Postgraduate Course: Philosophical Issues in Evolution MSc (PHIL11083)

Course Outline
School	School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	This course will offer detailed seminars on key philosophical issues in evolution and evolutionary theory. No background in biology or life-sciences will be assumed, and the course is intended to be accessible to students with a wide range of philosophical interests and aptitudes. Shared with UG course PHIL10106 Philosophical Issues in Evolution Taught by Dr Alasdair Richmond. Unfortunately due to high demand, this course is not available for auditing purposes. Formative feedback: - opportunity to submit a formative essay - MSc-only advice session approximately two weeks before the hand-in date for summative essays
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
Students who take this course should be equipped to explore, discuss and analyse philosophical issues in the development, history and methodology of theories of evolution by mans of natural selection, and thereby acquire confidence in dealing with these issues. In particular, they should be enabled to explore critically topics that include the following: * The mechanisms of evolution and the unit of natural selection * The status of Darwinism as a scientific theory * The conflict (or otherwise) between Darwinism and Design * The explanatory scope of adaptationism * The forces of contingency and convergence in natural selection