PHIL 236 - Philosophy of Life Science

Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-B2
Origins, nature, method, limits, and ethics of life science. Thinkers include Aristotle, Karl Popper, and Carl Hempel. Limitations of science include: questions that science cannot answer; cultural dependency of scientific truths; feminist critiques. Ending with ethics in biomedical research.

Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground, or Hybrid, or Online-Asynchronous, or Online-Synchronous.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-B2 - Lower Division Life Sciences
Course Typically Offered: Variable Intermittently

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Explain that there is not one scientific method, but rather a number of different valid ways of doing science, all engaged in by influential life scientists.
Discuss various limitations of science that involve knowledge, truth, as well as more radical critiques of science e.g. feminism.
Explain and evaluate major topics in the ethics of biomedical science.

B2. Life Sciences Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the life sciences;
demonstrate an understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method; and
describe the potential limits of scientific endeavors, including the accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.