(in Polish) Philosophical Problems of Science A 3800-ISP-PPSA-23
The tutorials are devoted to key issues in contemporary philosophy of biology. They begin with an overview of the main themes within the discipline and a discussion of the status of biology as a science. Biological definitions of life are examined, followed by an exploration of the history and the philosophically significant theses of the theory of evolution. Particular attention is given to the concepts of gene, species, fitness, adaptation, and function, as well as to the ongoing controversy over the units and levels of natural selection. The debate concerning the alleged tautological nature of the claim that "only the fittest survive" is critically assessed. Methodological aspects of the Darwinian revolution and the role of teleological language in biological explanation are also explored.
The tutorials consider the image of human nature that emerges from biological theories and empirical data. Students become familiar with biological accounts of the evolution of altruistic behavior and motivation, particularly those drawing on game theory. These accounts are compared with both historical and contemporary philosophical concepts of human nature and theories of the social contract. The relevance of biological findings for questions in normative ethics and metaethics is examined in depth. Participants also investigate evolutionary explanations for the origin and function of religion, as well as the varying responses of different religious traditions to the Darwinian theory of evolution. Finally, students gain a basic understanding of the paradigm of evolutionary psychology and of memetics, including attempts to model cultural evolution on biological principles.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Students:
- have a basic knowledge of the place and role of biology in relation to other natural sciences, and of its subject and methodological specificity
- know basic biological and philosophical terminology in English
- know and understand major concepts, arguments and trends in contemporary philosophy of biology
- know fundamental research methods and argumentative strategies proper to philosophy of biology
- know interpretation methods appropriate for texts devoted to philosophical problems in biology
Students:
- seek, analyze, evaluate, select, and use information from traditional and electronic sources
- read and interpret philosophical papers discussing biological issues
- understand oral presentations of philosophical ideas and arguments
- correctly use philosophical and biological terminology
- analyze philosophical arguments, identify their crucial assumptions and theses
- quote main theses of the investigated philosophical stances, appropriately to their importance
- select argumentative strategies, formulate – on a basic level – critical arguments, reply to criticism
Students:
- know the scope of their knowledge and skills, acknowledge the need for constant education and professional development
- are open to new ideas and ready to change their minds in light of available data and arguments
- organize their work effectively and critically assess their progress
Assessment criteria
Regular attendance is a necessary condition for receiving credit for the tutorial course. The final exam lasts 2 hours and consists of 8 open-ended questions. Each question is worth a maximum of 2.5 points, for a total of 20 points. The final grade is determined based on the total number of points earned on the exam, according to the following scale:
10.00 pts. – 12.00 points: satisfactory (3.0)
12.25 – 14.00 points: satisfactory plus (3.5)
14.25 – 16.00 points: good (4.0)
16.25 – 18.00 points: good plus (4.5)
18.25 – 20.00 points: very good (5.0)
The tutor may raise the final grade by up to two levels in recognition of the student’s engagement, active participation, and constructive contributions during the classes. If a student does not achieve the minimum of 10 points, they are entitled to take a retake exam. The rules of the retake are the same as those of the final exam.
Number of absences: 2
Bibliography
“The Cambridge Companion to Darwin”, Hodge, J., Radick, G. (eds), 2009, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
“The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Biology”, Ruse, M. (ed.), 2010, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Charlesworth, B. & D. (2017).”Evolution. A Very Short Introduction”. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Coyne, J. A. (2009). “Why Evolution Is True”. Ch. 1: “What Is Evolution?”, pp. 1-20. Oxford – New York: Oxford University Press.
Curtis, R. C. (1986). Are Methodologies Theories of Scientific Rationality?. “The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science” 37 (1), pp. 135-161.
Dawkins, R. (2006). “The Selfish Gene”, Ch. 5: “Aggression: stability and the selfish machine”, pp. 66-87. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dennett, D.C. (1995). “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea”. Ch. 3: “Universal Acid”, pp. 61-84. London - New York: Allen Lane – The Penguin Press.
Gould. S. J. (1994). “Evolution as Fact and Theory”. In: Id., “Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes”, pp. 253-262. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Gould. S. J. (2010). “Darwin’s Untimely Burial”. In: A. Rosenberg & R. Arp (eds.), “Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology”, pp. 99-102. Chichester – Malden, MA – Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kitcher, Ph. (2006). “Four Ways of ‘Biologicizing’ Ethics”. In: E. Sober (ed.), “Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology”, pp. 573-586. Cambridge, Mass.-London: Bradford Books, The MIT Press.
Okasha, S. (2019). “Philosophy of Biology. A Very Short Introduction”. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rosenberg, A. & Arp, R. (2010). “General Introduction: A Short History of Philosophy of Biology”. In: A. Rosenberg & R. Arp (eds.), “Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology”, pp. 1-13. Chichester – Malden, MA – Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Ruse, M. (1989). “Darwin’s Debt to Philosophy”. In Id.: “The Darwinian Paradigm”, pp. 9-33. London - New York: Routledge.
Singer, P. (2005). Ethics and Intuitions. “The Journal of Ethics” 9, pp. 331-352.
Trivers R. (1971). The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism. “The Quarterly Review of Biology” 46 (1), pp. 35-57.
Wood, B. (2019). “Human Evolution. A Very Short Introduction”. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: