Pride and Prejudice in the Development of Scientific Theories

We will examine how the pace and shape of scientific progress is affected by the social/cultural context and the "personality" of the individual. We will look into how the interplay between society and the individual affects how scientific theories arise, are presented, are debated and are accepted. The course will initially focus on Charles Darwin and his theory of Natural Selection using the biography of Adrian Desmond and James Moore, "Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist." Enrollment limited to 19 first year students.