Course Syllabus

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IDS2935Quest 1: God, Humanity, and Evolution

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Contact Dr. Edelmann

Jonathan Edelmann

  Jonathan Edelmann

Teacher

jonathanedelmann@ufl.edu

352.273.2932

Department of Religion

 Reach me by phone on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00-11:00 am.           Email for appointment.

Please write me or call me if you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions for improvement regarding this course. I am happy to set up a conversation on Zoom, the phone, or at my office.

My research is on the Sanskrit language, the history of Indian theology and philosophy, and the intersectionality of science and religion. Here's a link (Links to an external site.) to my website in the Department of Religion. I took courses on science and religion when I was a student at the University of California-Santa Barbara and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Since then I have been fascinated by the relationships between scientific, philosophical, and religious thinking, and I am excited to share some of the newest research on this topic. I also look forward to highlighting the many resources at the University of Florida.

Office location: 106 Anderson Hall

Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00 - 11:00 am, or by appointment 

TAs

Jonathan Joseph Chiarella • chiarella.jj@ufl.edu

Course Description and Objectives

Please begin by watching these short videos by Jonathan Edelmann:

The Modules link in the left-hand navigation provides the content for each week of this class. Week 1 gives a general introduction to the course content. 

 

God, Humanity, and Evolution: How do the natural sciences inform our views on what it means to be alive and how do they chart a new future for natural life and artificial intelligence? To answer this question this course examines the work of scholars and scientists from a diverse range of traditions. This course explores how portrayals of the biological world in science, religion, and philosophy provide us with a diverse range of human values and self-understandings. This course invites us to think creatively and constructively about the relationships between evolutionary science and the many intellectual and cultural disciplines with which it intersects. Charles Darwin is among the most influential in how scientists and scholars conceptualize nature and biology today. His evolutionary theory reshaped our self-understanding and representation of religion, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and culture, and it provided a framework for thinking about the origin and future of humanity. This course focuses on some philosophical and religious responses to Darwin across and between religious and philosophical disciplines. It will set evolutionary theory within the larger history of science and religion, and examine theoretical models for understanding the relationships between science and religion. A. F. Whitehead said, “When we consider what religion is for mankind, and what science is, it is no exaggeration to say that the future course of history depends upon the decision of this generation as to the relations between them.” Although Whitehead said this nearly 100 years ago, it remains true today and will most likely be true in the the intellectual landscape of the 21st century.

Humanities (H) courses provide instruction in the history, key themes, principles, terminology, and theory or methodologies used within a humanities discipline or the humanities in general. Students will learn to identify and to analyze the key elements, biases and influences that shape thought. These courses emphasize clear and effective analysis and approach issues and problems from multiple perspectives.

Quest 1 Nature and Culture Description: Who are we in relation to the natural world? How have humans understood their role in the natural world and their responsibility to it? How do portrayals of nature reflect our values or self-understanding? A study of the ways in which humans see themselves and their place in the natural world. Topics may include conceptions of nature; how representations of the natural world have been used to express important values; humans in contrast to animals; human interventions in the landscape and the values that guide such designs; development, sustainability, and conservation; what religious traditions and texts have to say about humanity’s place in the natural world; and nature as a site for physically or spiritually healthy or harmful experiences. 

Class Meetings

T,R | Period 6 (12:50 PM - 1:40 PM) Room: FAB 0103
R | Period 7 (1:55 PM - 2:45 PM) Room: LIT 0109

I am conducting this entire course as a Hyflex, meaning that I will provide Face to Face class time as assigned in the UF Schedule of Courses for Fall 2021, and also broadcast live from the classroom via Zoom.

Required Text

For each week responsible for accessing the Reading. Links are given for each Reading in the Weekly schedule and they are all in Files. Elements of Style, Strunk, W., Jr. and White, E.B. 4th edition, 1999, is a recommended textbook. Materials and Supplies Fees: n/a. Students will need a computer and access to the internet to complete this course. Basic knowledge of word processing is also required. Each Module page and assignment can be accessed either from the Home page, the Modules view, or by clicking the Next button below (which will take you to the next item in the sequence).

