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Feminist New Materialisms: Philosophies of Physics, Biology and Society
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:07:31
Abstract
Reading and reflection on Karan Barad's and Deboleena Roy's new materialist feminist philosophies of physics, biology and the social.
Objective
- Acquaintance with contemporary feminist new materialist philosophies of science ans society - Ability to apply these ways of thinking to the context of scientific practice and their social impact
Content
In this course we will read excerpts of Karan Barad's "meeting the universe half way" and Deboleena Roy's "Biology, becomings and life in the lab". These books apply feminist philosophies and new-materialist approaches in order to break the boundaries between our thinking about the natural or material on the one hand and the social or discursive on the other. They engage classical ontological/epistemological questions in the philosophy of science as well as socio-political and ethical questions in a continuous manner, emphasizing a feminist point of view. The course will follow their reasoning and analyze it in the context of contemporary philosophy and science studies.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 35
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Feminist New Materialisms: Philosophies of Physics, Biology and Society |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
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Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and Contents (Subject-specific courses. Particularly relevant for students interested in those subjects. All these courses are also listed under the category “Typ A”, and every student can enroll in these courses.)
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Doctorate Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )