Evolution. A Heterodox View

Darwinism is not the only credible theory for evolution

What you’ll learn
You will learn the basics of evolutionary theory, including heterodox theories besides the standard Darwinism..
You will learn a scientifically sound critique of the Darwinian idea.
You will learn a detailed history of evolutionary thought.
You will be able to put modern debates over evolution and Darwinism in a broad philosophical and societal context
Requirements
You need only have an interest in the problem of evolution, and a willingness to take a radical look at the science and philosophy of biology.
You need not have a degree in biology to benefit from this course.
Description
This course will take you through a heterodox theory of evolution. While Darwinism dominates our thinking about evolution today, it has never been, nor is today, the final ‘scientific’ word. The principal competitor for Darwinism on the public stage at the moment is Intelligent Design Theory. Both suffer from deep incoherencies.In this course, you will learn a third, and different, way to think about evolution, one that forges a path between mindless Darwinism on the one hand, and Intelligent Design theory on the other.It is derived from my perspective as a physiologist (concerned with how life works). Being a physiologist, I look at the phenomenon of life in a unique way. While physiology is a science of mechanism, it is also a profound statement of the nature of life per se. Physiologists are perhaps the scientific world’s last vitalists, that is to say, scientists who have an appreciation that the phenomenon of life is unlike any other in the universe.An understanding of what makes life unique is essential for any theory of life (which includes evolution) to be coherent. Among life’s unique attributes is frank purposefulness and intentionality. Modern evolutionary theory denies these altogether, while Intelligent Design theory misattributes them. This course will show how evolution, like the rest of life, is a profoundly purposeful and intentional process.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Section 2: Philosophical roots of evolutionary thought

Lecture 2 Philosophical beginnings. The Pre-Socratics

Lecture 3 Philosophical beginnings. The Socratics

Lecture 4 Vitalism. What it is and why it’s important

Section 3: The French evolution

Lecture 5 The French evolution. Lamarck, who he was and what’s important about him.

Lecture 6 The French evolution. Georges Cuvier

Section 4: Roots of Darwinism

Lecture 7 The Darwins: Charles Darwin’s roots

Lecture 8 Evolution and natural selection

Lecture 9 Is natural selection correct? Darwin’s reasoning

Section 5: The crisis of Darwinism and the emergence of neoDarwinism

Lecture 10 The crisis of Darwinism

Lecture 11 The genetic theory of natural selection. The dubious reconciliation

Lecture 12 The culture of Darwinism: Science versus religion?

Section 6: Adaptation

Lecture 13 Adaptation. The gene selection fallacy

Lecture 14 Adaptation. How it works

Lecture 15 Adaptation. The extended organism

Lecture 16 The Macrotermes extended organism

Lecture 17 The wave. A new metaphor for adaptation

Section 7: Heredity and neoDarwinism

Lecture 18 Heredity, memory, and fitness. The nature of memory

Lecture 19 Scaling of adaptation. The Weismann barrier

Lecture 20 Closing the loop. The epigenetics revolution

Section 8: Homeostasis

Lecture 21 Purpose and Desire. A coherent theory of life and evolution

Lecture 22 Claude Bernard. A 19th century vitalist?

Lecture 23 Homeostasis. Three models

Lecture 24 The clockwork homeostasis. A critique

Section 9: Cognition and evolution

Lecture 25 Cognition & evolution. What’s the connection?

Lecture 26 The intentional niche. Evolution’s leading edge

Lecture 27 Alfred Russel Wallace: “Darwin’s moon”?

Lecture 28 The eclipse of Wallace. Human evolution

Section 10: Origin of life

Lecture 29 Origin of life. Is it Darwinian?

Lecture 30 Origin of life. If not Darwinian, what?

Lecture 31 Species. What are they?

This course is intended for seekers of knowledge about evolution and its philosophical and social roots.