in order to understand how Einstein both fit within this tradition and challenged it. To accompany the lecture, watch two short youtube videos: a) ether & light and b) Michelson-Morley experiment. Reading/discussion: Stanley, Einstein’s War, pp 93-132 [chapters 4 & 5] Lecture: Einstein and Relativity Theories This lecture (three parts) describes Einstein’s theory of special relativity and its impact. Your reading this week takes the story further by recounting how Einstein strove to develop a general theory

11 of relativity in Berlin amid the tumult of the middle of the first World War.

Week 6: Feb. 14-18

Reading/discussion: Stanley, Einstein’s War, pp.133-54 and pp.195223 [Chapter 6 & Chapter 9] Lecture: Uncertainty and Physics: Einstein and Bohr This week you have a lecture to watch (two parts), a youtube video of one scene from the play Copenhagen, and a short video documentary about the playwright Michael Frayn and this work. Reading/discussion: We will look at an essay explaining the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment, the infamous quantum reality puzzle by historian David Kaiser, "Life-and-Death When Nature Refuses to Select," Quantum Legacies: Dispatches from an Uncertain World (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020), 2938. As you read, focus on identifying argument – find Kaiser’s statement of his thesis in the introduction and in the conclusion.

Feb 19-25 Week 7: Feb.28 - Mar. 4

Week 8: Mar. 7-11

Week 9: Mar 14-18

OPTIONAL: a short video about Niels Bohr. READING WEEK no classes this week Your assignment on Stanley, Einstein’s War, is due Sunday, Feb 20. Lecture: Einstein and Politics This week you have a lecture (three parts) on Ei...