Humanities and Science
Durham
Liberal Arts :: Humanities
Online Course Delivery Method: Rotational Attendance
Credits: 4.0
Term: Spring 2021 - Full Term (02/01/2021 - 05/11/2021)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Term: Spring 2021 - Full Term (02/01/2021 - 05/11/2021)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Class Size:
25
CRN: 56141
CRN: 56141
In this interdisciplinary course, students examine the ways in which scientific and technological understanding affects the development of cultural expression. Scientific, technological and environmental factors are sometimes discussed as if they are separate from human beings, but in this course we will consider the myriad direct, complex, and surprising ways that they drive cultural shifts and are then understood in evolving ways by cultures. Topics vary with instructor. May be repeated once if topics is different.
Department Approval Required. Contact Academic Department for permission then register through Webcat.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.
Equivalent(s): HUMA 651
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course, Humanities(Disc)
Instructors: STAFF
Times & Locations
| Start Date | End Date | Days | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1/2021 | 5/11/2021 | MW | 3:40pm - 5:00pm | MURK 118 |
Additional Course Details:
Spring 21 topic: The Cognitive Science of Religion
Why do humans have religion? Where do religious beliefs in God or gods come from, and why do they exist in every human culture across history?
This course explores the new and growing field of cognitive science of religion, which argues that religious ideas are shaped and even directly created by how the human brain evolved. We will explore the evolutionary history that gave us a brain prone to religious beliefs, and we will consider how the brain creates beliefs in gods and how these ideas are spread from brain to brain. A fundamental interest will be how biological evolution continues to shape culture across the globe today.