PHIL 363 : Philosophy of Biology

Arts

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines philosophical and conceptual issues in the life sciences. Topics may include the units and levels of selection, adaptationism, the evolution of altruism, biology and ethics, sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, cultural evolution, evolution versus creationism, and the origin and nature of life.

Course Overview

You are probably already familiar with some philosophical issues involving biology, as they’re portrayed in the media: For example, the evolution/creationism debate, or the effects of new genetic research on our understanding of humans (the human mind, human sexuality, or human nature). Philosophers of biology engage with these sorts of issues and many others, including: What exactly is natural selection, and does it act on individual organisms, genes, or groups of organisms? Does natural selection explain everything about the amazing diversity and complexity we see in the living world? If all individual organisms are fundamentally self-interested, how on earth do self-sacrificing behaviours, like sharing food, evolve? What is life, anyway, and where did it come from?

We will address these and a range of other questions about the conceptual and philosophical foundations of the life sciences. We will read and discuss literature by both philosophers of biology and biologists. Many of these issues are contentious—people have argued about them for decades or centuries, and are still arguing—so we will not just be learning what others have said, but engaging with ongoing debates.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Philosophy or PHIL 260 and SCIGEN 201 Restriction: PHIL 263

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Critically engage with classic and contemporary debates in philosophy of biology. (Capability 1.1 and 2.1)
  2. Apply philosophical reasoning to contemporary debates in biology. (Capability 1.2 and 2.3)
  3. Draw on insights from the life sciences to think about philosopical issues. (Capability 1.2, 2.2 and 5.2)
  4. Be able to write concisely and convincingly about complex, interdisciplinary topics. (Capability 1.3, 2.3 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Weekly mini essays 50% Individual Coursework
Essay 50% Individual Coursework

Next offered

2022

Learning Resources

All readings will be made available electronically.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, and roughly 2–4 hours of reading each week, plus roughly 3–5 hours (on average) thinking about the content and working on assignments each week.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 25/07/2020 04:56 p.m.