Fall 2009

Philosophy 7800 – (74935-5002)

Evolution and the Levels of Selection

2:30 – 5:30 Tuesday

Shatzel 301

Professor Michael Bradie

The focus of this seminar is evolution and the levels of selection.  The fundamental question is “Does natural selection act primarily on individual organisms, on groups, on genes, or on whole species?”  A key concern will be the relation of the concept of causality to the question of levels, and the plausibility of hierarchical causal chains that filter up or down from one level to another. Other biological topics include a discussion of Price’s equation, kin and group selection, the gene’s eye view, evolutionary game theory, outlaws and selfish genetic elements, species and clade selection, and the evolution of individuality. Philosophical topics include a discussion of reductionism and holism, causation and correlation, the nature of hierarchical organization, and realism and pluralism.

This course will be taught in conjunction with BIOL 7800 Seminar in Biological Sciences.

Main Text: Samir Okasha: Evolution and the Levels of Selection

Department of Philosophy
305 Shatzel Hall,
Bowling Green State University,
Bowling Green, OH 43403.

Phone: 419-372-2117
Fax: 419-372-8191
Email: mdeluca@bgnet.bgsu.edu