HIST3853 - Charles Darwin: a life and times
Darwin as a young man.
Dr. Brian Regal
Professor for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
Department of History, LHAC 212
email: bregal@kean.edu
Course Description:
Examination of the career and world of Charles Darwin, founder of modern evolutionary biology. From student to naturalist author, the role of 19th century literature and culture in his work. The writing of On the Origin of Species.
Course Objectives:
Students will become familiar with the life, times and works of Charles Darwin. They will study the metamorphosis of the idea of transmutation--evolution--and how Darwin came to write On the Origin of Species, one of the most influential books in world civilization. Students will also gain experience using primary source documents, especially Darwin's voluminous correspondence and notebooks. Student's knowledge will be tested through a series of examinations and writing projects.
Darwin's Cambridge, the Gate of Honour, Gonville and Caius College
Primary focus:
During this course a major thread of thought will be explored. Anti-evolutionists often claim that Darwin’s theory of evolution is bad for society, that it makes people think they are animals, promotes race hatred, and that Darwin himself was a racist. While examining the general history of Darwin and his work the class will explore these issues to see if they have intellectual merit.
• Syllabus: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wt6dkhjo06cOxNjnevfNvP4IEAxL9SXQ/view?usp=sharing
NOTE: The syllabus is subject to change over the course of the semester.
The Darwin Correspondence
Burkhardt, Frederick ed. Origins: Selected Letters of Charles Darwin 1822-1859. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Burkhardt, Frederick ed. Evolution: Selected Letters of Charles Darwin 1860-1870. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Burkhardt, Frederick. The Correspondence of Charles Darwin Cambridge University Press.
Note: The Kean library has these volumes.
Kean shelf # QH31.D2 A4 1985
The letters also appear in an on-line form: http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/
Original manuscript version of Origin of Species:
http://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIntroductions/vanWyhe_Drafts_of_Origin_of_species.html
Primary textbooks
Adrian Desmond and James Moore. Darwin's Sacred Cause: race, slavery and the quest for human origins (Penguin Books, 2009).
Charles Darwin. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin - Introduction by Brian Regal (Barnes & Noble Books, 2005).
Power Point presentation: updated November, 2023
Chicago Manual of Style 9.22.2023
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pnF1h1AyvFZOg8biaZqpNA549qvL0aLr/view?usp=sharing
Additional required reading
• A brief history of Phrenology
• Darwin excerpt, Origin of Species
• Darwin's Struggle, documentary film (run time 1hr)
Supplemental Reading: strongly suggested, but not required
• Darwin's Emotions and Objectivity
• Review of Darwin's Sacred Cause
• Recently discovered Darwin letter at Cornell University
also-
Bowler, Peter. The Eclipse of Darwinism: anti-Darwinian evolution theories in the decades around 1900. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983.
Brooke, John Hedley. Science and Religion: some historical perspectives. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Browne, Janet. Darwin’s Origin of Species: a Biography. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006.
Desmond, Adrian and James Moore. Darwin: the life of a tortured evolutionist. (Warner Bros Books, 1991).
Keynes, Richard Darwin. Charles Darwin’s Zoology Notes & Specimen Lists from H.M.S. Beagle Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Regal, Brian. The Darwin Compendium. (Barnes & Noble Books, 2005).
Van Wyhe, John. Darwin in Cambridge. (Christ's College, 2009).
The HMS Beagle
On-Line Resources:
The Complete Library of Charles Darwin
http://darwin-online.org.uk/Complete_Library_of_Charles_Darwin.html
Darwin Manuscripts Project, American Museum of Natural History, New York. Hosted by my former doctoral advisor, Dr. David Kohn
http://www.amnh.org/our-research/darwin-manuscripts-project
All things Darwin including correspondence and diaries:
The Complete Darwin On-Line http://darwin-online.org.uk/
http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/
Downloadable Darwin texts
http://darwin-online.org.uk/majorworks.html
More great stuff The Dispersal of Darwin
Anti-slavery logo, 1790 Satirical anti-Darwin cartoon, late 19th century.
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