The New Collegiate Division offers a variety of interdisciplinary courses in addition to those particularly related to the concentration programs. One of the purposes of the division is to provide a forum for new ideas in teaching: certainly only one such forum among many in the College and the University, but for some teachers, and for some subjects cutting across familiar academic lines, the most convenient one. These courses are as a rule open to all students. Indeed, they usually aspire to attract students with different interests and backgrounds.

211. Environmental Politics (=EnvStd 243, NCD 211, PolSci 211, PubPol 243). Major domestic and international environmental issues are analyzed from a variety of theoretical perspectives: democratic values and public opinion, law and governmental regulation, institutions and regimes, environmental justice and human rights, environmental movements and activism, ecological sustainability, rights to development, and environmental security. Judicial decisions, treaties, and international declarations are used as illustrative cases. M. Scully. Spring.

212. Introduction to Environmental Studies (=EnvStd 212, NCD 212). PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing or consent of instructor. This lecture/discussion course analyzes the impact of human activity on the natural world that sustains it. Topics include human population dynamics; the role of economic and industrial activity in human welfare; our use of natural resources (e.g., energy, soil, and water); biodiversity; prospects for sustainable development; and the role of cultural institutions and values in these matters. The format includes reading diverse sources and writing several short papers. T. Steck. Autumn.

215. Environmental Ethics (=EnvStd 242, NCD 215, PolSci 210, PubPol 242). This course traces the historical and theoretical foundations of environmental philosophy and introduces students to ethical debates that frame contemporary problems in environmental policy. Included are the concepts of biocentric and ecocentric versus anthropocentric ethics; deep ecology; the granting of legal and moral standing to nature; animal rights and vegetarianism; instrumental versus intrinsic value; preservationism and conservationism; duty to present versus future generations; non-Western environmental values; and ecological versus economic rationality. The political and international ramifications of these issues are considered further in EnvStd 243. M. Scully. Winter.

269. Medicine and the Law (=LL/Soc 269, NCD 269, PubPol 269, SocSci 269). An introductory investigation of the relations and conflicts between the law and the profession of medicine. After an initial segment involving informed consent and patient refusal, the course is divided into two parts. The first part follows the development of the "right to privacy" with particular emphasis on the legal precedents involving access to contraception and abortion; the second studies the termination of life sustaining treatment precedents from Quinlan to the Supreme Court physician-assisted suicide cases. Each class is divided into two parts: a discussion of the cases and an attempt to resolve a contemporary controversy involving the law as announced by the cases. A. Goldblatt. Spring.

273. Is Development Sustainable? (=BigPro 234, EnvStd 244, HiPSS 234, NCD 273, PolSci 212, PubPol 244). PQ: Fourth-year standing and consent of instructors. This is a discussion course intended for senior students without an environmental background. Taught by a political scientist, a computer scientist, and a biologist, its aim is to develop skills in analyzing "big problems" which surpass the scope of traditional disciplines and single paradigms. Big environmental problems include human population growth, the unintended consequences of technology, the conflict between economic development and the preservation of our habitat, and choices regarding the allocation of resources to present versus future needs. M. Scully, T. Steck, W. Sterner. Spring.

274. Biological and Cultural Evolution (=BigPro 239, CFS 379, HiPSS 239, NCD 274, Philos 325). PQ: Basic knowledge of evolution and genetics helpful. This course is taught by guest lecturers from linguistics, evolutionary genetics, and the history and philosophy of science. We elaborate theory to understand and model cultural evolution; explore analogies, differences, and relations to biological evolution; and consider basic biological, cultural, and linguistic topics and case studies from an evolutionary perspective. Time is spent both on what we do know, and on determining what we don't. W. Wimsatt, S. Mufwene, J. Sadock. Autumn.

277. The Radicalism of Job and Ecclesiastes (=Fndmtl 246, Hum 235, JewStd 235, NCD 277). Both Job and Ecclesiastes dispute a central doctrine of the Hebrew Bible, namely, the doctrine of retributive justice. Each book argues that a person’s fate is not a consequence of his or her religio-moral acts and thus the piety, whatever else it is, must be disinterested. In brief, the authors of Job and Ecclesiates, each in his own way, not only "de-mythologizes," but "de-moralizes" the world. The students read the books in translation and discuss their theological and philosophical implications. H. Moltz. Spring.

280. World of Biblical Prophets (=Hum 280, JewStd 234/334, NCD 280). This course offers an in-depth analysis of the biblical prophets. Each prophet is set in historical time and within a particular societal context, and against this background a profile of the man is drawn. What was he like as social reformer and religious thinker? What did he say "no" to in society and "no" to in organized worship? And to what did he say "yes?" How was his message received and what influence did it have in its day? And finally, is the individual prophet merely a historical figure or a curiosity of antiquity, or does he speak to us in our age? H. Moltz. Autumn.

297. Reading Course. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and program chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for a letter grade. This course is designed for NCD students whose program requirements are best met by study under a faculty member's individual supervision. The subject, course of study, and requirements are arranged with the instructor. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

298. Reading Course. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and NCD master. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Available for either Pass or letter grading. Students in divisions other than the New Collegiate Division may arrange a tutorial with a member of the NCD faculty. Registration for this course and information about the tutorial arrangement must be reported to the office of the NCD master. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

299. Independent Study. PQ: Open to NCD concentrators with consent of faculty supervisor and program chairman. Must be taken P/F. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.