•  1967
    Darcy's Law and Structural Explanation in Hydrology
    with Paul A. Hofmann
    PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1992. 1992.
    Darcy's law is a phenomenological relationship for fluid flow rate that finds one of its principle applications in hydrology. Theoretical hydrologists rely upon a multiplicity of conceptual models to carry out approximate derivations of Darcy's law. These derivations provide structural explanations of the law; they require the application of fundamental principles, such as conservation of momentum, to idealized models of the porous media within which the flow occurs. In practice, recognition of …Read more
  •  964
    The fact of evolution: Implications for Science education
    with Bruce H. Weber
    Science & Education 12 (8): 729-760. 2003.
    Creationists who object to evolution in the science curriculum of public schools often cite Jonathan Well’s book Icons of Evolution in their support (Wells 2000). In the third chapter of his book Wells claims that neither paleontological nor molecular evidence supports the thesis that the history of life is an evolutionary process of descent from preexisting ancestors. We argue that Wells inappropriately relies upon ambiguities inherent in the term ‘Darwinian’ and the phrase ‘Darwin’s theory’. F…Read more
  •  563
    Some Thomistic Encounters with Evolution
    Theology and Science 18 (2): 325-346. 2020.
    Theological synthesis of religious doctrine with evolutionary science is commonly referred to as theistic evolution. The influential Thomistic school of theology has played a complex role in Catholic contributions to this subject. In the present essay I explore this historical legacy and take stock of recent Thomistic contributions to theistic evolution. I also highlight some unresolved issues, particularly those associated with the concept of substantial form. I conclude that theistic evolution…Read more
  •  321
    How the Models of Chemistry Vie
    PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1990. 1990.
    Building upon Nancy Cartwright's discussion of models in How the Laws of Physics Lie, this paper addresses solid state research in transition metal oxides. Historical analysis reveals that in this domain models function both as the culmination of phenomenology and the commencement of theoretical explanation. Those solid state chemists who concentrate on the description of phenomena pertinent to specific elements or compounds assess models according to different standards than those who seek expl…Read more
  •  24
    Catholicism and Evolution: Polygenism and Original Sin Part I
    Scientia et Fides 8 (2): 95-138. 2020.
    Theological attention to the Catholic doctrine of original sin has a history that extends from the letters of Saint Paul through the Council of Trent and Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical, Humani generis. The doctrine has traditionally been articulated through the Genesis narrative of Adam and Eve as the first human beings from whom all others descend, an account known as monogenism. In the course of the nineteenth century, scientific research into human origins increasingly relied upon polygenism, the…Read more
    Sin
  •  17
    James Joule: A BiographyDonald S. L. Cardwell
    Isis 82 (1): 149-150. 1991.
  •  14
    Ampère's Invention of Equilibrium Apparatus: A Response to Experimental Anomaly
    British Journal for the History of Science 20 (3): 309-341. 1987.
    André-Marie Ampère's contributions to electrodynamics came at a late stage in an unconventional career. In 1820, he had reached the age of forty-five and had not as yet done any systematic research in physics. As a member of the mathematics section of the Académie des Sciences, his only significant contributions to the physical sciences had been some constructive criticisms of Fresnel's wave theory of light and three memoirs on chemical classification and gas theory. Meanwhile, his longstanding …Read more
  •  13
    Catholicism and Evolution: Polygenism and Original Sin Part II
    Scientia et Fides 9 (1): 63-129. 2021.
    As documented in Part I, monogenism, the descent of all human beings from Adam and Eve, was closely linked to the Catholic doctrine of original sin throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Theological reservations about polygenism, the more scientifically supported account of human origins through a transitional population, was brought to a head by Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical Humani generis. Although the encyclical allowed discussion of human evolution, polygenism was prohibited becaus…Read more
  •  11
    Absorbing biography of the creative and destructive scientific genius and tragic life of Andr?-Marie Amp're.
  •  7
    The Evolving Taxonomy of Progressive Creation
    Scientia et Fides 11 (1): 199-214. 2023.
    This essay is a critique of a version of progressive creation developed by Michael Chaberek, O. P. He holds that there are exceptions to evolutionary descent due to the supernatural production of “natural species,” taxa that allegedly do not have biological ancestry, are theologically identified with biblical kinds, and are metaphysically characterized by distinct substantial forms. Chaberek’s assertion that these natural species correspond “roughly” to the Linnaean taxa of biological families c…Read more
  •  5
  •  4
    Thomistic Hylomorphism and Theistic Evolution
    Scientia et Fides 11 (2): 253-267. 2023.
    Working within the framework of Thomistic metaphysics, Mariusz Tabaczek O. P. has developed a version of Catholic theistic evolution that includes speciation, human origins, and the origin of life. He assigns biological evolution to the domain of divine governance rather than that of _creatio ex nihilo_ which only applies to primitive matter and human souls. This article reviews Tabaczek’s work with an emphasis on his argument for the compatibility of hylomorphism and evolutionary change through…Read more
  •  4
    How the Models of Chemistry Vie
    PSA Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1990 (1): 405-419. 1990.
    Recent work by historians and philosophers has called attention to the complexity of modern experimental physics and its intricate relation to interpretive and explanatory theory (Franklin 1987, Hacking 1983, Galison 1987 and 1989, Pickering 1984 and 1987). One point of general agreement has been that the contexts of discovery and justification often significantly overlap and do not uniformly correlate with experiment and theory. Instead, intended applications, instrumentation, experiment, pheno…Read more
  •  1
    Catholicism and Evolution: Polygenism and Original Sin (Part II)
    Scientia et Fides 9 (1): 63-129. 2021.
    As documented in Part I, monogenism, the descent of all human beings from Adam and Eve, was closely linked to the Catholic doctrine of original sin throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Theological reservations about polygenism, the more scientifically supported account of human origins through a transitional population, was brought to a head by Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical Humani generis. Although the encyclical allowed discussion of human evolution, polygenism was prohibited becaus…Read more