21L.448J / 21W.739J Darwin and Design, Fall 2009

Paradis, James

Author(s)

Paradis, James

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Alternative title

Darwin and Design

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Abstract

In the Origin of Species (1859), Charles Darwin gave us a model for understanding how natural objects and systems can evidence design without positing a designer: how purpose and mechanism can exist without intelligent agency. Texts in this course deal with pre- and post-Darwinian treatment of this topic within literature and speculative thought since the eighteenth century. We will give some attention to the modern study of feedback mechanisms in artificial intelligence. Our reading will be in Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Darwin, Butler, H. G. Wells, and Turing.

Date issued

2009-12

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/75798

Department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Literature Section; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. History Section; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Science, Technology and Society; MIT Program in Women's and Gender Studies; MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies

Other identifiers

21L.448J-Fall2009

local: 21L.448J

local: 21W.739J

local: IMSCP-MD5-1041e405f84bd7577d120e641ed7f891

Keywords

Origin of Species, Darwin, intelligent agency, literature, speculative thought, eighteenth century, feedback mechanism, artificial intelligence, Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Butler, Hardy, H.G. Wells, Freud, Evolution, Modern Western philosophy, Philosophy of science, Religion, Science, Life Sciences, Evolution, Philosophy & Social Aspects, History, Intelligent design,individual species, complexity, development, God theory of evolution, science, theological explanation, universe, creatures, faith, and theology, purpose of evolution, Design, models, adaptation

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