Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
BB30072 Biology as a world view |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: EX80ES20 |
| Requisites: |
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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.
Learning Outcomes: After taking this course the student should be able to: * discuss the development of biological thought in the West, from ancient Greece to the present * discuss how science and society have interacted during this period. Skills: Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F/A. Content: Views of nature: * in ancient Greece, from presocratic philosophers to Plato, Aristotle and the neoplatonists; * during the medieval period, including the development of natural theology, scholasticism and the concept of a symbolic nature; * during the early modern period (Scientific Revolution), including the demise of the concept of a symbolic nature, and the move towards the view that Nature is a machine * during the Enlightenment, including the rise of materialism and the development of evolutionary theory; * during the 19th century, including the contributions of Romantic science to the development of modern Biology, and the further development of evolutionary theory; * during the early part of the 20th century, up to and including the modern synthesis Topics include: the nature of reality; what exists and why; the relationship between individuals and universals; the description and classification of nature; the origin, extent and causes of biodiversity. |