John Haldane, director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland; chairman of the Royal Institute for Philosophy in London; and consultor to the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture in Rome
Professor Haldane will explore two different accounts of the nature of human beings and their place in the Universe—those of the contemporary philosopher Thomas Nagel and of the great medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas—considering how these relate to the question of evolution.
Haldane has authored or edited some 20 books, published nearly 200 scholarly articles, and contributes regularly to numerous newspapers, magazines, and television and radio programs.
The Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy sponsors an annual lecture on a topic related to the thought of Thomas Aquinas. Some of these topics deal directly with Thomas’s own writings; others address questions or themes with which Thomas himself was occupied
In addition to the McMahon Aquinas Lecture, Professor Haldane will give a second lecture entitled “Beauty, Art, and Nature: Plato, Plotinus, and Land Art,” in which he will discuss changing accounts of the aesthetic significance of nature, examining the influence of Plato and Plotinus and exploring elements of minimalism and conceptualism in recent Anglo-American art. This lecture will take place on Thursday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m. at Saint Mary’s College’s LeMans Hall in the Stapleton Lounge. A reception will follow.
These events are open to the public.