Philosophy 431: Philosophy of Biology

• William Harms
• Fall 1997
• Tuesday/Thursday 6:00-7:15
• Office: Shatzel 312
• Office Hours:
• Phone: 372-7219
• E-mail: wfharms@bgnet.bgsu.edu

Texts:

• Elliott Sober, Philosophy of Biology, Westview 1993
• Elliott Sober, Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology, 2^nd Edition, MIT Press, 1994

The Course: The Philosophy of Biology is a area of inquiry that exists on the border between philosophy and biology. Some issues in this area involve the philosophical analysis of foundational issues in biology (like, what is "fitness"?; is evolutionary theory tautological?). Others involve the relevance of biology to traditional philosophical questions (like, does the fact that we are, after all, biological organisms tell us anything about what is right and wrong, or about the meaning of life?) In this course we will be asking both of these kinds of questions.

The course will be divided into two roughly equal parts. First, we will read Sober's Philosophy of Biology in order to bone up on the basics of evolutionary theory (if we need to) and to familiarize ourselves with the issues. During the second part, we will be discussing selected articles from the anthology (Sober 1994). Every student will make a presentation on one of the articles, either pro or con. Articles and dates for presentation will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so it is in your interest to make your choice of topics early. You are encouraged to consult with me in both the selection of topic and the "design" of your presentation.

Course Requirements: Three exams, one presentation.The two midterms will come midway through and at the end of our reading of Sober's Philosophy of Biology text. In addition there will be a comprehensive final, that will also cover articles from the anthology that we will have read. Midterms count for 20% each, the final is worth 30%, and the presentation combined with participation during the second part of the course is worth 30%.

Syllabus:

Part I: Sober 1993,

• 1. What is Evolutionary Theory?
• 2. Creationism
• 3. Fitness
• 4. The Units of Selection Problem
• 5. Systematics
• 6. Sociobiology and the Extension of Evolutionary Theory

PartII: Sober 1994, Selections. (tentative list)

• Mills &Beatty: "The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness"
• Larry Wright: "Functions"
• Robert Cummins: "Functional Analysis"
• Gould & Lewontin: "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Program.
• George C. Williams: Excerpts from Adaptation and Natural Selection
• David Sloan Wilson: "Levels of Selection: An Alternative to Individualism in Biology and the Human Sciences"
• David L. Hull: "Contemporary Systematic Philosophies"
• Philip Kitcher: "1953 and All That: A Tale of Two Sciences"
• Ruse & Wilson: "Moral Philosophy as Applied Science"
• Philip Kitcher: "Four Ways of Biologicizing Ethics"
• Michael Bradie: "Epistemology from and Evolutionary Point of View"
• Elliott Sober: "Models of Cultural Evolution"