Jerry Coyne
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- Not to be confused with George Coyne
Jerry Coyne is a professor of biology at the University of Chicago, specialising in speciation (how species separate) and ecological and evolutionary genetics. He is also increasingly prominent as a public skeptic and atheist.
[edit] Summary of beliefs
Jerry Coyne is a New Atheist who claims religion and science are incompatible, in the same way astronomy and astrology, or medicine and homeopathy are incompatible. He thinks NOMA is unreasonable, and believes trying to reconcile religion (Christian, Islamic or other) with science is futile.[1] Coyne fears the Templeton Foundation money has a corrupting influence on science.[2] He argues that religion fails the test of scientific scrutiny and that religious dogma harms science.[3]
In his writings on religion, Coyne has challenged theology, questioning its place as an academic field.[4][5] Coyne believes that free will is illusory, and that evolution is completely unguided.[6]
[edit] Writings
He is the author of standard text Speciation[7] (with H. Allen Orr, 2004) and science popularisation Why Evolution Is True (2009). The latter has spawned a regularly-updated website (he dislikes the term "blog") of the same name, which contains much top-quality skepticism and atheism (and tangling with other bloggers, theist and atheist) to go with the stuff on evolution.
[edit] Debates
[edit] Coyne vs. Haught (On science and religion)
Coyne took on theologian John Haught in an October 12, 2011 public debate[8] at the Gaines Center, University of Kentucky over whether science and religion were compatible. After Coyne decisively won the debate, Haught tried to suppress the video of the event.
“”I am deeply angry about this stand, and can see only one reason for what Haught has done: cowardice. He lost the debate; his ideas were exposed for the mindless theological fluff that they were; and I used his words against him, showing that even “sophisticated” theology, when examined under the microscope of reason, is just a bunch of made-up stuff, tales told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
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| —[9] |
After approximately the entire skepticsphere flooded UKY (and the Gaines Center's funders) with complaints, Haught begrudgingly agreed[10] to the release of the video[11] and ensuing Q&A (having already destroyed his reputation[12]). It's worth the hour's viewing. Never debate a theist without a signed release in advance.
[edit] Coyne vs. Thornhill and Palmer (On evolutionary psychology and rape)
Coyne became part of a larger debate surrounding Randy Thornhill and Craig Palmer, the biologist-anthropologist duo who authored A Natural History of Rape. Coyne gave the book a scathing review in the journal Nature and argued against them on a radio debate hosted by NPR. Coyne supports the idea of evolutionary analyses of psychology and behavior, but is a critic of much current evolutionary psychology.[13]
[edit] Coyne vs. Pigliucci (On new atheism, the nature of science, and free will)
Coyne and Massimo Pigliucci have disagreements on a number of issues that have led to some blogospheric debating (and navel-gazing), such as the legacy of Christopher Hitchens and "new atheism."[14][15] However, their most recent dust-up has been over the issue of free will. Coyne has argued on the basis of scientific findings (the laws of physics, genetics, and neuro-imaging) that free will is an illusion.[16] Pigliucci responded that Coyne's arguments were flawed in two ways: (a) presupposing certain debatable positions such as causal closure, denial of emergent phenomena, and physical determinism, and (b) misinterpreting Benjamin Libet's neuroscience experiments.[17] Coyne replied by re-iterating his original position[18] Pigliucci added that his issue with Coyne's claims is that they are philosophical or metaphysical rather than scientific, as he claims. Pigliucci contended that Coyne was advancing an eliminativist argument that he had failed to justify.[19] Considering that these criticisms are being leveled by someone who thinks free will is not even false, but an incoherent concept,[20] Coyne might benefit from brushing up a bit on the arguments for and against free will.
[edit] Coyne vs. Pigliucci (On the extended evolutionary synthesis)
Coyne has been very critical towards the idea of an extended evolutionary synthesis proposed by Massimo Pigliucci and others.[21] Pigliucci has responded.[22]
[edit] Coyne vs. Myers (on the correct animal to post pictures of)
Coyne and his cats hold firm against the cephalopodic forces of PZ Myers.
[edit] External links
- Why Evolution Is True (personal
blogwebsite) - Jerry Coyne, Ph.D. (University of Chicago faculty page)
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Jerry Coyne. U of C doc touts NOMA. Why Evolution Is True. 2010 December 28.
- ↑ Jerry Coyne. Martin Rees and the Templeton travesty. The Guardian. 2011 April 6.
- ↑ PZ Myers. Coyne on the compatibility of science and religion. Pharyngula. ScienceBlogs. 2009 January 23.
- ↑ Jerry Coyne. Scientists debate philosophers and theologians at CERN—but why? Why Evolution Is True. 2012 October 15.
- ↑ Jerry Coyne. Why am I reading theology? Why Evolution Is True. 2011 July 4.
- ↑ Alex Tsakiris. Outspoken Atheist Dr. Jerry Coyne Sees No Connection Between Consciousness Research and Evolutionary Biology. Skeptico. 2012 February 14.
- ↑ Speciation (publisher page)
- ↑ My debate with John Haught in Kentucky Why Evolution Is True, 2011-10-13)
- ↑ Theologian John Haught refuses to release video of our debate (Why Evolution Is True, 2011-11-01)
- ↑ Under pressure from blogosphere, Haught explains and relents (Why Evolution Is True, 2011-11-02)
- ↑ 2011 Bale-Boone Symposium Videos: Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? October 12, 2011 with Jerry Coyne and John Haught
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Haught#Public_debate
- ↑ Evolutionary Psychology for the Masses, Jerry Coyne, Why Evolution Is True
- ↑ In Defense of Hitch, Why Evolution Is True
- ↑ Jerry Coyne Loses His Cool, Dawkins His Style, Massimo Pigliucci, Rationally Speaking
- ↑ Why You Don't Really Have Free Will, Jerry Coyne, USA Today
- ↑ Jerry Coyne on Free Will, Massimo Pigliucci
- ↑ Am I Unsophisticated About Free Will?, Jerry Coyne
- ↑ On Free Will: Response to Readers, Massimo Pigliucci
- ↑ The Incoherence of Free Will, Massimo Pigliucci
- ↑ Are we ready for an “extended evolutionary synthesis”?
- ↑ Jerry Coyne and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis