|
This course is an introduction to the main issues in
philosophy of biology. It begins by briefly explaining
some of the fundamental matters in philosophy of
science such as: scientific inquiry, the problem
of demarcation, science and values, biology’s place
in sciences and following these it opens up an
examination of what life is. It then continues with
introductions to major philosophical topics in
biology such as: evolution, units of selection,
genotype and phenotype, environment, innateness,
epigenetics, developmental biology, genomics and
phenomics, reductionism, complexity, biological laws,
sociobiology and its controversies, biology and ethics.
The course aims include encouraging students to discuss
these topics as well as helping them to understand
the main features of biology as a scientific discipline
and also to familiarize themselves with philosophical
problems related to methodologies of biology and
its close connections with social issues.
|
