Aims & Learning Objectives:
Aims: To develop an understanding of the history of biological thought in western culture. To develop an understanding of the extent to which the biological world view reflects and shapes the broader western world view. To provide an introduction to debates conducted within the philosophy of science about the potential of science to obtain an accurate picture of reality; this debate is illustrated with a case study which looks at philosophical and biological issues of the mind-brain problem.
After taking this course the student should be able to:
*discuss the development of biological thought in ancient Greece, in medieval Europe and between the onset of the Scientific Revolution and the present
*debate problems associated with scientific methodology and discuss the implications for the biological world view of these problems.
Content:
Views of nature in ancient Greece, from presocratic philosophers to Plato, Aristotle and the neoplatonists, and in Europe from the medieval period to the present. Topics include: the nature of reality; what exists and why; the relationship between individuals, universals and classification. A critique of science which will include the following issues: how science is possible; how science identifies areas for study; the scientific approach, including the role of inductive and deductive reasoning, theory-ladeness and theory choice.
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