A conception of human nature plays a central role in many debates in philosophy, and in the humanities and social sciences more broadly. This course aims to introduce students to evolutionary theories of human nature. We will discuss such issues as (i) whether evolutionary theory undermines the very idea of a fairly fixed and universal human nature; (ii) how and why humans came to be so very different from their great ape relatives; (iii) whether the explanatory toolkit that suffices to explain animal evolution suffices to explain human evolution as well, or whether (for example) the importance of culture to humans changes the rules of the evolutionary game; (iv) the extent to which we can have reasonably reliable knowledge of the human past. Students will engage in interdisciplinary work, analysing and responding to research not just in philosophy but also in relevant empirical disciplines, including archaeology, prehistory, palaeoanthropology, and behavioural economics. The course with not be considering the creation vs evolution controversy; the basic truth of an evolutionary theory of life will be assumed. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. analyse and respond to research not just in philosophy but also relevant empirical disciplines;
2.  understand and analyse the distinctive empirical challenges posed by historical sciences;
3. understand and critically respond to the main claims about the evolution of human nature;
4. effectively integrate and organize concepts, information and arguments to defend a position; and
5. evaluate philosophical and theoretical ideas verbally and to engage in interactive dialogue.

Research-Led Teaching

A conception of human nature plays a central role in many debates in philosophy, and in the humanities and social sciences more broadly. This course aims to introduce students to evolutionary theories of human nature. We will discuss such issues as (i) whether evolutionary theory undermines the very idea of a fairly fixed and universal human nature; (ii) how and why humans came to be so very different from their great ape relatives; (iii) whether the importance of culture to humans changes the rules of the evolutionary game; (iv) the extent to which we can have reasonably reliable knowledge of the human past. (v) whether evolutionary theories of human life have sceptical consequences for moral and normative thinking. The course with not be considering the creation vs evolution controversy; the basic truth of an evolutionary theory of life will be assumed.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Begin interdisciplinary work. Students will be required to analyse and respond to research not just in philosophy but also relevant empirical disciplines. These include archaeology, prehistory, palaeoanthropology, behavioural economics.  

2. Understand and analyse the distinctive empirical challenges posed by historical sciences.

3. Understand and critically respond to the main claims about the evolution of human nature.

4. Effectively integrate and organize concepts, information and arguments to defend a position.

5. Evaluate philosophical and theoretical ideas verbally and to engage in interactive dialogue.

Field Trips

None scheduled

Additional Course Costs

None

Required Resources

Sterelny's Evolution and Human Nature will be made available to all students on Canvas

Recommended Resources

Specific reading guides will be set for each essay, and their will be specific readings for each tutorial. Students will find on the course website a book length manuscript by Sterelny, Evolution and Human Nature. This is a monograph on many of the issues covered in the course; especially the first 6 lectures. 

Other some generally useful books are: 

General introductions to human evolutionary history

Maslin, Mark: The Cradle of Humanity; OUP 2017

Finlayson, Clive: The Improbable Primate: How Water Shaped Human Evolution: OUP 2014 (much quirkier)

Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson: The Story of Us; (OUP 2021)

Daniel Dennett: From Bacteria to Bach and Back; (2017)

General Introductions to the Philosophy of Historical Sciences

Adrian Currie: Rock, Bone and Ruin: An Optimist's Guide to the Historical Sciences; MIT 2018.

Human Uniqueness

Boyd, Robert: A different kind of animal: How culture made humans exceptionally adaptable and cooperative; Princeton University Press, 2016. 

Clive Gamble, Robin Dunbar and John Gowlett: Thinking Big (Thames and Hudson 2014)

John Shea: The Unstoppable Human Species: The Emergence of Homo Sapiens in Prehistory; (Cambridge 2023)

Trenton Holliday: Cro-Magnon; (Columbia, 2023)

Human Social Life and Its Evolution

Boehm, Chris: Hierarchy in the Forest; Harvard University Press, 1999

Boehm, Chris: Moral origins: The evolution of virtue, altruism, and shame; Harvard University Press, 2012

Hayden, Brian: The Power of Ritual in Prehistory; Cambridge University Press (especially on religion and its role)

Hrdy, Sarah: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding; Harvard University Press, 2009. 

Seabright, Paul: The Company of Strangers; MIT Press, 2010 (especially on the transition from small scale to large scale social worlds)

Sterelny, Kim: The Pleistocene Social Contract: Culture and Cooperation in Human Evolution; OUP, 2021

Wrangham, Richard: The Goodness Paradox: How Evolution Made humans Both More and Less Violent; Harvard University Press, 2018

How Evolution Shaped Human Minds

Barrell, Clark: The Shape of Thought: How Mental Adaptations Evolve (OUP 2015)Dennett, Dan: From Bach to Bacteria and Back; (Hatchette, 2017)Heyes, Cecilia: Cognitive Gadgets; OUP, 2018

Pinker, Steven: How The Mind Works; WW Norton 1997. 

Sterelny, Kim The Evolved Apprentice: MIT Press, 2012. 

Tomasello, Michael: A Natural History of Human Thinking; Harvard University Press, 2014

Tomasello, Michael: A Natural History of Human Morality; Harvard University Press, 2016. 

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Students are advised that this plan is for general guidance only: class reaction and class discussion time may result in some topics taking more time, and others less.Why we are special. The challenge of human evolution	The lecture overheads plus Sterelny's manuscript Evolution and Human Nature and supplementary notes to the overheads will be made available to students each week. These contain all the essential information from each lecture. Lectures will NOT be recorded
2	The challenge of the historical sciences: can we understand our own history
3	Human cooperation: the challenge
4	Human cooperation: possible solutions?
5	Human cultural learning, and why it makes us so different from other animals
6	Did meat make us human?	First Assignment Due
7	Did morals make us human? Life in a norm-governed world
8	Darwinian scepticism: is moral belief an adaptive illusion? Second Assignment due October 5
9	Darwinian scepticism: where does religious belief come from?
10	Explaining credulity: why is belief in sorcery so wide-spread?
11	Cave art and why it matters. Cave art, material symbols and human evolution (Thomas Graam guest lecture)
12
13

Tutorial Registration

Will be available on Canvas

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
First Essay	25 %	17/08/2026	1, 2, 3, 4
Second Essay	25 %	05/10/2026	1, 2, 3, 4
Class Participation	10 %	*	5
Final Exam	40 %	*	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

see above; assessment item 3. But note that the lectures will not be recorded.

Examination(s)

See above; assessment item 4

Assessment Task 1

First Essay

a closely focused essay on a specific piece of writing: students will need to identify explain and assess the central idea in the writing.

Word limit: 1500 (approximately)

Value: 25%

Due Date: August 17

Presentation requirements: Submitted in standard essay format, with appropriate references as an individual piece of work

Estimated return date:

Assessment Warning: Students in the course will soon discover that I (= Sterelny) have written on virtually all the topics under discussion. We do NOT want to see essays that consist just of summaries of Sterelny’s writings with statements of agreement. 

Assessment Task 2

Second Essay

Also a closely focused essay on a specific piece of writing: students will need to identify explain and assess the central idea in the writing.

Word limit: 1500 (approximately)

Value: 25%

Due Date:October 5

Presentation requirements: Submitted in standard essay format, with appropriate references as an individual piece of work

Estimated return date:

Assessment Warning: Students in the course will soon discover that I (= Sterelny) have written on virtually all the topics under discussion. We do NOT want to see essays that consist just of summaries of Sterelny’s writings with statements of agreement. 

Assessment Task 3

Class Participation

Readings will be assigned for each tutorial, and students will be expected to show evidence of having read this material in tutorial discussion. 

Value: 10%

Assessment Task 4

Final Exam

The exam will be a 2-hour written exam, with no aids permitted except a single sheet of A4 paper. A student needs to answer a single question out of a choice of at least 10, covering the major issues of the course. This is a new requirement, made necessary by the widespread use of AI in broad-scope essay topics; a use that to date cannot be reliably detected. The exam is worth 40% of the total grade, and will fall at some point in the exam period

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Had copy submission will not be needed for this course

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Canvas site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Work will be returned either via Canvas or in person.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students will not be able to resubmit graded work; they will be able to discuss a draft with the tutor or lecturer

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students