Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010 - (Page 16)

THE WIDE WORLD PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY BY LEONORE MILLER I went to college planning to be a geneticist, and although I graduated with a degree in biology, I majored in philosophy as well. While finishing my junior year— about the time I began thinking about my future beyond college—I learned about philosophy of biology from a professor who taught me philosophy of science. I realized that I was already reading some popular philosophy of biology books, such as Richard Dawkins’s The Selfish Gene and Matt Ridley’s Genome, so I decided to write my senior thesis on philosophy of biology and apply to graduate schools in this area of study. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll say there are three general types of questions in philosophy of biology. The first are questions from philosophy of science that have been narrowed to the subject of biology. For example, general epistemological questions—such as what we know and how we can know—about scientific explanations are narrowed to questions specific to biology. Other questions concern problems in biology that biology itself has been unable to answer, such as whether organisms have become more complex over time. To answer this question, one has to define what “complex” means, whether it is something that can be objectively understood, and whether organisms can be compared on any absolute scale. Questions like these are answered using ideas and reason rather than data from the lab or field. Finally, there are questions that apply biology to traditionally philosophical concepts; for example, we might use biology as a way to understand the basis of morality. Biology is the study of life, so we often turn to biology when we have questions not just about life in general, but about human nature. My research centers on a new biological law put forward by Robert Brandon and Daniel McShea called The Zero Force Evolutionary Law (ZFEL), which concerns the tendency of complexity and diversity to increase in evolutionary systems. My questions are about how universal the ZFEL is. For example, does it apply anywhere in the universe where its assumptions are met? Does it fit easily into the Darwinian framework? Does the ZFEL affect current debates in biology? And does it show that it is important for biology, as a field, to seek more universal laws, or should biology stick to explaining earthly science? Philosophy of biology examines a rich and diverse set of issues that change as biological theories change. Not only does philosophy of biology theorize about the latest biological You might not think of philosophy when you’re doing a chemistry lab, proving a theorem, or writing a paper about Macbeth. But science, math, and literature—like all academic disciplines—are rich with questions of interest to philosophers. In fact, for almost every academic discipline, there is a philosophical specialization. We asked graduate students specializing in four di erent areas of philosophy to share some of the big questions they’re pursuing in their research. As these writers reveal, a philosophical approach to math, science, religion, and language opens these ﬁelds to a whole new level of exploration. istock 16 imagine Mar/Apr 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010
Contents
Editor’s Note
Big Questions
In My Own Words
Why Study Philosophy?
The Great Conversation
Robots, Zombies, and Descartes
The Wide World of Philosophy
The Philosopher’s Toolbox
Bad Dreams, Evil Demons, and The Experience Machine
Harry Potter and Plato
Exploring Ethics (or, Why I Give Up Saturdays in Spring)
How to Start a Philosophy Club
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Middle Ground
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Sudoku
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010