What, precisely, do we mean by the word “evolution”? Is Darwinism one thing, or many? Is Darwinism science, or is it something else entirely?
University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Emeritus Michael Flannery is the author of Nature’s Prophet: Alfred Russel Wallace and His Evolution from Natural Selection to Natural Theology and “Strong and Weak Teleology in the Life Sciences Post-Darwin.” He has thought deeply on all these questions, in particular the philosophical roots of modern evolutionism, the history of Darwinism, its relationship to the thought of Alfred Russel Wallace, and the problematic concept of teleology (goal-directedness) in life and evolution.
This sixth installment in NAS's ongoing Restoring the Sciences webinar series features a fascinating conversation with Dr. Flannery about how we understand evolution, and the science and philosophy behind the term. The discussion will be moderated by J. Scott Turner, Director of the Intrusion of Diversity in the Sciences Project for the National Association of Scholars.
