A panel discussion focusing on the philosophy of science will be held Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. in the Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield College.
Panelists will include three science philosophers – Jonathan Kaplan, associate professor of philosophy at Oregon State University; Massimo Pigliucci, professor of philosophy at City College of New York; and Leonard Finkelman, assistant professor of philosophy at Linfield.
Questions traditionally answered by philosophers are now being tackled by prominent scientists. As the cultural influence of science and technology continues to grow, what room if any, is left for philosophy? Join the discussion about the role of philosophy both within science and elsewhere. Panelists will explain how philosophy has contributed to scientific progress, why philosophy continues to be important to science, and why there remain questions that only philosophy can answer.
The panelists represent three generations of an academic lineage: Professor Kaplan was Professor Pigliucci’s dissertation advisor and Professor Pigliucci was Professor Finkelman’s dissertation advisor.
Kaplan earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Stanford University and joined the Oregon State University faculty in 2003. His primary areas of research include the philosophy of biology and social/political philosophy, with an emphasis on ways in which biological research gets deployed in arguments surrounding social and political issues, and the ways in which social and political issues inspire particular interpretations and/or uses of biological research. Recent work includes an extended series of articles (some co-authored) on the relationship between modern genomic technologies and the concept of “race” in contemporary social discourse, as well as on issues surrounding the roles that race plays in arenas such as biomedicine and housing.
Pigliucci has a doctorate in genetics from the University of Ferrara (Italy), a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has done postdoctoral research in evolutionary ecology at Brown University. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy and the nature of pseudoscience. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has published in national outlets such as the New York Times, Philosophy Now and The Philosopher’s Magazine among others. He edits the Scientia Salon web magazine and has published more than 135 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is the author or editor of 10 technical and public outreach books, most recently “Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem,” co-edited with Maarten Boudry.
Before joining the Linfield faculty in 2014, Finkelman received his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy at the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. in philosophy at City University of New York Graduate Center. His scholarly interests include the philosophy of biology with an emphasis on concepts in evolution and extinction. He has also co-authored the articles “The Value of Public Philosophy to Philosophers” and “The Extended (Evolutionary) Debate: Where Science Meets Philosophy.”
The panel is sponsored by PLACE (Program for Liberal Arts and Community Engagement), exploring this year’s theme “How Do We Know? Paths to Wisdom.” It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Finkelman at 503-883-2760 or dinosaurphilosophy@linfield.edu.
