The Nature of Human Nature

Course Description

This seminar touches on the disciplines of literature, philosophy, biology (evolution and neuroscience), psychology, and artificial intelligence to challenge students to consider – and reconsider – views of what it means to be human. Students grapple with questions such as: What are the biological underpinnings of human consciousness and cognition? What does scientific research show about sex differences in cognition, personality, and behavior? What are some philosophical, literary, and scientific conceptions of human origins and human nature? To what extent do we know ourselves?