LAW 966: Evolution in the Courts: Science, Policy, and Politics Seminar
Teaching evolution in the public schools continues to be hotly contested, more than eighty years after courts first grappled with legislative restrictions. New and varied efforts to permit or facilitate the inclusion of various creationist perspectives continue to generate new litigation. This seminar will examine the rich history, the current controversies, and the important implications of the evolution/creation debates - as courts, legislatures, scientists, religious figures, parents, and students clash at this intersection of science, religion, law, and policy. Readings will be drawn from several books on the evolution/creation controversies, significant early case law (including the famous Scopes "monkey trial"), and the most recent cases reflecting important variations on outright prohibition of teaching evolution (such as requirements to affix evolution disclaimers to biology textbooks). Enrollment limited. [3 credit hours]
