Aims

After this seminar, the student will be capable of :
- leading a bibliographical research, based on a logical book, or based on the access to databases with use of computer tools;
- analysing, in a rigorous and informal way, texts written by scientists in disciplines of human sciences and biological sciences.
- Exchanging on a series of fundamental questions brought by the development of biomedical practices and to speak about them.
- To work in team, or in a workgroup, to distribute the work and the evolution of the dynamic in the constituted group.
- To write a text, with coherence in arguments and with formal rigor, for example in making a bibliography.
- To present orally a project with classical techniques of support to a presentation : slides, powerpoint, etc.

Main themes

The biomedical sciences have deeply transformed the image of the human being. All the life sciences - molecular biology, genetics, physiology, embryology, neurosciences, ecology, theories of evolution… - have deeply modified the conceptions of the human being as being free, given an intentional conscious, that carries modern society since Descartes. Life sciences bring new light on diverse moments and dimensions of human existence : origin of life, birth, death, suffering, pain, consciousness, love, intelligence, .. A new relation to nature is installed, a new way of thinking these relations between bodies and mind is in gestation. The objective of the seminar is not to introduce a constituted knowledge, but to initiate to a way of rigorous thinking, informed and dialoguing on this fundamental theme. Biological anthropology installs an exchange between life sciences and philosophy, as well as all human sciences, to open a new comprehension of a "human being".

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Seminars consist in a dynamic group work about different themes, comprising eight members per group. With about thirty work groups, fifteen work themes are proposed and supervised by an assistant. For each theme, two work groups of eight students are formed following a well defined procedure: one group works with a biological approach, the other one with a philosophical approach. A session gathering the two groups working on the same subject will permit to integrate the both approaches. Several texts are proposed for each work theme. Each work group constitutes a discussion forum. External contributions are texts proposed by the assistant and those chosen during bibliographical research in collaboration with the assistant.
The aim is to write a report including a summary of meaningful texts and a review of group discussions. This work should consist of a fifteen pages report (6 from each group and 3 of summary). The evaluation will be oral yet to be defined (PWP or poster).
A specific web site is open for seminar work. This site favours interactions between students and assistants and the gathering of works.

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