Corso di laurea magistrale in Filosofia

The course is primarily intendend for students of the “Philosophy International Curriculum.” Adequate command of the English language is required. Basic (high-school level) background in mathematics and natural science is presupposed.

Students will familarize themselves with the study of the history of scientific debates and with the historical interplay of competing approaches. They will also  learn to approach classical texts and problems of the history of science.

Students will develop a basic acquaintance with the connection of morphological and evolutionary reasoning in 18^th to early 20^th-century biology, and in particular in D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson's opus magnum. They will try themselves at moving from a historical hint to an in-deep presentation in the second section of the course.

The course will be part class lessons, part presentations and home assignments. There will be three parts, evoted to:

- A general introduction (teacher's lessons)

- The historical section of On Growth and Form (students' presentations)

- Some sections from On Growth and Form, with special attention to the relation of morphology and evolution, of ontology and explanation, and of physical laws and biological laws (both teacher's lessons and students' presentations).

Requirements:

- Class participation, including one short presentation (PIC students unable to attend class should contact the teacher);

- One short research paper (1500-2000 words), due mid-semester, that may be based on the presentation;

- Either a longer paper or a written examination at the end of semester.

The final grade will, with some looseness, be based on these as follows: class participation (15%), oral presentation (25%), first paper (20%) and final paper or examination (40%).

Morphogenesis and Evolution. A glimpse on D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson

D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, Crescita e forma, a cura di J. T. Bonner, Bollati Boringhieri; Stephen J. Gould, La struttura della teoria dell'evoluzione, Codice; Barsanti, Una lunga pazienza cieca. Storia dell'evoluzionismo, Einaudi; Jerry A. Fodor e Massimo Piattelli Palmarini, Gli errori di Darwin, Feltrinelli.

English text