The Darwinian Revolution

Course Overview

This course explores the remarkable story of Darwin’s ideas, their scientific and religious reception, and the profound impact they had on human thought. Through 24 lectures, you’ll examine how Darwin developed his theory of natural selection and how it transformed our understanding of life’s diversity.

Key Topics:

• Darwin’s development of evolutionary theory
• Scientific and religious reactions to On the Origin of Species
• The intellectual and social implications of evolution
• Modern challenges to Darwinism (creationism, intelligent design)
• The synthesis of genetics and evolutionary biology

Video Lectures

01: The Meaning of Evolution (33 min)

Discover why Darwin’s explanation of how evolution occurs—not just the idea itself—was revolutionary.

02: The Way It Used to Be (30 min)

Explore the traditional Western worldview based on biblical creation and the Great Chain of Being.

03: Theories of Evolution in the 18th Century (30 min)

Study early evolutionary thinkers like Buffon and Laplace, who challenged fixed views of life.

04: Fossils and Catastrophism (31 min)

Learn how Georges Cuvier linked fossils to extinct species, proposing catastrophic extinctions.

05: Theories of Evolution Just Before Darwin (30 min)

Examine precursors like Lamarck, who suggested species change over time via inherited traits.

06: Why Evolution Was Rejected Before Darwin (31 min)

Understand the scientific and cultural resistance to pre-Darwinian evolutionary ideas.

07: Darwin’s Conversion to Evolution (31 min)

Trace Darwin’s transformative voyage on the Beagle and his growing belief in species change.

08: What’s in On the Origin of Species? (30 min)

Analyze Darwin’s masterwork and how Wallace’s parallel discovery pressured its publication.

09: How Origin Fared Among Scientists (30 min)

See why scientists accepted evolution but debated natural selection as its mechanism.

10: The Religious Reaction to Darwinism (30 min)

Explore theological responses—from outright rejection to attempts at reconciliation.

11: The Social Implications of Evolution (31 min)

Investigate how “survival of the fittest” influenced philosophies like Herbert Spencer’s.

12: Evolution and Heredity (30 min)

Compare Darwin’s pangenesis theory with Mendel’s foundational work on inheritance.

13: A Nadir for Natural Selection (31 min)

Learn why Darwin’s theory fell out of favor in the early 1900s, eclipsed by rival ideas.

14: Groundwork for Recovery (30 min)

Discover how advances in genetics and cell biology revived Darwin’s focus on small variations.

15: Human Evolution (30 min)

Examine how fossil discoveries (like Neanderthals) fueled debates about human origins.

16: The Scopes Trial (30 min)

Separate myth from reality in the 1925 trial that pitted evolution against creationism.

17: Lamarckian Inheritance on Stage (30 min)

Review 20th-century controversies that revived Lamarck’s discredited ideas.

18: Forging an Evolutionary Synthesis (30 min)

See how genetics, paleontology, and fieldwork unified to validate natural selection.

19: Evolution and Molecular Biology (30 min)

Trace how DNA’s discovery provided a mechanism for Darwin’s minute variations.

20: The Rise of Biblical Creationism (31 min)

Analyze evangelical challenges to Darwinism, including “scientific creationism.”

21: Tinkering with Evolutionary Theory (30 min)

Explore modern debates about group selection, genes, and sociobiology.

22: The Heritage of Eugenics (30 min)

Confront the dark legacy of eugenics, from forced sterilizations to Nazi atrocities.

23: Intelligent Design (30 min)

Assess the 2005 Dover trial, where “intelligent design” was ruled unscientific.

24: Adding Things Up (30 min)

Reflect on Darwin’s enduring impact and the interplay of science, philosophy, and faith.