The Arrogant Ape

(4 Credits)

Darwin saw humans as part of the web of life, not the pinnacle of a natural hierarchy. Yet modern culture often treats humans as uniquely intelligent, virtuous, and successful—an outlook that legitimizes environmental exploitation. This course examines human exceptionalism as an ideology grounded more in delusion and faith than in evidence. We explore how this mindset has shaped scientific practice itself, influencing research questions, experimental designs, and interpretations in ways that privilege human traits. Through case studies in evolutionary theory, animal cognition, primatology, and related fields, students learn to identify bias, trace its historical roots, and engage with more humble, less anthropocentric scientific approaches.