M.A. in Biological Thought

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Introduction1

The Open University offers a unique Master’s degree program in Biological Thought, which combines concepts and ideas from the Life Sciences with philosophical approaches. The program investigates the structure and nature of biological knowledge and the impact of Life Sciences on other areas of knowledge, on the environment, on society, and on man.

Background and Rationale

Undergraduate biology students acquire exquisitely detailed knowledge of the various branches of the life sciences. Interactions between these sciences and philosophical or social issues are not perceived in Israeli universities as part of the curriculum. Hence, it is hardly surprising that Israeli biology graduates are quite naive in their thinking about the implications of the life sciences for society and about the influence of other fields of knowledge on biology itself. Thus, it is doubtful whether a typical biology graduate can properly define the mind-body problem, express a reasoned view concerning creationism, present arguments for or against animal experimentation, hold ground in a debate on sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, or even clearly state the basic ethical questions raised by stem cell research, cloning and the human genome project.

Learning to think about meta-biological questions is intellectually stimulating and valuable in broadening the biological perspective of any life-scientist, and in enabling him or her to explain to the layperson issues related to biology. Our primary mission is to reach biology graduates and practitioners in related fields (e.g. physicians, nurses, teachers, biotechnology workers) and offer them the opportunity to examine the life sciences from a wide range of viewpoints; our secondary mission is to train individual outstanding students to perform research in philosophy, history and sociology of biology.

The program investigates the structure and nature of biological knowledge and the contexts in which the life sciences are formed and practiced. It examines modes of biological research and their impact on society on one hand, and the influences of political, cultural and historical forces on biological research, on the other. In dealing with these topics, it employs both philosophical contemplation and social-science concepts external to biology as well as theoretical concepts embedded in the life sciences.

External philosophical reflection enables us to analyze and clarify major classical issues of philosophy of science pertaining to biology, such as the organization of biological knowledge; the definition of research methodologies; the nature of biological laws and explanations; the demarcation of the life sciences and the status of biology as an autonomous branch of knowledge; the role of biological theories in directing research; the evolution or emergence of new theories that replace older ones.

In our view, just as physics and chemistry do not fully account for biology, philosophy of science does not fully encompass philosophy of biology. In order to understand the essence of biological thought, biology must be examined in the light of paradigmatic concepts and dichotomies (e.g., teleology, the gene concept, natural selection, mechanistic versus organicistic conceptions, reduction versus emergence). Through such unique ideas, biological knowledge manifests its character as distinguished from other branches of science. We believe that in order to unravel the nature of biology and at the same time develop a consciousness of its premises and presuppositions, a detailed investigation of major theoretical frameworks, internal to biology, is just as essential.

The following Venn diagrams may illustrate the spirit of the Biological Thought program. We think that it is wrong to consider philosophy of biology as a mere subset of philosophy of science (a field that overwhelmingly bears upon physics). Thus, Figure 1 is out of line:

Figure 1

Figure 1

Nor is it correct to look upon the theoretical frameworks of biology as totally embodied in biology, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Figure 2

A far better sketch of philosophy of biology and its associations with both biology and philosophy is outlined in Figure 3:

Figure 3

Figure 3

Thus, the contours of Figure 3 partially represent the approach employed in our program.

Goals of the Program

Two major goals of the program are developing the abilities to reflect on biology from the outside and understanding the intrinsic theoretical aspects of biology. Biology has many implications for the world, human action, moral judgments and other disciplines (medicine and psychology, to name only two). Exposing and coming to grips with these implications is the third major goal of the program. The state of the art in biology changes so rapidly that the corpus of knowledge attained by a student is but a fragment of the biological information a biologist can transmit to his or her own students. Hence, the fourth major goal of the program is to unravel the contexts in which biological thought develops.

Transformations in biological knowledge and the conditions for assimilating new ideas into the life sciences are captivating topics, addressed in this program in their cultural, political and historical contexts. The mind-body problem, for instance, is probably as old as western thought, but the particular shape it takes changes from era to era and the scientific concepts adopted in the attempt to deal with the problem reflect altering metaphors and shifting images of knowledge, or even the emergence of new disciplines. Historiographical aspects of the growth of biology are also touched upon, since the description of changes in biology depends on the beholder and his or her assumptions. (Thus, for example, the historical contribution of animal experiments to the advancement of medicine is viewed quite differently by sociologists, animal-rights activists, scientists, and other interest groups.) In practice, we try to achieve the four goals by teaching ten courses (see list below) that encompass many topics, which, together, illuminate the most fundamental aspects of biological thought.

Meta-biological questions are, of course, entrenched in world-views and ideologies. One focus of the program is, therefore, the attempt to pinpoint the influences of different convictions on the topics studied. Thus, religious outlooks may spring up in discussing reproductive choices, a Marxist view may prevail in a debate on nature versus nurture, liberalism may affect one's position concerning drug use, and postmodernism casts its shadow on almost everything. Furthermore, some themes studied in the courses are schools or beliefs as such (e.g., alternative medicine and deep ecology), while other topics involve moral judgments (e.g., abortion, animal experimentation and euthanasia).

Application and Admission

Application Procedures

The application form along with accompanying documents should be submitted to the departmental graduate studies committee. The committee considers each application and summons the applicant for an interview or requests additional material if necessary.

Admission requirements
Registration

Students accepted for graduate studies receive a notice together with registration forms. Registration is in accordance with accepted Open University procedures, through the Registration Center.

