Darwin, Human Nature, and a Short Text

Can anyone point me to a short excerpt by Darwin on human nature?

I'm teaching a philosophy class at a high school, and have started a
multi-stage debate over human nature. The class has divided itself
into two groups ("nature" vs. "nurture", of course!), and is aping the
arguments made in historical texts to help advance their own theses.

Today we did John Locke's "blank slate" theory. For our next text,
I'd like to provide them with a biologically- (hopefully
evolutionary-) based text from the 18th to mid 20th century.
(Following that is going to be an "anti-human nature" anthropology
work, followed by Stephen Pinker.)

I was thinking of doing some early eugenicists (of the non-Hitlerian
perspective), but thought that Darwin might be even better. But I
still haven't gotten around to reading "Origin" and "Descent", and so
am not aware where I might find a short (hopefully easy-to-read; Locke
was tough for the kids) excerpt.

Does anyone happen to know of one?

- brandon

.

Relevant Pages

  • knee-jerk reaction of evo-cheerleaders
    ... But that is human nature ... Can you honestly fault ... People of faith often invoke all their eloquent ... those for whom the wisdom of Darwin resonates? ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Darwin, Human Nature, and a Short Text
    ... I'm teaching a philosophy class at a high school, ... multi-stage debate over human nature. ... Today we did John Locke's "blank slate" theory. ... am not aware where I might find a short (hopefully easy-to-read; ...
    (talk.origins)
  • knee-jerk reaction of evo-cheerleaders
    ... But that is human nature ... People of faith often invoke all their eloquent ... those for whom the wisdom of Darwin resonates? ... Teilhard de Chardin made a suggestion that some of us have taken up. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Darwin, Human Nature, & a Short Text
    ... I'm teaching a philosophy class at a high school, ... multi-stage debate over human nature. ... arguments made in historical texts to help advance their own theses. ... am not aware where I might find a short (hopefully easy-to-read; ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: knee-jerk reaction of evo-cheerleaders
    ... But that is human nature ... Can you honestly fault ... Thomas Huxley for contending passionately on behalf of the ... those for whom the wisdom of Darwin resonates? ...
    (talk.origins)