HTH 1002 History of Though II Spring 2017

1. Darwin
HTH 1002 History of Thought II
Kara Heitz

4. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
• Voyage of the Beagle (1831-1836)
• On the Origin of Species (1859)
• Theory of Evolution
• Mechanism: Natural Selection
• The Descent of Man (1871)
• Sexual Selection
• Applied evolution to humans

5. Darwin’s Encounter with
the Fuegians

6. Darwin’s Ideas and Racism
• Darwin & “savages”
• “Struggle for Existence”
• “Survival of the Fittest” (Alfred Wallace)
• Social Darwinism
• Eugenics

7. Essay #1 Questions:
• How did Enlightenment ideas continue to influence thinkers in the 19th century? And how did
these 19th century thinkers shift, altered, or even reject Enlightenment ideas? Pick two theorists -
Kant, Hegel, Marx, or Darwin - and compare/contrast their relationship to Enlightenment ideas.
Also, which thinker do you think better maintained the spirit of the Enlightenment, and why?
• Central to the thought of both Hegel and Marx is the notion of historical movement and the idea
of the End of History. How did both of these theorists view history and its possible endpoint?
What is the relationship between Hegel and Marx in regards to theorizing about history? Also,
whose views do you find more convincing, and why?
• The writings of Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Darwin all contain different views about human nature –
the inherent and distinguishing characteristics of human beings, independent of the influences of
culture, social institutions, religion, etc. Pick two of these thinkers and compare/contrast their
views on human nature. What was essential and innate to humans according to these theorists?
Also, which set of views do you find more convincing, and why?