EVOLUTION READING GROUP
Lent Term 2000
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY (1825-1895)
We will be reading a selection of Thomas Huxley's scientific,
philosophical, and political prose. The material will be made available
in photocopied form. Much of it is also available in various collections
of Huxley's essays, or, for internet fans, at:
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley.
In conjunction with Huxley's essays, we will be reading from Adrian
Desmond's biography, 'Huxley: From Devil's Disciple to Evolution's High
Priest' (1998) - available in all good bookshops and libraries.
Each meeting will focus on a particular area of Huxley's writings and a
particular period of his life, with a member of the group presenting a
summary and evaluation of the material at the start of each session.
Meetings are open to all, and will take place every other Tuesday at 8pm
in the Seminar Room of Darwin College, beginning 1 February. For more
information and to request a copy of the photocopied readings, contact
Thomas Dixon (476546, [log in to unmask]).
1 February: Scientific Writings
'The vestiges of creation' (1854).
'On a piece of chalk' (1868).
'On the physical basis of life' (1868).
Desmond, Huxley: Chapters 9-17.
15 February: Education and Politics
'Emancipation - black and white' (1865).
'A liberal education and where to find it' (1868).
'Administrative nihilism' (1871).
Desmond, Huxley: Chapters 18 and 19.
29 February: Agnosticism, Science, and Religion.
'Science and morals' (1886).
'Agnosticism' (1889).
'Prologue' to Essays on Some Controverted Questions (1892).
Desmond, Huxley: Chapters 20-26.
14 March: Evolution and Ethics.
'The struggle for existence in human society' (1888).
'Evolution and ethics' (1893).
'Prolegomena' (1894).
Desmond, Huxley: Chapters 27-30, and Afterword.
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