Berkeley law professor and author Phillip Johnson will present his controversial argument against Darwin’s theory of evolution Monday.
Johnson, who will deliver a lecture titled “The Real Evolution/Creation Debate” at 2 p.m. in Woodward Hall, has appeared on “ABC News Nightline” and on CNN’s “Talk Back Live” to speak about his views on evolution and creationism.
He wrote in an essay for Academe, the American Association of University Professors’ journal, that he “considers the existence of a supernatural creator to be reasonably possible, and hence not something to be dismissed from consideration.”
Harold Delaney, a UNM psychology professor who helped bring Johnson to campus, said Johnson is a leading advocate for the intelligent design movement, which argues that within science, evidence exists that life was created by something more than just nature.
“It’s an approach in science that says we should face the possibility that life points to intelligent design,” he said. “It’s the view of the life sciences that there is evidence in nature that points to something beyond nature.”
Delaney is now offering a course through the University Honors program that focuses on the relationship between science and religion, which prompted him to invite Johnson to speak at UNM.
Delaney said that after applying for and receiving a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the visit was made possible.
According to its Web site, the John Templeton Foundation “helps fund more than 150 projects, studies, award programs and publications worldwide that encourage progress in religious and spiritual knowledge.”
Rosalie Otero, the honors program director, said the lecture is bound to offer new perspectives about how life was started.
“Dr. Johnson is somebody who speaks about creationism and the other evolutionary theories,” she said. “A lot of faculty and students obviously believe in evolution. To get another perspective on that is really interesting and valuable.”
Johnson graduated from Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School. He has served as law clerk for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court and has taught law for more than 30 years at the University of California at Berkeley. He has written three books, “Darwin on Trial,” “Reason in Balance” and “The Wedge of Truth.”
Johnson’s visit to UNM is co-sponsored by the honors program, the Psychology Department and the UNM law school. Johnson will speak to the Law School faculty later in the week.
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Students, staff and faculty are invited to attend the 2 p.m. lecture at Woodward Hall.
“It’s an important issue — evolution is obviously a central theme of modern science departments,” Delaney said.
