205068 On the origin of species (S) (SoSe 2009)

The year 2009 celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of his most influential publication "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life". The most straightforward and maybe most appropriate way of celebrating Charles Darwin and his seminal work is by reserving time to read and reflect on it. Indeed, given that evolutionary biology represents the unifying foundation and conceptual framework for biology as a scientific discipline, every biologist should have read the Origin. All chapters of the Origin are supposed to be read by all participants over the course of the seminar. Every chapter will be briefly (up to 10 minutes) introduced and summarised by one or two of the participants to facilitate a discussion that is moderated by the respective participant(s). Depending on the personal backgrounds and specific interests of the participants, additional contributions and a joint study trip to a current Darwin exhibition (e.g. in Berlin) will embed our immediate interaction with Darwin's thinking into the broader context of its genesis and its impact. Discussions in this seminar may be in German or English.

Requirements for participation, required level

Sound understanding of English texts. Readiness to introduce and summarise a book chapter (possibly together with another participant).

Bibliography

1. Darwin, C. (1859): On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1st edition).
2. On the Origin of Species @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Species.
3. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online @ http://darwin-online.org.uk.