Qualifying Studies

Interested applicants may begin qualifying studies (by taking undergraduate Open University courses) as described below:

Applicants with a B.A. in Life Sciences (Biology or Medicine) are required to take

In addition, it is beneficial to enroll in another course in Philosophy. The recommended Open University courses are Greek Philosophy (10248) and Rationalism and Empiricism (10266).

Applicants with degrees in Pharmacy, Nutrition, or Agriculture as well as combined degrees in Natural Sciences, Environmental Science or Paramedical fields, who have taken Biology courses in the framework of their degree studies, are required to take the following four courses:

Applicants with degrees in Physics, Chemistry, or Mathematics and Computer Science are required to take the following six courses:

Applicants with a B.A. in Philosophy are required to take the following courses:

Recommended:

Transition from probationary to degree candidate status

Students may be admitted to the program with probationary status. The transition from this status to degree candidate status is subject to grades in the qualifying courses, and approval of the Admissions Committee.

Structure of the Program

The MA Program in Biological Thought is offered in two tracks: A non-thesis track and a research-oriented track with a thesis. The program is offered on the Raanana campus of the Open University.

All students in the program take 10 courses (30 credits), write 2 seminar papers (10 credits), and submit either a final paper (10 credits) or a thesis.

The structured part of the studies spans 4 semesters and includes 10 courses. During these two years, students also write the first of two required seminar papers. At the end of this period, students are allocated to the non-thesis track or to the thesis-track. Students in the former track participate in a third-year graduate seminar, submit a second seminar paper and begin working on a final paper (of limited scope); research-oriented students submit a second seminar paper and begin working on a thesis.

Courses

At present, the program includes the following courses:

1

Definition of Life (22000)

2

Reduction and Teleology in Biology (22010)

3

Vitalism, Mechanism and Organicism: Fundamental Concepts in the Study of Life (22003)

4

The Mind-Body Problem (22004)

5

Evolution and Creationism (22005)

6

The Human Genome Projects: Genetics and Genethics (22006)

7

Bioethical Issues: Animal Experimentation (22007)

8

Ecological Balance and Environmental Conservation (22008)

9

A Critique of Alternative Medicine (22009)

10

Sociobiology and Its Offshoots: Science in Controversy (22011)

Each course (3 credits) is divided into two sections. Section A of courses 1 to 5 is studied in the first semester and Section A of courses 6 to 10 in the second semester. Section B of courses 1 to 5 is studied in the third semester, and Section B of courses 6 to 10 in the fourth semester. The five courses in each semester are studied consecutively, not concurrently, thus one course is studied per month. The spiral nature of the courses, with each course studied twice, has two outcomes: first, in the first year, students are exposed to a wide range of topics in a gradual manner; second, during the second year, on the basis of knowledge previously acquired in 10 different courses, students can deepen their understanding of various issues already touched upon.

Each course includes the following components:

Section A:

Section B:

Papers that students are required to read in order to prepare assignments are selected from the course reader; occasionally, additional updated papers are posted on the course website.

Seminar Papers

During the first 2 semesters, following Section A of the courses, students select a topic for their first seminar paper from a list of topics related to these courses. By the end of the second year, students select a topic for a second seminar paper, a topic that can be freely chosen, based on any of the courses in the program or a combination of courses. Students devote a significant part of their studies to writing their seminar papers. They are individually instructed by team members who meet with them several times to assess, encourage and direct each student's work throughout the various stages of composing the paper. Students also prepare a lecture to be delivered to their peers at the third-year graduate seminar.

The scope of a seminar paper is 25 to 30 pages (7,500-9,000 words), and is based on 2-5 review papers (or one or two books) and an additional 5-10 articles.

Third-year Graduate Seminar

The seminar is conducted during the third year of studies, after students have completed the 10 courses. There are six 3-hour seminar sessions, at which guest lecturers deliver presentations of their work; in addition, students either report on their progress in their papers, or present a lecture relating to a submitted paper. Throughout the sessions, students receive feedback from team members and colleagues on their papers. The seminar is mandatory for students in the non-thesis track.

Thesis or Final Paper

Outstanding students (with an average of 90 or more) are entitled to write a thesis. Students select the thesis topic and are assigned a supervisor (senior staff). The thesis is research-oriented, must demonstrate originality in synthesis and integration, and is expected to include a bona fide innovation. Two professionals (internal and external) read the thesis and judge its merit.

Other students write a shorter final paper. In writing the final paper, students are guided by a staff tutor. The paper includes a summary of materials covered in the relevant courses and seminars and an extended presentation of a topic or problem. The scope of the paper is about 50 pages (15,000 words).

A final oral exam is conducted on presentation of the thesis or final paper.

Duration of Studies

Students are required to complete their studies within 7 years of taking their first course in the program (not including qualifying courses).

Degree Eligibility and Final Degree Grade

Students are awarded a Master's degree in Biological Thought under the following conditions:

The degree grade is a weighted average of the program components; if a thesis is submitted, it contributes 50% to the degree grade, and if a final paper is submitted, it contributes 20% to the final grade.

Program Team

Prof. Simona Ginsburg, program director (972-2-6773330)

Dr. Susie Fisher (972-9-7781766)

Dr. Sara Schwartz (972-2-6773328)

Dr. Batya Zalinger (972-9-7781136)

1

The details below are subject to the Regulations Pertaining to Graduate Studies.