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Summary Philosophy & Ethics - Lecture 5

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Philosophy & Ethics - Lecture 5

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  • August 14, 2019
  • 6
  • 2017/2018
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Philosophy & Ethics – Lecture 5 (23-05-2018): Introduction to Philosophy of
Biology

- Science deals with one specific domain of objects (e.g. nature, life, psyche,
society)
o Object is already understood in a certain way (e.g. as ‘matter in
motion’)
o Thus, science is based on necessarily on theoretical presuppositions.
o Science is always hypothetical (explaining by proposing (hypo)theses:
‘positive’)
o Empirical-theoretical

- Philosophy deals with being as a whole and as such (the world in its totality).
o Object is questioned in what it is (what is the true nature of matter,
time, space, etc.?)
o Thus, critical examination of these presuppositions
o Problematizing (putting into question: ‘negative’)
o Reflexive-theoretical

What is philosophy?
- Philosophy is concerned with how things in the broadest possible sense of
the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term

- Philosophy of biology has roughly two functions:
1. Synthetic: looking for the interconnection of all biological ‘things’ and
especially those that are theorized in the various biological disciplines (from
molecular genetics to ecology).
2. Critical: questioning, reflecting upon and problematizing the fundamental
concepts and theoretical presuppositions in biology (conceptual analysis).

What is life  characteristics approach
- Metabolism (assimilate + dissimilate matter)
- Organization
- Complexity (form)
- Motility (movement)
- Responsivity (sensitivity)
- Development
- Reproduction/replication (DNA replicates, while life reproduces its own being)
- Evolution
- Autonomy (freedom)

Autonomy of biology vis-à-vis physics:
The reductionist position in biology
Biology has some characteristics that you don’t find in physics, therefore biology is a
unique concept.

, Vitalism <-> Mechanicism

Vitalism:
No essential difference between life and non-life
Life can be understood in a purely mechanical way  laws of physics
There is no special principle of life, only inert matter and efficient causality
Reductionistic, causalistic

Mechanisism:
Essential difference between life and non-life
Life cannot be understood in a purely mechanical way, something more is ‘at work’
There is a special, immaterial principle of life: vital force, entelecheia, soul, etc.
Holistic, teleological

Holism <-> reductionism


Reductionism and holism:
Reductionism: the whole is no more than the sum of its parts  the behavior of the
whole can be fully explained from the composing parts and is nothing more than the
sum of the behaviors of these individual parts.

Holism: the whole is more than the sum of its parts  the whole cannot be fully
explained from the composing parts and is more than the sum of these parts.
- Emergent properties (properties that appear when parts are clicked together)
o All the properties of life are emerging properties.
- Downward causation
- Wholistic causation

The whole has a certain causal influence on its parts

Species problem:
What are species?
- Reproductive isolation; organisms that breed in nature and produce fertile
offspring
- Phylogenetic species concept
- Evolutionary species concept

Species are classes of things
In Darwinist: species are individuals that come up in evolution at a certain point in
time.

Teleology (goal-directedness):
Telos: projected end, purpose, goal, achievement, realization.

- How molecules interact is a non-teleological thing.
- When humans are attracted to each other  teleological, because this is for
a goal and has reasons/purposes.

Distinguishes living from non-living.

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