Course description
Apes in Science Fiction - Free Online Lecture
Because apes seem most like humans, this lecture will explore how science fiction has used them as a mirror in which to view ourselves. The philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau saw in orangutans the original, natural man, uncorrupted by society. Meanwhile most of his contemporaries used apes to embody racially charged fantasies of bestial brutality. These conflicting views shaped the numerous versions of King Kong and the Planet of the Apes films, which the lecture will use to look at evolving images of humanity.
Why choose Gresham College
Founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham’s will, Gresham College is London’s first institute of higher education providing free public lectures.
130 free lectures delivered every year including subjects from the original 7 professorships: Astronomy, Divinity (Religion), Geometry (Maths), Law, Music, Physic (Medicine), and Rhetoric.
Archive of over 2,500 lectures you can watch on our website or YouTube channel.
Expenses
All the lectures are free and will be live-streamed in 2021-22. To watch lectures live online, please register through the course webpage. The registration process is simple, free, and only requires an email address.
Tickets for in-person attendance at this event will be available two months in advance.
About provider
Gresham College
Gresham College was London’s first institute of higher education when it was founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham. Unusually for the time, Gresham lectures were free and given in both English and Latin – where most other higher education...
