Unit name | Philosophy of Biology |
---|---|
Unit code | PHIL30063 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Grose |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Philosophy |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This 20 credit unit examines some central questions in philosophy of biology, with an emphasis on evolutionary biology. Topics to be discussed include the logical structure of Darwinian theory, the concepts of fitness, function and adaptation, the concept of the gene, the levels of selection problem, the nature of biological species, the methodology of biological classification, the use of game theory in biology, and the application of evolutionary theory to human culture and behaviour. While some biological knowledge will certainly be an advantage, it is not presumed that students taking this unit have a background in biology. However, it is required that students be prepared to learn some basic evolutionary biology and genetics; ideally this should be done before the course starts. It is recommended that all students intending to take the course read Richard Dawkins’ book The Blind Watchmaker, as background. Further biological detail can be found in Mark Ridley’s book Evolution (Blackwell 2003). The unit will be taught by lectures and seminars. To gain credit for the unit, students must attend all lectures and seminars, do the reading for each seminar, and participate in seminar discussions.
Statement of Outcomes: By the end of the unit, students should have acquired a deep understanding of central conceptual and philosophical issues within biology, especially evolutionary biology. Students will have an appreciation of why the theory of evolution, in particular, has been the locus of so much philosophical discussion, and will have studied all the main issues in contemporary philosophy of biology, including topics such as units and levels of selection, the nature of species, functions, adaptationism and its critics, and the nature of biological information.
10 x 1hr lectures, 10 x 1hr seminars + revision seminar
3 hr examination