| Dozent/in |
Dr. des. Willem Edward Church |
| Veranstaltungsart |
Hauptseminar |
| Code |
HS251439 |
| Semester |
Herbstsemester 2025 |
| Durchführender Fachbereich |
Ethnologie |
| Studienstufe |
Bachelor
Master |
| Termin/e |
wöchentlich (Mo), ab 15.09.2025, 12:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 3.B47 |
| Umfang |
2 Semesterwochenstunden |
| Turnus |
wöchentlich |
| Inhalt |
Are humans fundamentally selfish or cooperative? Are societies driven by competition, or is social life made possible by trust and mutual aid? These questions have shaped scientific and philosophical debates for centuries, influencing disciplines from evolutionary biology to economics and political theory.
Inspired by evolutionary theory, classical accounts often emphasized individualism, scarcity, and competition, whereas more recent perspectives highlight the profoundly social, cooperative, and cultural dimensions of human life. This course critically examines how scientific and intellectual traditions have framed human nature, tracing the shifting influence of Darwinism, sociobiology, human behavioral ecology, and cultural evolution on our understanding of cooperation, conflict, and social norms. Special attention will be given to how these debates have influenced broader scientific and public discourses, which routinely invoke human nature to justify claims about economic systems, political ideologies, moral responsibility, and social hierarchies—from arguments about the inevitability of inequality to debates on the biological basis of cooperation and altruism.
Rather than assuming a single “essence” of humanity, we will analyze how historical contexts have shaped these debates, what is at stake in different conceptualizations of human nature, and how scientific claims about human behavior continue to shape contemporary social policies. By the end of the course, students will develop the analytical skills to critically assess and situate claims about evolution and human nature in both academic research and public discourse, gaining a nuanced appreciation of the complexities of human sociality.
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| Sprache |
Englisch |
| Anmeldung |
***Important*** In order to acquire credits, it is mandatory to register for the course via the UniPortal. Registration opens two weeks before and ends two weeks after the start of the semester. Registrations and cancellations are no longer possible after this period. The exact registration dates can be found here: http://www.unilu.ch/ksf/semesterdaten
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| Abschlussform / Credits |
Aktive Teilnahme / 4 Credits
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| Hinweise |
Wifo: Die Lehrveranstaltung gilt für den Bereich Konzepte. |
| Kontakt |
willem.church@doz.unilu.ch |
| Literatur |
Course Structure and Readings:
A complete reading list will be provided one week before the semester begins. However, familiarity with the class themes will greatly enhance students’ ability to critically analyze the ideas we will engage with throughout the course.
For an accessible overview, and the core text for the course, read:
Brown and Lala’s Sense and Nonsense: Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Behaviour (Third Edition)
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