Philosophy Professor Jay Odenbaugh will present two lectures as part of the annual Walter Powell Philosophy Lecture series Feb. 22-23 at 7 p.m. at Linfield College.
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall, Odenbaugh will present “On the Contrary: How to Think About Climate Skepticism.” He will discuss different types of climate skepticism and the evidence for anthropogenic climate change along with some common arguments against it. He will consider the role of consensus and dissent in science and recent discussion of “Merchants of Doubt” and Climategate.
On Thursday, Feb. 23, in Jonasson Hall, lower level of Melrose Hall, Odenbaugh will present “On the Contrary: How to Think about Climate Communication.” In this talk, he will discuss psychological issues concerning American opinion on the topic of climate control, the relevance or irrelevance of scientific literacy to climate skepticism, the role of affect and cognitive biases in environmental decision-making. He will consider climate communication and how we might most effectively motivate pro-environmental behavior and beliefs. The discussion ends with a case study for persuading individuals on both sides of the political aisle for taking global climate change seriously.
Odenbaugh is associate professor and chair in the department of philosophy at Lewis & Clark College. His main areas of research interest are in the philosophy and history of science, though he has strong interests in aesthetics and ethics. He has published over 35 articles and is currently writing a book entitled “In a Sentimental Mood: Emotion, Evolution and Expression.”
The Walter Powell-Linfield College Annual Philosophy Lectureship is in recognition of a generous gift from Michael Powell in honor of his father. Walter Powell founded Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, the largest private bookstore in the United States with more than one million volumes.
The talk is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Leonard Finkelman at 503-883-2760 or dinosaruphilosophy@linfield.edu.
