26 min listen
Does a porpoise have a purpose? Agency and goals in evolution (Ep 115)
FromBig Biology
ratings:
Length:
70 minutes
Released:
Feb 8, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
What is an agent, and does an organism have to be conscious to be one? How does organismal agency affect evolution?
In this episode, we talk with Samir Okasha, a Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Bristol. Samir studies fundamental philosophical questions in evolutionary biology, most notably how selection acts on various levels of biological organization. Our discussion focuses on his book “Agents and Goals in Evolution,” in which he unpacks various definitions of agency and outlines their evolutionary implications. We talk about whether genes and groups of individuals can be agents, whether agency is heritable, where variation in agency comes from, and the relationship between agency and adaptation.
Cover art: Keating Shahmehri. Find a transcript of this episode on our website.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bigbiology/support
In this episode, we talk with Samir Okasha, a Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Bristol. Samir studies fundamental philosophical questions in evolutionary biology, most notably how selection acts on various levels of biological organization. Our discussion focuses on his book “Agents and Goals in Evolution,” in which he unpacks various definitions of agency and outlines their evolutionary implications. We talk about whether genes and groups of individuals can be agents, whether agency is heritable, where variation in agency comes from, and the relationship between agency and adaptation.
Cover art: Keating Shahmehri. Find a transcript of this episode on our website.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bigbiology/support
Released:
Feb 8, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Ep 1: The Drunken Monkey (Full Conversation) by Big Biology