Steve Fuller (sociologist)

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Steve Fuller
philosopher and professor
TitleAuguste Comte Chair in Social Epistemology at the University of Warwick, England
WebsiteHome page

Steve William Fuller (born 1959[1]) is an American social philosopher in the field of science and technology studies. He has published in the areas of social epistemology, academic freedom, and in support of intelligent design and transhumanism.

Biography

Fuller attended

Kellett Fellowship, he studied at Clare College, Cambridge, and received an M.Phil. in History and Philosophy of Science in 1981. He earned his Ph.D. in the same subject from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985, where he was an Andrew Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellow. Fuller's doctoral dissertation, "Bounded Rationality in Law and Science", explored the implications of the views of Herbert A. Simon
for political theory and philosophy of science.

Fuller held assistant and associate professorships at the

British Association for the Advancement of Science. In that capacity, he staged a play, "Lincoln and Darwin—Live for One Night Only!", at the BA's annual Festival of Science in Liverpool.[4] The play was later produced as a podcast in Australia.[5]

Fuller has been a visiting professor in Denmark, Germany, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (where he held a Fulbright Professorship in 1995 at Gothenburg University), and the United States (UCLA).[6]

In 2010, Fuller became a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Interdisciplinarity at the University of North Texas. In 2011, the University of Warwick appointed him to the Auguste Comte Chair in Social Epistemology.[7] In 2011, Fuller was appointed a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences.[8] In 2012, he was appointed to an Honorary Professorship at Dalian University of Technology, China.[9] In 2012, he was made a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Division I (Humanities).[10]

Work

Fuller is most closely associated with social epistemology as an interdisciplinary research program. Social epistemology is a normative[citation needed] discipline that addresses philosophical problems of knowledge using the tools of history and the social sciences. Fuller founded the first journal (1987)[11] and wrote the first book (1988)[12][13] devoted to this topic. The most obvious feature of Fuller's approach, already present in his 1988 book, is that he rejects out of hand the Cartesian problem of skepticism.

Along with 21 books, Fuller has written 65 book chapters, 155 academic articles and many minor pieces. He has given many distinguished lectures and plenary addresses, and has presented to academic and non-academic audiences throughout the world, including over 100 media interviews. His works have been translated into fifteen languages. 23 academic symposia have been published on his work. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1994, the year he organized a conference in Durham on "Science's Social Standing".[6]

Since moving to the UK, Fuller has increasingly oriented himself towards public intellectual expression, including television, radio and internet, which he interprets as a natural outgrowth of his version of social epistemology. Two of his books have been recognized in this regard.

University of Lund, Sweden.[18]

Academic freedom

Fuller believes (modeled on what he takes to be the German model) that academic freedom is a freedom reserved for academics, not a special case of freedom of speech.[19] This includes the right to "cause reasoned offence", if within the terms of reason and evidence appropriate to the academic profession.[20] He believes it important for academics to be able to express intellectual opinions for further debate which can result in progress. He also argues that students are equally entitled to academic freedom.[21]

Intelligent design

Fuller has made many statements about his support for the teaching of

Science and Technology Studies community described his participation in the trial as "naïve" and suggested that the field needs further development before it can constructively engage the legal community on the nature of science.[22][23]

Fuller has said that he does not support intelligent design "but feels that it should have a 'fair run for its money'".[24] In his book Dissent over Descent, he says he sees religion in general as a motivating influence in scientific pursuits and believes that the difference between science and religion is more institutional than intellectual.[25][26] Critics have called his views on science postmodernist, though others characterize them as more closely related to social constructionism.[27][28]

On February 21, 2007, Fuller debated

Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism (2007).[29]

Appearing in the 2008 documentary-style propaganda film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Fuller claimed that "abortion and euthanasia" are natural consequences of the acceptance of evolution by natural selection.[30] He also believes that religious belief has furthered the development of science.[31]

Transhumanism

Much of his work focuses on questions around technological enhancements and how they can improve the capacities of human beings.[32] Fuller argues that the pursuit for enhancements is based on a need ″to create some distance between ourselves and the other animals.″ [33] For Fuller, transhumanism offers humanity the prospect "to re-engineer the human body to enable us to live longer so as to work and play harder."[34]

He featured in the 2016 documentary The Future of Work and Death.[35]

Principal works

Science Vs Religion?

