Assignments Spring 2005

Eugenics and the Social Sciences

Spring 2005

Assignments

Day and Date	Topic
Class #1 Monday January 24, 2005	First Assignment: Buy Books On Line order your copies on line. Below you willl find a link which provides information about the class books. I have provided links to buy the books at Amazon. This is only for your convenience. If you find a better alternative please share it with the class. Please feel free to buy used copies. Books In class on Wednesday we will begin our discussion of the Kevles reading. Your first brief will be due next week. Introduction: What is Eugenics? Why is it relevant for the social sceinces and in particular economics and sociology? How has eugenics shaped the social sciences? How has eugenics shaped public policy? These are some of the questions that we will discuss and answer over the course of the semester. Some definitions of Eugenics: The study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding. The science which has for its object the investigation of the conditions under which people of a high type are produced. (Galton 1883). For class Wednesday January 26: video of lecture by Professor Sandra Peart handout to accompany the video lecture we will have a dicsusion after the video Monday's Assignment: Reading assignment: Kelves pages vii - 95
Class #2 Wednesday January 26, 2005	In this class we will discuss video of Sandra Peart's lecture with accompanying handout of lecture notes
Class #3 Monday January 31, 2005	Kevles first reading groups of two began our dsicussion of each chapter (1-9)
Class #4 Wednesday February 2, 2005	We will cointinue our discussion of chapters 1-9 your first seminar brief is due
Class #5 Monday February 7, 2005	We will continue our discussion of the book In the Name of Eugenics. Your second brief is due Wednesday.
Class #6 Wednesday February 9, 2005	Leavy and Pearts series from Liberty Fund on the Dismal Science and Eugenics your second seminar brief is due Readings from levy and peart found here http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/LevyPeartdismal.html Read columns 1, 2, 3, and 6. You will note that column 6 is about eugenics but it refers to columns 1, 2, and 3. If you are pressed for time read column 6 first and then read columns 1,2, and 3 (time permitting) as background material.
Class #7 Monday February 14, 2005	We are now going to jump ahead to material which affects and raises the very same questions today. Normally we would cover this material chronologically but I thought we might try material touching on these debates today so that you will have a better sense of the various topics that you might choose for your final projects and your final paper. In monday's class we will watch a lecture given by Francis Fukuyama: His Lecture is titled: "Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Bio-Technology Revolution." He is the author of "The End of History," for Wednesday's class we will discuss disuss Francis Fukuyama's "Our Posthuman Future"
Class #8 Wednesday February 16, 2005	We Will continue our discussion of Francis Fukuyama's Post Human Future we will also have group discussions of sections of Fukuyama's book for thsoe who have not yet acted as a discussion leader it will be your turn.
Class #9 Monday February 21, 2005	We will continue with our discussion of Francis Fukuyama's Post Human Future
Class #10 Wednesday February 23, 2005	We finished with our discussion of Francis Fukuyama's Post Human Future
Class #11 Monday February 28, 2005	Rabbit Proof Fence
Class #12 Wednesday march 2, 2005	Finish Rabbit Proof Fence Class Discussion following the film
Class #13 Monday march 7, 2005	Today we begin our discussion of Vanity of the Philosopher Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Your Seminar Brief is due today.
Class #14 Wednesday march 9, 2005	Dreamweaver Training
SPRING BREAK 2005 6pm Friday, March 11 to 8 am Monday, March 21
Class #15 Monday March 21, 2005	Today we continue our discussion of Vanity of the Philosopher Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Class #16 Wednesday March 23, 2005	Today we continue our discussion of Vanity of the Philosopher Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Your Seminar Brief is due today.
Class #17 Monday March 28, 2005	Today we finish our discussion of Vanity of the Philosopher Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Class #18 Wednesday March 30, 2005	GATTACA
Class #19 Monday April 4, 2005	Finishing GATTACA class discussion Your paper proposals
Class #20 Wednesday April 6, 2005	Today we discuss a series of articles from Slate There are seven articles in the series Building a Better You How you'll become stronger, faster, smarter. There is also the piece Extroverted Like Me: How a month and a half on Paxil taught me to love being shy. Please come to class ready to discuss these articles. Think about how they fit into the topics we have already covered. What do you think about the implications of “building a better you”? What are the concerns raised by the authors? Do you agree or disagree? If so why? If not why? Do you think that the author has missed something important? If so what? Try to relate the material to current events. And above all enjoy these pieces!
Class #21 Monday April 11, 2005	Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate Read the following Preface Part I: The Blank late, the Noble Savage, and the Ghost in the Machine
Class #22 Wednesday April 13, 2005	Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate Read the following Part II: Fear and Loathing Part III: Human Naure with a Human face
Class #23 Monday April 18, 2005	Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate Read the following Part IV: Know Thyself Chapter 16: Politics
Class #24 Wednesday April 20, 2005	Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate Read the following Part V: Hot Buttons Part VI: The Voice of the Species
Class #25 Monday April 25, 2005	possible remaining topics GK Chesteton's Eugenics and Other evils evidence from experiemtnal economics American Institutional Economics and eugenics
Class #26 Wednesday April 27, 2005
Class #27 Monday May 2, 2005	Presentations
Class #28 Monday May 4, 2005 Last Class	Presentations