Reynolds Lecture To Focus On Darwinism

A renowned authority on the philosophy and history of evolutionary biology, especially Darwinism, will deliver the Herbert H. Reynolds Lecture in the History and Philosophy of Science at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, at Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. Dr. Michael Ruse, the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, will speak on "Darwinism and Atheism: A Marriage Made in Heaven?" The lecture is free and open to the public.
"The mission of the Reynolds lecture series is to try to create conversation across (academic) disciplines on the fundamental issues in the history and philosophy of science. Michael Ruse has done about as much as anyone in this country to create that conversation," said Dr. Robert Baird, professor and chair of the philosophy department and master teacher.
Ruse, who was born in England, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Bristol. He emigrated to Canada in 1962 and earned his master's degree from McMaster University in Ontario. In the late 1960s, he returned to his alma mater to complete his doctorate.
He is the author of more than 10 books, including The Darwinian Revolution: Science Red in Tooth and Claw, Taking Darwin Seriously: A Naturalistic Approach to Philosophy, Can a Darwinian Be a Christian? The Relationship Between Science and Religion and The Evolution Wars: A Guide to the Debates. His latest work, Darwin and Design: Science, Philosophy, Religion, will be published next year.
Ruse is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Killam Fellowship and recently won a Templeton Award to write Darwin and Design.
The Reynolds Lectureship was established in 1998 by a gift to the department of philosophy from the Herbert H. and Joy C. Reynolds Endowment Fund for University Excellence. It brings to campus an internationally recognized scholar in the sciences or in the philosophy or history of science.
For more information, contact the philosophy department at 710-3368.