In 2007, Fuller wrote Science Vs Religion?: Intelligent Design and the Problem of Evolution. In addition to introduction and conclusion chapters, it has chapters on the history of the relationship between religion and science, the thesis that modern science has its basis in an attempt by humanity to transcend itself and reach God, how Fuller believes complexity distinguishes ID from "other versions of creationism", legal issues, and the future of "Darwinism".[36]

Professor of mathematics at Rutgers University Norman Levitt, in a review, described it as "a truly miserable piece of work, crammed with errors scientific, historical, and even theological".[37] Levitt took issue with the following points:[37]

  • Fuller's acceptance at face value of
    William Dembski
    's claims on complexity and randomness, and his failure to come to grips with the wealth of results that this field has generated and with the trenchant criticism of Dembski's claims (or even to describe these claims accurately);
  • Fuller's disparagement of evolutionary biology, without doing "serious analysis of the working methods and logical structure of biology itself" on which to base it;
  • Fuller's misrepresentation of Isaac Newton's religious beliefs in order to make a point that is in fact antithetical to Newton's views;

Levitt infers that Fuller's views arise from an "animosity to science as such and to its cognitive authority [that] still pervades academic life outside the dominion of the science faculty".[38] Fuller later responded to these points, accusing Levitt of axe-grinding and questioning his understanding of the book, which Fuller claimed was less a defense of contemporary intelligent design theory than a demonstration of its rootedness in the history of science. Fuller also claims that Levitt misquotes one of the three passages Levitt cites from the book, making it mean the opposite of the original.

Science Wars, including Levitt, dating back at least to 1994.[41][42]

Galton that are not supported by their writings; failure to engage the "debate over naturalism that ID creationism has generated" with "remarks on supernaturalism [that show] him to be equally non-cognizant of the work of ... Philip Johnson"; and other scientific errors.[45]

Dissent Over Descent

In 2008, Fuller's book on the intelligent design controversy, Dissent Over Descent: Intelligent Design's Challenge to Darwinism was published. Steven Poole of

Times Higher Education Supplement, the book was praised for providing often overlooked information and provocative interpretations, but was criticized for a number of inaccuracies and misrepresentations.[48]

A. C. Grayling, in New Humanist, wrote that the book contains a "mark of ignorance and historical short-sightedness on Fuller's part".[49] In response, Fuller wrote an online response saying "if Grayling's grasp of the history of science went beyond head-banging standards, he would realize that our current level of scientific achievement would never have been reached, and more importantly that we would not be striving to achieve more, had chance-based explanations dominated over the design-based ones in our thinking about reality."[50] To which Grayling wrote: "Steve Fuller complains, as do all authors whose books are panned, that I did not read his book properly (or at all)."[51] He continued, "I'll take on Fuller any day regarding the history and theology of the various versions of Christianity with which humanity has been burdened. […] The same applies to the history of science."[51]

