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Contact
Information
Professor
Fraga
(Rm 304 Mateer)
dfraga@wooster.edu
x2557
Office hours: by appointment (sign-up sheet in front of door)
Class meets on Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:50
Click
here for the syllabus
Required
Texts
Overview of the course. As
science pushes the boundaries of what is possible, it often enters
into the realms of religion and politics.
What may be one person’s salvation may be another’s
ultimate sin, and thus conflicts arise as to how or even whether
a society should exploit a scientific discovery. Conflicts in society
are usually settled by political means and often individuals are
forced to confront religious beliefs they themselves may not hold.
This seminar will examine specific scientific discoveries and theories
that have provoked controversy due to religious concerns and how
these issues have played out in the political arena. We will explore
the science behind these issues and examine their impacts on society
from various perspectives. Topics will include evolutionary theory,
altering the germline, stem cell research, and manipulating the
mind, among
others.
Structure of the course. The course
is structured as a series of modules. These modules are organized
around a common set of goals.
Module
1: Explorations & Definitions. The first module will provide
us with a common background by essentiallyexploring
and defining
some common aspects of the course such as value systems, and
political philosophy.
Module
2: The Fundamentals of Human Biology. The second module
will help be a set of lectures about biology and the nature
of a
gene.
This
will
help you
understand
the
subsequent modules
Modules
3: The Issues. The third module will be an exploration some
issue sthat have arisen
in our society due to scientific advances in biology.
Module
4 Making Choices
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