Evolution and the Human Mind - ASZFS0068

• Title: Evolution and the Human Mind
• Form of teaching: lecture
• Guaranteed by: Institute of Philosophy and Religious Studies (21-UFAR)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2026
• Duration in semesters: 1
• Semester: winter
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 3
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, C [HT]
• Capacity: 180 / unknown (200)
• Maximum number of enrolled students: 200
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Repeated enrollment: 2 / 2 / 2 / 2
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: prof. James Hill, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): prof. James Hill, Ph.D.

Annotation

Evolution and the Human Mind

Erasmus students should enroll in the course with the identification number: AFSV00427; FF students in the Kurz společného základu (or Introduction to Philosophy) with the number: ASZFS0068

Our aim is to investigate the impact of evolutionary theory on the understanding of the nature and powers of the human mind. We will examine the different challenges to the evolutionary account of mind posed by consciousness, language, reason, ethics, aesthetics and the religious sense. Our course will begin with the thought of the nineteenth century pioneers of the theory of evolution by natural selection---Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, T.H. Huxley---and it will go on to discuss twentieth century and contemporary thinkers such as Daniel Dennett, Thomas Nagel, Stephen Pinker, Susan Blackmore, Richard Dawkins, Noam Chomsky, Lida Cosmides and John Tooby. Central to our discussion will be the relation between biological evolution and cultural evolution; the significance of evolution for our cognitive powers and their ability to know nature; the particular difficulties for an incremental evolutionary theory posed by human language; and the dialogue of evolutionary theory and religious belief. This course, which will be conducted in English, is intended for bachelor's students in all the different areas of the humanities. It will not presuppose any particular knowledge of the relevant literature in biology, psychology or philosophy.

Last update: Hill James, prof., Ph.D. (29.09.2026)

Literature

Short Bibliography

Blackmore, Susan. "Evolution and Memes". 2001

Chomsky, Noam. Language and Mind. Third Edition, 2005

Cosmides, Leda and Tooby, John. Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer. 1993

Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. 1859*

Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man. 1871*

Dawkins, Richard. The Selfish Gene. OUP. 1976/2006

Dennett, Daniel. From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds. Penguin. 2017

Huxley, T.H. “On the Hypothesis that Animals Are Automata, and Its History”. 1874

Nagel, Thomas. Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False. 2012

Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct. Harpers.1994/2007

Pinker, Steven. How the Mind Works, Norton, 1997

*For these and other texts by Darwin see: http://darwin-online.org.uk

Last update: Hill James, prof., Ph.D. (29.09.2026)

Course assessment methods and requirements for successful completion, grading scheme

Podmínky jsou: (i) pravidelná účast na přednáškách; a (ii) písemná zkouška v posledním týdne semestru.

Zkouška (60 min) bude řadou krátkých písemných otázek na hlavní témata kurzu.

The conditions for a grade are: (i) attendance at the lectures; and (ii) a written exam in the final week of the semester. The exam (60 minutes) will be made up of a number of short written questions on the main themes of the course.

Last update: Hill James, prof., Ph.D. (29.09.2026)