Readings:
Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, Chapters 4-6, 14
Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, chapters 1-4, 11
Evelyn Fox Keller, The Century of the Gene, Introduction and chapter 1
Assignment:
We will divide into half again. Half the people will post on the question of whether the ideas of variation and selection, as set out by Darwin, can be made to apply to culture, and how. The other hald will post their ideas on whether the ideas of the meme as set out by Dawkins in chapter 11 can be used to apply to culture, and if so, how.
In class:
First hour, discuss the readings and the postings.
2nd hour: further discussion: Do Dawkins's ideas explain Yanomamo behavior in the following areas: