Ernan McMullin
Encyclopedia
Ernan McMullin was the O’Hara Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame
. He was an internationally-respected philosopher of science who has written and lectured extensively on subjects ranging from the relationship between cosmology and theology, to the role of values in understanding science, to the impact of Darwinism on Western religious thought. He was an expert on the life of Galileo.
He died on February 8, 2011, in Letterkenny
in his native County Donegal
, Ireland
.
He was a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota
, the University of Cape Town
, the University of California at Los Angeles, Princeton University
, and Yale University
. A former Phi Beta Kappa National Lecturer, he delivered the Cardinal Mercier Lecturer at the (Flemish) University of Leuven in 1995 and the Reynolds Lecture at Baylor University
in 2005. In addition, he served as president of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
, the Metaphysical Society of America
(1974), the Philosophy of Science Association
, and the Western Division of the American Philosophical Association
, as chair of the History and Philosophy of Science Section of the AAAS
, as a member of the executive committees of the History of Science Society
, the Council for Philosophical Studies, and the Society of Christian Philosophers
, and as a member of numerous scholarly and scientific committees, congresses, and panels. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the International Academy of the History of Science
, and the AAAS, he was an honorary fellow of St. Edmund's College, Cambridge, and was awarded honorary degrees by the National University of Ireland at Maynooth
, Loyola University (Chicago), Stonehill College
, and University of Notre Dame
.
Among other honors, he won the Aquinas Medal of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the Centennial Medal of John Carroll University
, the Founder’s Medal of the Metaphysical Society of America
, and two Notre Dame faculty awards.
, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, and International Philosophical Studies. The author of numerous scholarly articles and the editor of a series of monographs on logic published in the mid-1960s by Prentice Hall, he also edited ten other books and was the author of
Just before his death, he was working on a study on rationality, realism, and the growth of knowledge.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He was an internationally-respected philosopher of science who has written and lectured extensively on subjects ranging from the relationship between cosmology and theology, to the role of values in understanding science, to the impact of Darwinism on Western religious thought. He was an expert on the life of Galileo.
He died on February 8, 2011, in Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
in his native County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Career
- Educated at Maynooth College in Ireland, where he received an undergraduate degree in physics and a bachelor of divinity degree in theology.
- 1949 ordained a Roman Catholic priest.
- Studied theoretical physics on a fellowship at the Dublin Institute for Advanced StudiesDublin Institute for Advanced StudiesThe Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...
- 1954 earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Leuven.
- 1954 Joined Notre Dame faculty as an assistant professor of philosophy,
- 1967 a full professor
- 1984 named to the John Cardinal O’Hara Chair.
- 1965-1972 chaired the Notre Dame department of philosophy.
He was a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, the University of California at Los Angeles, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. A former Phi Beta Kappa National Lecturer, he delivered the Cardinal Mercier Lecturer at the (Flemish) University of Leuven in 1995 and the Reynolds Lecture at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in 2005. In addition, he served as president of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
American Catholic Philosophical Association
The American Catholic Philosophical Association is an organization of Catholic philosophers established in 1926 to promote the advancement of philosophy as an intellectual discipline consonant with Catholic tradition...
, the Metaphysical Society of America
Metaphysical Society of America
The Metaphysical Society of America is a philosophical organization founded by Paul Weiss in 1950 for promoting the study of metaphysics. The society is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies...
(1974), the Philosophy of Science Association
Philosophy of Science Association
The Philosophy of Science Association is an academic organization which promotes further studies and free discussion from diverse standpoints in the field of philosophy of science....
, and the Western Division of the American Philosophical Association
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarly activity in philosophy, to facilitate the professional work...
, as chair of the History and Philosophy of Science Section of the AAAS
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, as a member of the executive committees of the History of Science Society
History of Science Society
The History of Science Society is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science.It was founded in 1924 by George Sarton and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, primarily to support the publication of Isis, a journal of the history of science Sarton had started in 1912....
, the Council for Philosophical Studies, and the Society of Christian Philosophers
Society of Christian Philosophers
The Society of Christian Philosophers is a society associated with the American Philosophical Association. The society was founded in 1978. Past Presidents include William Alston, Robert Merrihew Adams, Alvin Plantinga, Marilyn McCord Adams, George I. Mavrodes, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Eleonore...
, and as a member of numerous scholarly and scientific committees, congresses, and panels. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the International Academy of the History of Science
International Academy of the History of Science
The International Academy of the History of Science is a membership organization for historians of science. It was founded on 17 August 1928 at the Congress of Historical Science by Aldo Mieli, Abel Rey, George Sarton, Henry E...
, and the AAAS, he was an honorary fellow of St. Edmund's College, Cambridge, and was awarded honorary degrees by the National University of Ireland at Maynooth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
, Loyola University (Chicago), Stonehill College
Stonehill College
Stonehill College is a private Roman Catholic college located in Easton, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1948. Situated in North Easton, Massachusetts, a suburban community of 23,329 people, Stonehill is located south of Boston on a campus, the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames...
, and University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
.
Among other honors, he won the Aquinas Medal of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the Centennial Medal of John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
, the Founder’s Medal of the Metaphysical Society of America
Metaphysical Society of America
The Metaphysical Society of America is a philosophical organization founded by Paul Weiss in 1950 for promoting the study of metaphysics. The society is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies...
, and two Notre Dame faculty awards.
Publications
Dr. McMullin served on the editorial boards of a dozen academic journals and encyclopedia. At the time of his death he was a member of the editorial boards of Perspectives on SciencePerspectives on Science
Perspectives on Science is a peer-reviewed academic journal that consists of science studies that integrate historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives. The journal contains theoretical essays, case studies and review essays. Perspectives on Science was founded in 1993 and is...
, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, and International Philosophical Studies. The author of numerous scholarly articles and the editor of a series of monographs on logic published in the mid-1960s by Prentice Hall, he also edited ten other books and was the author of
- Newton on Matter and Activity (1978)
- The Inference That Makes Science (1992).
- The Church and Galileo, a collection of essays he edited for the University of Notre Dame Press, was published in 2005 to widespread acclaim.
Just before his death, he was working on a study on rationality, realism, and the growth of knowledge.
- University of Harvard philosophy professor Peter Godfrey-SmithPeter Godfrey-SmithPeter Godfrey-Smith is a professor of philosophy at Harvard University. Born in Australia in 1965, he received a Ph.D. in philosophy from UCSD in 1991, and joined Harvard in 2006 after previous positions at Stanford University and Australian National University...
discusses McMullin's views on Scientific realismScientific realismScientific realism is, at the most general level, the view that the world described by science is the real world, as it is, independent of what we might take it to be...
in the book Theory and reality (University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
, 2003, p. 178, 251, 264), citing McMullin's paper "A Case for Scientific Realism" in the book Scientific Realism, edited by Jarrett Leplin (University of California PressUniversity of California PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
, 1984).
- "Science and the Catholic Tradition"--appears as a chapter in part I (Introduction) of Science and Religion: New Perspectives on the Dialogue (1968), pages 30–42, ed. Ian BarbourIan BarbourIan Graeme Barbour, born 5 October 1923, is an American scholar on the relationship between science and religion. According to the Public Broadcasting Service his mid-1960s Issues in Science and Religion "has been credited with literally creating the contemporary field of science and religion."In...