Readings

Many of the readings may be downloaded from the Project Gutenberg site. Those available for download have a direct link to the text listed next to the bibliographic entry.

LEC # TOPICS
1 Introduction: The Image of Nature in Genesis.
2 Forster, E. M. "The Machine Stops."
3

Ancient Views of Nature: Aristotle. Physics. Bk II. (PDF)

Cicero. Excerpt from On the Gods: The Discourse of Balbus.
4 Montaigne. "On Cannibals." (PDF)

Bacon, Francis. "The New Atlantis." (download from Project Gutenberg site)

Drayton. To the Virginia Voyage. (PDF)

Marvell. Bermudas. (PDF)

Shakespeare. The Tempest. (download from Project Gutenberg site)
5 Shakespeare. The Tempest. (continued)
6 Defoe. Robinson Crusoe. (download from Project Gutenberg site)
7 Defoe. Robinson Crusoe. (continued)
8 Linnaeus. Excerpts from The Economy of Nature.

White, Gilbert. Excerpt from The Natural History of Selbourne. (download from Project Gutenberg site)

Hume, David. Excerpts from Dialogues on Natural Religion. (PDF)
9 Hume, David. Dialogues on Natural Religion. (continued)
10 Rousseau. Excerpts from On the Origins of Inequality. (PDF)
11 Rousseau. Excerpts from On the Origins of Inequaltiy. (continued)

Wordsworth. Selections from The Prelude. (PDF)
12 Wordsworth. Selections from The Prelude. (continued)
13 Wordsworth. Selections from The Prelude. (continued)
14

Thoreau, Henry David. Excerpts from Walden. (in the Signet edition) (download from Project Gutenberg site):

  • Chap. 1. "Economy." pp. 7-18 up to ". . . one kind at the expense of the others'; p 23, from "As for shelter . . ." to p. 26, ". . . the children's teeth are set on edge"; p. 32, from ". . . Though we are not so degenerate . . ." to p. 36, ". . . to the exclusion of thinking for myself"; p. 38, from "I thus found that the student . . ." to p. 58, end of chapter.
  • Chap. 2. "Where I Lived and What I Lived For." (Complete)
  • Chap. 4. "Sounds." (Complete)
  • Chap. 5. "Solitude." (Complete)
15

Thoreau, Henry David. Excerpts from Walden. (continued):

  • Chap. 6. "Visitors." p. 97-100, up to ". . . continents on the other side."
  • Chap. 7. "The Bean Field." Last two paragraphs only.
  • Chap. 9. "The Ponds." From p. 121, "The scenery of Walden . . ." up to p. 130, ". . . a still subtler spirit sweeps over it."
  • Chap. 10. "Baker Farm." (Complete)
  • Chap. 11. "Higher Laws." p. 142-148, up to ". . . beastly life, eating and drinking."
  • Chap. 12. "Brute Neighbors." P. 153, from "The mice which haunted my house . . ." to p. 157, ". . . Webster's Fugitive Slave Bill."
  • Chap. 13. "House Warming." First paragraph only.
  • Chap. 15. "Winter Animals." From p. 187, "Squirrels and wild mice disputed . . ." to p. 188, end of chapter.
16

Thoreau, Henry David. Excerpts from Walden.  (continued):

  • Chap. 16. "The Pond in Winter." (Complete)
  • Chap. 17. "Spring." (Complete)
  • Chap. 18. "Conclusion." From p. 214, "I left the woods . . ." up to p. 221, end.

Keats. The Grasshopper and the Cricket, To Autumn.
17

Darwin. Selections from On the Origin of Species. (download from the Project Gutenberg site): 

  • Chap. 1. From p. 46 ("I have discussed the probable origin . . .") to p. 55, "slow, varying and insensible changes."
  • Chap. 3 in its entirety.
  • Chap. 4. Pp. 88-102; pp. 106-16; pp. 124 to end of chapter.
18

Darwin. Selections from On the Origin of Species. (continued):

  • Chap. 6 in its entirety.
  • Chap. 7. Pp. 196-210 (. . . "variability; but as the case stands there is none."); pp. 226 to end of chapter.
  • Chap. 15 in its entirety.

Frost, Robert. Design, Come In, The Most of It.
19 Wells, H. G. The Island of Dr. Moreau. (download from Project Gutenberg site)
20 Wells, H. G. The Island of Dr. Moreau. (continued).
21 Huxley, T. H. "Evolution and Ethics." (download from Project Gutenberg site)

Hardin, Garret. "The Tragedy of the Commons."
22 Williams, George. "A Sociobiological Expansion of 'Evolution and Ethics'."
23 Faulkner, William. "The Bear." In Go Down, Moses.
24 Faulkner, William. "The Bear." In Go Down, Moses. (continued).

Leopold, Aldo. "The Land Ethic."
25 Le Guin, Ursula K. "Vaster Than Empires and More Slow."
26 Midgley, Mary. "Duties Concerning Islands."

Callicot, J. Baird. "Animal Liberation."