Course Requirements

List of Graded Work

Description

Requirements

Points

12 Weekly “Discussion Papers”

 

 

Each Week students shall submit reading response papers that address the question posed for each week of class. Class time will be devoted to addressing the question of the week in the lectures, discussions, and group work. During this time students should begin to formulate their answers. Papers should be submitted by 5:00 pm on Friday of each week.

100-200 words

(this does not count towards WR)

300 in total, or 25 points each

Paper One, Analytic, Due Week Nine

This papers should analyze and evaluate an essential question(s) in the topics from Weeks One to Seven. Students should use MLA or a related style.

1000 words (this does count towards WR)

200

Paper Two, Connection,

Due Week Fifteen

This paper should provide a critical reflection on your intellectual, personal, and/or professional perspective on an essential question(s) in the topics from Weeks Nine and Fifteen. Students should use MLA or a related style.

1000 words (this does count towards WR)

200

Mid Term Examination

Produce clear and effective responses to essential questions in the Topics for Weeks One to Seven.

 

The Midterm Examination covers Weeks 2-7 (the Final Examination covers Weeks 9-15):

  1. For each of the six weeks of semester select one of the readings from the modules and describe in detail what the author is arguing, giving attention to the thesis, the content, and the context. Your answers should be approximately 200 words for each week, or about 1300 to 1500 words in total.
  2. In a separate 200 word answer describe a reading or concept from one of the seven weeks you found illuminating in some way. Provide reasons for your selection and justify your analysis.

Due Week Nine

150

Final Examination

Produce clear and effective responses to essential question in the Topics for Weeks Nine to Fifteen.

Given at designated exam time

150

Total

 

 

1000

Attendance: will be taken daily and recorded in the Canvas gradebook. You are allowed four “personal days” for the semester, after which each absence that does not meet university criteria for “excused” will result in a two-point deduction from your final grade. Information on University of Florida’s Writing Studio is here: https://writing.ufl.edu/ (Links to an external site.)

 

Writing Assessment Rubric

 

SATISFACTORY (Y)

UNSATISFACTORY (N)

CONTENT

Papers exhibit at least some evidence of ideas that respond to the topic with complexity, critically evaluating and synthesizing sources, and provide at least an adequate discussion with basic understanding of sources.

Papers either include a central idea(s) that is unclear or off-topic or provide only minimal or inadequate discussion of ideas. Papers may also lack sufficient or appropriate sources.

ORGANIZATION AND COHERENCE

Documents and paragraphs exhibit at least some identifiable structure for topics, including a clear thesis statement but may require readers to work to follow progression of ideas.

Documents and paragraphs lack clearly identifiable organization, may lack any coherent sense of logic in associating and organizing ideas, and may also lack transitions and coherence to guide the reader.

ARGUMENT AND SUPPORT

Documents use persuasive and confident presentation of ideas, strongly supported with evidence. At the weak end of the Satisfactory range, documents may provide only generalized discussion of ideas or may provide adequate discussion but rely on weak support for arguments.

Documents make only weak generalizations, providing little or no support, as in summaries or narratives that fail to provide critical analysis.

STYLE

Documents use a writing style with word choice appropriate to the context, genre, and discipline. Sentences should display complexity and logical sentence structure. At a minimum, documents will display a less precise use of vocabulary and an uneven use of sentence structure or a writing style that occasionally veers away from word choice or tone appropriate to the context, genre, and discipline.

Documents rely on word usage that is inappropriate for the context, genre, or discipline. Sentences may be overly long or short with awkward construction. Documents may also use words incorrectly.

MECHANICS

Papers will feature correct or error-free presentation of ideas. At the weak end of the Satisfactory range, papers may contain some spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors that remain unobtrusive so they do not muddy the paper’s argument or points.

