This course explains the basic principles of evolution and why they are so important for the study of human affairs in addition to the rest of life. Students will learn that the evolutionary analysis of human nature is a key link that integrates all major branches of human knowledge, such as arts, religion, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

In the first half the course, we will explore the fundamental principles of evolution by natural selection, and then apply the evolutionary perspective to explain our own psychology and behavior. Subjects include sex, mating, family relations, non-kin cooperation, and alliance. In the second half, we apply the perspective to the great branches of human knowledge that have typically considered beyond the reach of science. Subjects include literature, culture, marketing, aesthetics, music, visual arts, religion, and morality.