1
SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
PHIL 108
CRN: 68078
FALL 2013
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. NINA ROSENSTAND
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE AND
SOCIETY
FORMAT OF MIDTERM
50 % objective, 50 % subjective/essay test. Use a scantron Form #882. Please use pencil #2 for the scantron,
and pen for the Blue Book. Make sure your scantron answers are clear and unambiguous; otherwise the scantron
machine can’t read them. Read the questions carefully. You may write on the test. Total possible points: 100.
NO BOOKS, NO NOTES ALLOWED.
Plagiarism policy: Using unauthorized open books, notes and/or electronic devices during the test, or consulting
with other students, will result in an F on the test, and will be reported.
There will be 12 True/False questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 13 Multiple Choice questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 6 “short essay” questions; answer 5 out of 6. Each essay will be worth max. 10 points. 10-9:A, 8:B, 7:C, 6-
4:D, 3-0:F
Sample questions:
Name someone who argues in support of the “Humans as killer apes” theory, and his/her evidence. How
does the film 2001, a Space Odyssey illustrate the “Humans as killer apes” theory?
What does MacIntyre mean by saying that humans are story-telling animals?
READINGS
The Human Condition (THC)/Reader C.1, “The Story-Telling Animal” pp.3-16. (Reader: pp.1-14)
THC Ch.2, “Stories of Human Origins.”
THC Ch.3, “The Sociobiological Challenge.” TMC pp. 55-66 (Reader pp. 37-48)
Narratives: Lord of the Flies; 2001, A Space Odyssey.
Tentative, time permitting: THC Ch.3 pp.66-73 (Reader pp.48-55)
[Remember the review pages at the end of Chapter 2 and 3!]
The Human Spark, video (notes)
KEY CONCEPTS/DISCUSSIONS
An asterisk * [star symbol] signifies a possible short essay topic. Important names are underlined.
The Human Spark (video)
“Human spark”: what makes us different from other animals
John Shea: weapons technology required cooperation and language development
Alison Brooks: The human spark originated in Africa between 100,000 and 500,000 years ago
Ian Tattersall: a cultural stimulus such as language is required to ignite the human spark potential
Homo Heidelbergensis is the ancestor of both humans and Neandertals
Ch.1:
Descriptive approach (factual, “is”) vs. normative approach (“ought”) *
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Some popular definitions: political animal; rational being; speaking; tool maker; story-telling animal.*
Aristotle’s meaning of political animal=social animal living in a city-state
Alasdair MacIntyre: Humans are “story-telling animals.” We must rediscover our cultural identity through the
stories of our culture and families.*
Gives personal identity through narrative unity.*
Problem: What if we don’t approve of the history of our culture? We are on a narrative quest *
Ch.2:
Mircea Eliade: All cultures tell stories of human origins in the time of the beginning, “in illo tempore” *
Cyclical time perception: time repeats itself and must be renewed. Linear time perception: Time doesn’t repeat
itself. *
Christian Creationism: Literal interpretation of Bible. Creation happened 6000 years ago.
Theory of Evolution: based on geological and fossil record.
Karl Popper: An empirical scientific theory must test itself, and allow for the possibility that it might be wrong:
Principle of falsification
Punctuated equilibrium: evolution in bursts because of natural disasters.
Human evolution theory, most famous finds: Ardipithecus (“Ardi”), Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy); Homo
habilis; Homo ergaster; Neandertal
Out of Africa theory: humans all share a common ancestry in Africa dating back 200,000 years. Around 60,000
years ago groups of humans migrated out of Africa. *
“Latest spins” on human evolution: *
African Eve hypothesis (corresponds to“Out of Africa theory”) *
Multiregional continuity
The Aquatic Ape *
The Outer Space Connection
Human evolution theories and politics: Descriptive theories inspire normative, political interpretations*
Example: Kennewick Man: Who was first on the American continent? Example of American Indian tribal
creationism*
Ch.3
Sociobiology: Human biology influences all human social structures
3 blows to the human self-assurance: Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud
Charles Darwin: theory of natural selection.
Darwin’s critics: “Survival of the fittest” is a circular definition; Darwin defended capitalism through his theory
of natural competition. He believed in eugenics; he introduced moral values into his idea of evolution.
Raymond Dart, paleoanthropologist: Introduced theory of humans as killer apes (cave fossils)*
Robert Ardrey, playwright: the territorial imperative (fight for territory). Humans are killer apes, “Cain’s
children.” Weapons and aggression enhanced our intelligence.*
Ardrey found support in Raymond Dart’s theory of killer apes.*
2001, A Space Odyssey, exemplifies Ardrey’s and Dart’s theory *
Don Johansen, paleoanthropologist challenges the “killer ape” theory: Early humans were prey, not predators *
Konrad Lorenz, biologist: We are not killer apes, just cranky apes who kill. Predators don’t usually kill members
of own species.*
Rosenstand: New research: Humans do show reluctance to harm other humans [from your notes]
Rosenstand: Our story of human prehistory changes with the needs of the changing times.
Evolutionary psychology: Human biological history influences individual psychology
Narratives Lord of the Flies: civilization is a veneer; human selfishness and aggression is just beneath the
surface*, 2001: A Space Odyssey: The monolith makes early hominids intelligent, and they use their intelligence
to create weapons.*
3
Time permitting (if there isn’t enough time to cover this in class, this material will be on the quiz):
Psychological egoism: Everyone is selfish by nature (descriptive theory) *
Problem with Psych. Egoism: can’t be falsified (Popper)
Ethical egoism: Everyone ought to be selfish (normative theory)
Aristotle: we should look after ourselves because (1) we only have this life, and (2) we’ll be happier in a society
with other people who also look after themselves while being social.
Plato’s Republic: Contains first theory of a social contract [from your notes]
Plato’s story of the ring of Gyges. Told by Glaucon to prove everyone is selfish. *
Thomas Hobbes: Everyone is selfish, focused on self-preservation. All emotions are based on attraction or
repulsion. *
3 kinds of metaphysics: materialism, dualism, and idealism. [from your notes]
Hobbes was a materialist, a psychological egoist, an ethical egoist, a monarchist, and an atheist.
Sigmund Freud: Our dreams reveal unconscious self-centeredness: wish-fulfillment. Look beyond manifest dream
content to the latent dream thoughts. The dream work helps us understand our dreams.* Parapraxes reveal hidden
thoughts. The pleasure principle vs. the reality principle. The Oedipus complex. [all of Freud *]