Papers contain so many mechanical or grammatical errors that they impede the reader’s understanding or severely undermine the writer’s credibility.
  • The Writing Requirement (WR) ensures students both maintain their fluency in writing and use writing as a tool to facilitate learning.
  • The instructor will evaluate and provide feedback, on all of the student's written assignments with respect to grammar, punctuation, clarity, coherence, and organization.
  • WR Course grades have two components. To receive writing requirement credit, a student must receive a grade of C or higher and a satisfactory completion of the writing component of the course."

Weekly Schedule

Week 1 - God, Humanity, and Evolution Week 9 - Paper One
Week 2 - Independence Thesis Week 10 - Jewish Responses to Darwin
Week 3 - Complexity Thesis Week 11 - Contemporary Christian views on Darwin
Week 4 - 19th Century Evolutionary Theory Week 12 - Early Islamic Responses to Darwin
Week 5 - 20th Century Evolutionary Theory Week 13 - Hinduism: Vivekananda and Aurobindo
Week 6 - The Challenge of Darwinism Week 14 - Buddhism and Dependent Origination
Week 7 - 20th Century Philosophical Interpretations of Darwin and visit to Library West Week 15 - Evolution, Intelligence, and Human Speciation
Week 8 - Midterm Examination

Assignments

Grade Scale

For information on how UF assigns grade points, visit: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/grades-grading-policies/ (Links to an external site.)

A

94 – 100% of possible points

 

C

74 – 76%

A-

90 – 93%

 

C-

70 – 73%

B+

87 – 89%

 

D+

67 – 69%

B

84 – 86%

 

D

64 – 66%

B-

80 – 83%

 

D-

60 – 63%

C+

77 – 79%

 

E

<60

Course Policies

The official source of rules and regulations for UF students is the Undergraduate Catalog (Links to an external site.) and Graduate Catalog (Links to an external site.). Quick links to other information have also been provided below.

Additionally,

  • Academic honesty is important to the learning process.
  • Please learn about citing your written work at a website like this (Links to an external site.) or feel free to ask me about any questions  you have.
  • Try to learn about the process of academic writing from the assigned Readings and take time to reflect in an open manner with the views of your peers.

Please Note:

Our class sessions may be audio-visually recorded for students in the class to refer back and for enrolled students who are unable to attend live. Students who participate with their camera engaged or utilize a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded.  If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voice recorded.  If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live. The chat will not be recorded or shared. As in all courses, unauthorized recording and unauthorized sharing of recorded materials by students or any other party is prohibited.

Students  are  allowed  to  record  video  or  audio  of  class  lectures.  However,  the  purposes for  which  these  recordings  may  be  used  are  strictly  controlled.   The  only  allowable purposes  are  (1)  for  personal  educational  use,  (2)  in  connection  with  a  complaint  to  the university,  or  (3)  as  evidence  in,  or  in  preparation  for,  a  criminal  or  civil  proceeding.   All other  purposes  are  prohibited.   Specifically,  students  may  not  publish  recorded  lectures without  the  written  consent  of  the  instructor.

Contact and Feedback

Quest and the humanities require a open, civil, safe, and brave space wherein ideas are exchanged freely among students and faculty. I encourage this kind of discussion and we can learn from one another about this as the course progresses. I have talked to students about civil discourse here.

  • I expect students to be on-time for stated meetings and to submit work on time.
  • I look forward to learning about your intellectual interests and goals!

You can provide feedback on this course through the following channels:

  • UF Faculty Evaluations that will be available near the conclusion of the semester
  • Informal feedback
  • Talk to your advisor

Counseling Resources

Students experiencing either health or personal problems that interfere with their general well-being are encouraged to seek assistance through the university’s health care and counseling centers. Resources are also available on campus for students who wish to explore their career options.

You can also check out the UF Resources page for the many university resources, services, and support that are available to you.

 Image Credit

Image of Angel Live Oak from UF IFAS Extension Links to an external site.

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due