tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post7524938330381736682..comments2024-03-28T08:57:53.180+00:00Comments on Darwinian Conservatism by Larry Arnhart: Does Evolution Explain Human Nature?Larry Arnharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-33022174577206294592009-04-16T19:22:00.000+01:002009-04-16T19:22:00.000+01:00Academic scientists often teach undergraduate cour...Academic scientists often teach undergraduate courses that are required for general or liberal education. Shouldn't they teach these courses in ways that indicate the links with other courses the students are taking?<br /><br />I have written on this blog about David Sloan Wilson's "evolutionary studies" program (EvoS), which is being extended to many universities.<br /><br />At my university, I have team-taught a course on human evolution with an evolutionary biologist.<br /><br />This is what I have in mind when I speak of "Darwinian liberal education."<br /><br />You speak about neuroscience. Have you considered the many ways in which neuroscience is now being extended into law, philosophy, and political science--with collaborative research bringing together neuroscientists with social scientists, philosophers, and law professors?Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-91598303803206134712009-04-16T18:59:00.000+01:002009-04-16T18:59:00.000+01:00Yes, I heard E.O. Wilson talk a number of years ag...Yes, I heard E.O. Wilson talk a number of years ago and I am always impressed with his work. Although, the concept of memes influencing science in the framework of what the memes represent (e.g. a reality TV show) seems plausible in some fields but not in others. I did the bulk of my Neuroscience graduate research on Alzheimer's disease and the idea of culture in the work of how to protect neuronal cell death just doesn't come into play. The only way I can see it playing a role in that line of "science" is if the mechanism of the meme becomes available; which on some scale has and was applied to AZ research by focusing on certain cell lines and cell types which come from the areas related to memory, language, and cognitive processing in general. This consilience of AZ research isn't affected much by a philosopher in an armchair somewhere due to the very problem of the philosopher sitting in an armchair and reading what is being published, because he/she will always be behind the research. <br /><br />In terms of E.O. Wilson's agenda, saving the planet, which I concur with, I agree that scientists should play a larger role in public and government involvement; but how that can be asked of all of them is too much. It is hard enough to keep a science lab running without trying to publish public lectures, popular science books aimed at the layman, and meeting with government officials or panels. The only people who can do that are those who are already famous like Wilson or Gould. The philosophers job then is to study the scientists and report to the public and government, or something like that.<br /><br />But it's problematic, and extremely complex, as I'm sure you already know...have to run.Organized Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17086317435134367916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-71949831379558102452009-04-16T11:48:00.000+01:002009-04-16T11:48:00.000+01:00What I have called "Darwinian liberal education" i...What I have called "Darwinian liberal education" is what E. O. Wilson calls "consilience"--the unification of knowledge across the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.<br /><br />Unfortunately, most natural scientists lack the breadth of thought of someone like Wilson. But I do see some movement towards the unification of knowledge--for example, in the studies of the evolution of cooperation and morality.Larry Arnharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14619785331100785170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16355954.post-78810863803440560912009-04-16T06:43:00.000+01:002009-04-16T06:43:00.000+01:00Just for clarity, are you claiming that a "Darwini...Just for clarity, are you claiming that a "Darwinian liberal education" would be an incorporation of modern evolution into the sphere of the humanities such as philosophy and religion? I can't see how science can incorporate the humanities, but I do see your point the other way around, and Richard Dawkins makes the very same point as you, if I'm reading you correctly in his Introduction to his new edition of "The Selfish Gene."Organized Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17086317435134367916noreply@blogger.com