Philosophy of Biology

1 Course Unit

This course will examine evolutionary theory and its philosophical foundations. We begin with Darwin's formulation of evolutionary theory and the main influences on Darwin. We then consider two contemporary presentations of the theory, by Richard Dawkins and Richard Lewontin. The rest of the course addresses a number of foundational issues including adaptation, the units of selections, the evolution of altruism, and the possibility of grounding ethics in evolutionary theory. Not Offered Every Year 1 Course Unit