DeepSummary
Sean Carroll begins by discussing how philosophy is essential in understanding foundational questions in biology, just as it is in physics. He and guest Samir Okasha explore what defines life, agency, and the origins of goal-directed behavior and morality. They analyze different conceptions of agency, from minimal agents that simply 'do things' to intentional agents with mental representations of their goals.
The conversation delves into the levels of selection debate, examining whether natural selection operates primarily on genes, individuals, groups, or multiple levels simultaneously. Okasha explains how early models favored individual selection, but recent work has revived the idea of multi-level selection, offering a potential explanation for altruistic behaviors.
They also discuss the implications of evolutionary theory for free will and moral realism. While some argue evolution debunks objective moral truths, others suggest a naturalized form of moral realism grounded in evolutionary cooperation. Pondering the discovery of alien life, Okasha speculates it could be biochemically distinct yet share fundamental features like metabolism and reproduction.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Philosophy plays a crucial role in addressing foundational issues in evolutionary biology, just as it does in physics.
- Defining life, agency, and the origins of goal-directed behavior are key philosophical challenges explored through the lens of evolutionary theory.
- The levels of selection debate examines whether natural selection operates primarily on genes, individuals, groups, or multiple levels simultaneously.
- Evolutionary theory has significant implications for long-standing philosophical issues like free will and moral realism.
- Philosophers are grappling with how evolutionary processes could give rise to capacities like intentionality and mental representation.
- Speculation on alien life forms provides a unique lens for considering fundamental questions about the nature of life and evolution.
- An interdisciplinary approach combining biology and philosophy offers valuable insights into these deep conceptual issues.
- While providing empirical illumination, evolution also prompts re-examination of traditional philosophical concepts and assumptions.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Indeed: We're all driven by the search for better. But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all.“ by Indeed (Sponsor)
- “Samir Okasha: I mean, Darwin himself noted this. So in a famous comment he made in a notebook never intended for publication, then Darwin wrote, origin of man now proved he who understands baboon would do more for metaphysics than Locke.“ by Samir Okasha
- “I've always been persuaded of that idea that sometimes called evolutionary debunking in the philosophy literature, which says that evolution debunks our belief, if we had one, in moral realism or in the objectivity of the moral realm.“ by Samir Okasha
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Episode Information
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Sean Carroll | Wondery
7/1/24
Just like with physics, in biology it is perfectly possible to do most respectable work without thinking much about philosophy, but there are unmistakably foundational questions where philosophy becomes crucial. When do we say that a collection of matter (or bits) is alive? When does it become an agent, capable of making decisions? What are the origins of morality and altruistic behavior? We talk with one of the world's leading experts, Samir Okasha, about the biggest issues in modern philosophy of biology.
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Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/07/01/281-samir-okasha-on-the-philosophy-of-agency-and-evolution/
Samir Okasha received his D.Phil. in Philosophy from the University of Oxford. He is currently Professor of the Philosophy of Science at the University of Bristol. He is a winner of the Lakatos Award for his book Evolution and the Levels of Selection, and is a Fellow of the British Academy.
- University of Bristol web page
- PhilPeople profile
- Google Scholar publications
- Amazon author page
- Wikipedia
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