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SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
PHIL 108
FALL 2012
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. NINA ROSENSTAND
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE
AND SOCIETY
STUDY GUIDE, MIDTERM OCT.4
OFFICE HOURS: MTWTh: 11:15-12:30
Office: H-301G.
Phone: (619) 388-2407.
E-mail: nrosenst@sdccd.edu
(e-mails will be answered during the instructor’s office hours.)
Website: http://classroom.sdmesa.edu/nrosenst
Stay informed about possible changes to readings and test date.
FORMAT OF MIDTERM
50 % objective, 50 % subjective/essay test. Use a scantron Form #882 and a small Blue Book. 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 question 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 10 True/False questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 15 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:D, 3-0:F
Respond in the write-in area on the test prompt; do not go beyond the area.
Sample question: What is the “Out of Africa” theory of human origins, and what does it have to do with
the “African Eve” hypothesis?
READINGS
The Human Condition (THC) C.1, “The Story-Telling Animal” pp.3-16. Narrative: Kipling, The Jungle
Book; LeGuin, The Telling.
THC Ch.2, “Stories of Human Origins.”
THC Ch.3, “The Sociobiological Challenge.” Primary Reading: Ardrey, Midgley; Narratives: Lord of the
Flies; 2001, A Space Odyssey. Pp.84-90
KEY CONCEPTS/DISCUSSIONS
An asterisk * [star symbol] signifies a possible short essay topic. Important names are underlined.
Ch.1:
Descriptive approach (factual, “is”) vs. normative approach (“ought”) *
Some popular definitions: political animal; rational being; speaking; tool maker; story-telling animal.*
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Aristotle’s meaning of political animal=social animal living in a city-state
Alasdair MacIntyre: 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? narrative quest *
Primary Reading:
Kipling, The Jungle Book: animals appear to be the wise ones, while humans are irrational and
emotional*
Ursula le Guin, The Telling: A planet where stories are banned. The wise ones: Humans need stories to
make sense of life and give us direction, because we don’t have instincts.
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. Belief system. *
Theory of Evolution: based on geological and fossil record. Scientific approach. *
Intelligent Design Theory: (1) A vast intelligence must have created the universe, because of its
complexity (2) the same as Christian Creationism [from your notes]
Charles Darwin: theory of natural selection.
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 erectus; 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 (same as “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*
Primary Reading: Darwin: Evolution of social animals generally works through the individual
benefiting the group. If we are descended from weaker creatures it would explain our social flexibility.
Ch.3
Sociobiology: Human biology influences all human social structures
3 blows to the human self-assurance: Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud
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 *
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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
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 *]
Edward O. Wilson: genetics explain all human behavior. 4 characteristics shared by humans and other
primates.
Richard Dawkins: The selfish-gene theory: humans and animals are programmed to help their genes
survive.*
Mary Midgley: Not all behavior is selfish; altruistic behavior is an extended parent-children relationship.*
Richard Leakey: hunting wasn’t as important as gathering. The basket may be as old as the weapon.
Riane Eisler: In ancient times humans were less aggressive and had a gender-equal partnership society;
then aggressive invaders came, and established a male-dominated dominator society.
The naturalistic fallacy: Going from an “is” to an “ought” without stating the hidden premise.
Jane Goodall: aggression and caring are human potentials
Primary Reading Ardrey: Early human history show primate aggression; all inventions are due to
warfare, but we must learn to control out aggression.*
Midgley: Not all acts are done for purely selfish reasons. Motives for altruism have been misunderstood.
Primary human feature is sociability.*
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.*