Politics of Biology
| Module title | Politics of Biology |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3247 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Jack Tagney (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
When we think about politics and society, what role does our understanding of biology play? What role should it play? Can nature tell us how to organise society? In what ways can biological science be used for ideological purposes? Is this ever legitimate, or is it always an abuse of science? How should we create policy around the use of biotechnologies? What is the relation between ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ in human life, and why does it matter?
The focus of this module is the spaces where politics and biology come into contact with each other – where there is interplay between socio-political issues and our understanding of living nature. We examine these spaces via a range of disciplines, from political and social theory, to moral philosophy, to history and sociology of the life sciences. No particular prior knowledge is required.
If you are interested in exploring fundamental questions about human existence, and the political implications of the way we answer these questions, you should take this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to:
- Introduce you to the interplay between how we understand the living world and how we relate to each other in society;
- Expand your awareness of the various and complex relations between political ideology, social power, science, and values;
- Provide you with some of the critical tools needed to negotiate these relations in the modern world;
- Encourage independent research into contemporary and historical issues that can be examined using the perspectives introduced by the module.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate critical awareness of the complex relations between political ideology, social power, science, and values;
- 2. apply perspectives introduced in the module to contemporary or historical debates that bring politics and biology into conversation with each other.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. critically reflect on the political and social ramifications of changing understandings of science;
- 4. display good awareness of a range of conceptual frameworks that can be used to understand the complex and changing interaction between science and society.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. demonstrate awareness of the multiple ways in which scientific knowledge can be interpreted and used;
- 6. demonstrate awareness of mutual interaction between knowledge and social relations/power;
- 7. study independently and manage time and assessment deadlines effectively;
- 8. communicate effectively in speech and writing;
- 9. demonstrate research and analytical skills through seminar discussions and module assessments;
- 10. demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases, and other IT resources for the purposes of seminar and assessment preparation.
Syllabus plan
Instead of a weekly structure based around a series of separate ‘topics’, this module adopts a ‘reading group’ format, dedicated to a close reading of one (or potentially two) key academic texts that address the theme of the module. The precise content of the module therefore depends on the text(s) which we choose to read together, but could be focused on topics such as the following:
• Social Darwinism, i.e. appropriations of Darwinian theory by political ideology;
• The role of biological ideas in ‘eugenics’ movements;
• The concept of human nature and its place in social and political thinking;
• The role of biological understanding in contemporary debates around gender, sexuality, race, disability, or the use of bio-technologies;
• The implications of contemporary understandings of development and evolution for our ideas of identity, diversity, the individual and society.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x two-hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Private study reading and preparing for weekly seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Preparation and completion of assessments: independent research and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay Idea | 500 words | 1-10 | Oral or written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 10 | N/A | 1-10 | Oral |
| Essay | 90 | 2,500 words | 1-10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | Reading Reports (total approx. 1500 words) (10%) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay (2,500 words) | Essay (2,500 words) (90%) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
If a student is unable to take part in seminar discussion during the term and needs to submit re-assessment for the ‘Participation’ component, they will be able to submit a series of written ‘reading reports’, as if they had been following the reading and discussion during the term. Details of expectations will be provided.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Meloni, M. (2016) Political Biology: Science and Social Values in Human Heredity from Eugenics to Epigenetics (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan)
- Lewontin, R. (1991) Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA (New York: Harper Collins)
- Nelkin, D. & Lindee, M. S. (1995) The DNA Mystique: The Gene as a Cultural Icon (New York: W. H. Freeman and Co.)
- Kevles, D. J. & Hood, L. (eds.) (1992) The Code of Codes: Scientific and Social Issues in the Human Genome Project (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press)
- Barker, G. (2015) Beyond Biofatalism: Human Nature for an Evolving World (New York: Columbia University Press)
- Kronfeldner, M. (2018) What’s Left of Human Nature? : A Post-Essentialist, Pluralist, and Interactive Account of a Contested Concept (MIT Press)
- Lewens, T. & Hannon, E. (eds.) (2018) Why We Disagree About Human Nature (Oxford University Press)
- Habermas, J. (2003) The Future of Human Nature (Cambridge: Polity Press)
- Oyama, S. (2000b) Evolution’s Eye: A Systems View of the Biology-Culture Divide (Durham, NC.: Duke University Press)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/05/2019 |
| Last revision date | 04/02/2025 |
