History and Philosophy of Biology: Life and Consciousness

What is life? What distinguishes a living organism from the sum total of its chemical and physical properties? What is consciousness? What makes an organism capable of feeling pain or becoming self-conscious? Such questions lie at the heart of many historical and contemporary debates in the biological sciences. The way that biologists define life and consciousness shapes their research programs, methodologies and ethics.

This program will examine the history of biology as a window on contemporary discussions about evolutionary biology, neurobiology, consciousness and the nature of mind. We will use a variety of historical case studies to illuminate such issues, including Charles Darwin's work on natural selection and the evolution of human consciousness, Claude Bernard's physiology and persistent debates over animal experimentation, James Watson and Francis Crick's studies of DNA and issues of reductionism, and E. O. Wilson's research on sociobiology and questions about biological determinism. We will also read contemporary explorations of cognition, consciousness, and evolutionary psychology. Finally, we will explore the ethical and political implications of recent advances in genetics, neurobiology, and cognitive science. Students will conduct an independent research project as part of this program.