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SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
PHIL 108
CRN: 64912
FALL 2014
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. NINA ROSENSTAND
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE AND
SOCIETY
STUDY GUIDE, MIDTERM OCT.2
REMEMBER THE EXAM IS IN ROOM SB 213! BE ON TIME!
Professor Rosenstand’s office until Sept.25: MV24 04. Mailbox: MV23
From Sept.29: SB 311P (right above your classroom SB 213)
Office hours: MTWTh 11:15-12:30 and by appointment
Phone: (619) 388-2407. E-mail: nrosenst@sdccd.edu
(e-mails will be answered during my office hours.)
Website: http://classroom.sdmesa.edu/nrosenst
STAY INFORMED ABOUT POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE READINGS AND TEST DATES. CHANGES, IF ANY, WILL BE
POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
FORMAT OF MIDTERM
50 % objective, 50 % subjective/short essay test. Bring a scantron Form #882. Please use pencil #2 for
the scantron (Part 1), and pen for Part 2. 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
prompt. 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 (“Part 2”); 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
Respond in the write-in area on the test prompt; do not go beyond the area.
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
Phil 108 Course Reader The Human Condition (THC) Ch.1, “The Story-Telling Animal” pp.1-15 (Blue
Reader), pp.3-14 (Book)
THC Ch.2, “Stories of Human Origins.” pp.15-33 (Blue Reader), pp.32-50 (Book)
TCH Ch.3, “The Sociobiological Challenge.” Narratives: Lord of the Flies; 2001, A Space Odyssey. Pp.
37-66 (Blue Reader), pp.55-90 (Book)
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The Human Spark, video (notes)
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.*
 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.*
o Gives personal identity through narrative unity.*
o 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. Linear time perception is found both in Western religions and science. *
 Christian Fundamentalist Creationism: Literal interpretation of Bible. Creation happened 6000
years ago.
 Scientific 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: *
o African Eve hypothesis (corresponds to“Out of Africa theory”) *
o Multiregional continuity
o The Aquatic Ape *
o The Outer Space Connection
 Human evolution theories and politics: Descriptive theories inspire normative, political
interpretations*
o Example: Kennewick Man: Who was first on the American continent? Example of
American Indian tribal creationism*
Ch.3
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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 as explanatory principle of evolution.
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.*
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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 by Damasio: 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.*
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.*
The Human Spark (PBS video Part 1)
 “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;
The human spark reveals itself through symbolic thinking (such as art and jewelry) *
 Homo Heidelbergensis is the ancestor of both humans and Neandertals
 Rosenstand comment: Neandertals have been found to have art and jewelry.