BIOG 4150

Philosophy of Biology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

What is an organism, or a functional trait? Does biology have laws of nature like those we find in physics? Can biological phenomena be reduced to a lower-level of explanation? Are species natural kinds, or mere convention for biological practice? Does natural selection cause evolution, at what levels of biological organization does it occur, and how might it be defined? Is fitness an incoherent, tautological notion or a propensity? Is there such a thing as human nature? In this course, we’ll address questions like these and others as an introduction to the subfield known as “philosophy of biology”. In doing so we’ll examine some of biology’s philosophical underpinnings, while also exploring how philosophical questions can be informed both by theoretical and empirical biological research.

Prerequisites one course in biology or philosophy.

Distribution Requirements (BIO-AG, BSC-AG, WRT-AG)

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Articulate and critically analyze views related to evolution by natural selection, reductionism, species, teleology, levels of biological organization, scientific observation, and human nature reflected in the required course readings.
• Identify presuppositions underlying an author’s viewpoint as expressed in the required course readings and as discovered in classroom discussions and writing exercises.
• Successfully defend viewpoints related to course topics by applying the skills acquired in the classroom.
• Recognize various conceptual and theoretical advances made throughout the history of biology and philosophy, which also inform current issues in both biology and philosophy.

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