PHIL355

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PHIL355

Our Animal Bodies -- The Interface of Ethics and Cognitive Science PHIL355 SP

Not Currently Offered

Our relationship to our rational and animal nature has always been a central theme in discussions of ethics and human nature. The passions in particular have often been associated with what is "animal" or "bestial" in us, while reason has often been viewed as what is distinctively human, and even equated with what is good for humans. Recent work in cognitive science provides new ways of looking at both reason and animals, and some recent writers have attempted to apply these insights to ethics. In particular, evolutionary psychology has provided material for discussions of whether such ethical characteristics as altruism can be explained in purely biologial terms, and studies of other social animals (particularly other primates) provides interesting insights into how our own individual and social nature is shaped by species-specific characteristics that do not easily fit into the model of calculating reason., In this course we will read recent books and articles that attempt to appropriate insights from the cognitive sciences from a variety of perspectives, ranging from E.O. Wilson and D. Dawkins" reductionist approaches to Midgeley and Horst's accounts which more closely related to traditional philosophical approaches to ethics.

MAJOR READINGS

Likely readings include: E.O. Wilson,
"Sociobiology"
Mary Midgeley, "Beast and Man"
D. Dawkins, "The Selfish Gene"
S. Horst, "Our Animal Bodies"

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Attendance and participation in class and electronic discussion groups. Weekly short papers. One term paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Students should come to the course with some background either in ethics or in some area of cognitive science relevant to the topic.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: SBS PHIL

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-22-1999

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