Selected bibliography

Books

Chapters in books

Journal articles

References

  1. ^ "Steve Fuller". University of Warwick. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  2. ISBN 9780745673493
    . Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  3. ^ Higher Doctorates for Warwick People, University of Warwick
  4. ^ "On stage, On the Origin ... author endures a dramatic trial of faith". Times Higher Education. 10 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Lincoln and Darwin for one night only". Sci Phi Journal. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b "curriculum vitae". .warwick.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  7. ^ "Professor Steve Fuller appointed to Auguste Comte Chair in Social Epistemology". .warwick.ac.uk. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  8. ^ "Academy of Social Sciences appoints three Warwick Academicians". .warwick.ac.uk. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  9. ^ (in Chinese) Archived 28 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. News.dlut.edu.cn (24 May 2012). Retrieved on 14 May 2016.
  10. ^ European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Euro-acad.eu. Retrieved on 14 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Social Epistemology".
  12. ^ Fuller, Steve (1993). Philosophy, Rhetoric, and the end of knowledge. The University of Wisconsin Press. p. xii.
  13. ISBN 0253340691
    .
  14. ^ Mone, Gregory (13 July 1965). "(Not Quite a) Rumble in the Theoretical Jungle | Popular Science". Popsci.com. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  15. S2CID 144068227
    .
  16. S2CID 54546035
    .
  17. ^ Project Syndicate. Project Syndicate. Retrieved on 14 May 2016.
  18. University of Lund
  19. doi:10.5840/tpm20073864. Debating the "statement of academic freedom"
    made by Academics for Academic Freedom (AFAF).
  20. ^ Jackson, Nick (5 July 2007). "Against the grain: It is an academic's right to cause 'reasoned' offence". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  21. ^ "A clear and present danger". Times Higher Education. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  22. S2CID 143851225
    .
  23. S2CID 145069147
    .
  24. ^ Corbyn, Zoe (1 February 2006). "Steve Fuller: Designer trouble". The Guardian. London.
  25. ISBN 9781840468045
    .
  26. The Times Higher Education Supplement
    , 25 December 2005
  27. ^ Brief for Amicus Curiae, Scipolicy Journal of Science and Health Policy Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
  28. ^ Steve Fuller and The Hidden Agenda of Social Constructivism, Norman Levitt, Talk Reason
  29. Explore Evolution
    website
  30. ^ Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008 film). Rocky Mountain Pictures. Directed by Nathan Frankowski.
  31. ^ Fuller, Steve (14 July 2012). "Why some people like the idea of design in nature and others don't". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  32. ^ Steve Fuller. Ieet.org. Retrieved on 14 May 2016.
  33. ^ Holmes, Kevin (29 September 2011). "Talking to the future humans – Steve Fuller". Vice Media. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  34. ISBN 9780230233423
    .
  35. ^ Beard, Matthew (2 March 2017). "No more 'death & taxes' – but do we really want to live forever with nothing to do?". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  36. ^ Review of Science Vs Religion? Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Sahotra Sarkar, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, 7 August 2008
  37. ^
    Skeptic (U.S. magazine)
    . Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  38. Skeptic magazine
  39. ^ Steve Fuller Responds to Norman Levitt's Review of Science v. Religion E-Skeptic, 16 January 2008
  40. ^ Norman Levitt Responds to Steve Fuller E-Skeptic, 23 January 2008
  41. ^ "In Snow's shoes". THES. 11 November 1994. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  42. ^ Can Science Studies be Spoken in a Civil Tongue?, S Fuller, Social Studies of Science, 1994
  43. University of Texas
  44. University of Texas
  45. ^ a b Levitt, Norman (7 August 2008). "Science v. Religion? Intelligent Design and the Problem of Evolution". Philosophical Reviews. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  46. ^ Poole, Steven (12 July 2008). "Trivial pursuits Steve Fuller's Dissent Over Descent: Intelligent Design's Challenge to Darwinism". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  47. ^ Ruse, Michael (3 October 2008). "A Challenge Standing on Shaky Clay" (PDF). Science. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  48. Times Higher Education Supplement
    , 24 July 2008
  49. ^ Grayling, A.C. (September 2008). "Origin of the specious". New Humanist. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  50. ^ Fuller, Steve (September 2008). "Against the faith". New Humanist. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  51. ^ a b Grayling, A.C. (September 2008). "Bolus of nonsense". New Humanist. Retrieved 10 October 2008.

Further reading

External links

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