2020 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Philosophy B
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Daisuke Harashima
- Class Format
- Lecture (Zoom)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue (H111) / 5-6 Fri (H111)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.H201
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2020
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
What is life? What is the difference between living things and machines? Our understanding of their relationship is challenged by contemporary technologies, e.g., artificial intelligence and genome editing. Is biological process of thinking a data-processing algorithm? Is natural history of life programed? Are immaterial realities, such as life, mind, consciousness, culture, society, meaning, value, dignity, etc., only too humanistic fictions? Should these concepts be eliminated from our scientific and technological thinking someday soon? Students will have the chance to tackle these questions of life and problematics of living systems and mechanical systems. Ultimately, it is to philosophize what it is that is living your life.
This course helps students to acquire a basic knowledge of living systems theory, a modern scientific-technological-philosophical approach to the question of life, by means of which it will discuss ideas fundamental to our humanity and at the same time seem to need reevaluation today; for example, free will, responsibility, meaning and value, dignity, individual and collective, mind, and self. In systems theory, autonomous system or autopoietic system is the model of living things; autonomous here means that a system has its own law in its self-referential operation; autopoietic here means that a system produces itself in its own recursive process. This automaton is not a simple mechanism. It escapes mechanical causality. It is spontaneous; of itself, by itself, for itself, in itself, ... who is the self who did create the self? The ambiguity of your life living self will lead us to a deeper understanding of the relationship between living systems and mechanical systems and the question of life.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) acquire a basic knowledge of philosophy of technology and humanity
2) explain the relationship between living systems and mechanical systems
3) understand a philosophical approach to the question of life.
Keywords
Life, Living Thing, Machine, Artificial Intelligence, Systems Theory
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Conducted generally in lecture style and when possible in seminar style.
Toward the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to what is taught on that day to solve (short papers).
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Try to ask your question of life. |
| Class 2 | Technology and Humanity (1) : Technological Singularity and Transhumanism | Explain the notions of technological singularity and transhumanism. |
| Class 3 | Technology and Humanity (2) : Nihilism | Explain the notion of nihilism. |
| Class 4 | Technology and Humanity (3) : Ecology | Explain the notion of post-anthropocentric ecology. |
| Class 5 | Technology and Humanity (4) : Enlightenment and Rationalism | Explain the enlightenment and rationalism. |
| Class 6 | Living Systems and Mechanical Systems (1) : Mechanical Worldview | Understand the mechanical worldview. |
| Class 7 | Living Systems and Mechanical Systems (2) : Living Worldview | Understand the living worldview. |
| Class 8 | Living Systems Theory (1) : Organization | Explain the concept of organization. |
| Class 9 | Living Systems Theory (2) : Autopoiesis | Explain the concept of autopoietic system. |
| Class 10 | Living Systems Theory (3) : Autonomous System | Explain the concept of autonomous system. |
| Class 11 | Living Systems Theory (4) : Recursivity and Contingency | Understand the concept of recursivity and contingency. |
| Class 12 | Living Systems Theory (5) : Psychic Systems, Social Systems, Technological Systems | Analyze the relationship between psychic, social, and technological systems. |
| Class 13 | Living Systems Theory (6) : Hierarchical Autonomous Communication System | Understand the ambiguity of living system. |
| Class 14 | Living Systems Theory (7) : Duality and Ambiguity | Explain the ambiguity of living system. |
| Class 15 | What is life? | Try to respond to your question of life. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Toru Nishigaki. Seimei to Kikai wo Tsunagu Chi. Tokyo: Koryosha. (Japanese)
Keiko Nakamura. Seimei Kagaku kara Seimei Shi he. Tokyo: Fujiwara-shoten. (Japanese)
Shigeo Kawashima. AI Jidai no Jiritsusei. Tokyo. Keisoshobo. (Japanese)
Course materials are provided during class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Based on writing assignments: short papers (50%) and final exam (50%)
Related courses
- LAH.H101 ： Philosophy A
- LAH.H301 ： Philosophy C
- LAH.S432 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences36:Philosophy
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.