Course Overview     Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species precipitated a scientific and philosophical revolution that continues to reverberate in contemporary society. This course will be a vehicle for exploring the extent to which Darwin's theory of natural selection -- the single most important, unifying scientific idea ever proposed -- reflected and transformed the scientific, social, political, economic, religious, as well as literary and artistic contexts of Britain in the Victorian age (1830s-1900). Understanding how Darwin's theory is different from earlier (and modern) ideas about evolution will illuminate the ramifying implications of Darwin's "dangerous idea." An appreciation for Victorian society will reveal how Darwin's travels, career choices, scientific activities, domestic life, fragile health, and delayed publication of his evolutionary theory were shaped by the culture of the time.     Examining the diverse and intense reactions to Darwin's ideas will show how his theory has been extended far beyond biology to a broad range of intellectual disciplines. These include sociopolitical movements (democracy, feminism, Marxism, etc.); religious debates that continue to garner political attention today through creationist organizations; analysis of issues related to race, gender, ethics, and evolutionary psychology; and connections between science, literature, and other forms of artistic expression.     Seminar discussions will be based on multidisciplinary assignments, student presentations, and readings suggested by invited speakers. These will be enhanced by in-class exercises; trips to a local quarry and to the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca; and while talking with Randal Keynes, Darwin's great-great-grandson and author of Annie's Box, in a videoconference.