James G. Lennox

James G. Lennox (born January 11, 1948) is an emeritus professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, United States, with secondary appointments in the departments of Classics and Philosophy. He is a leader in the study of Aristotelian science in light of his groundbreaking work on Aristotle's biology and philosophy of biology.[1][2] In particular, Lennox's work in the 1980s catalyzed a renewed interest in Aristotle's biology by arguing that his natural historical works are consistent with and even demonstrative of the scientific methodology he lays out in the Posterior Analytics.[3] Lennox's work on teleology in the history of biology, particularly in the thought of Charles Darwin, has also been influential.[4]

Canadian by birth, Lennox is a founding member of the Ayn Rand Society, affiliated with the American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, and has served frequently on its steering committee.[5] He has also served as the director for the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, the program committee chair for the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science, and has served on the editorial board of the History of Philosophy Quarterly and Philosophy of Science, among other journals. Fellowships include a senior fellowship at the Istituto di Studi Avanzati in Bologna and a visiting fellowship at the University of Cambridge, where he is a life member of Clare Hall. He also received the Biggs Resident Scholar award in 2010 and was the Dyason Lecturer at the University of Brisbane in 2009, and has received grants from the NEH and the NSF.[5] He previously served as the director of the Center for Philosophy of Science from 1997 to 2005.[6]

His areas of research include Ancient Greek philosophy, science and medicine, and Charles Darwin. His most recent publication is Aristotle on Inquiry: Erotetic Frameworks and Domain-Specific Norms (Cambridge, 2021), an account of Aristotle's approach to scientific inquiry.[7]

  1. ^ Hull, David (2001). "Review: James G. Lennox, Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology". History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences. 23: 517–518.
  2. ^ Leunissen, Mariska (2010). Explanation and Teleology in Aristotle's Science of Nature. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  3. ^ Connell, Sophia (2003). "James G. Lennox, Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology". British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 54: 509–513. doi:10.1093/bjps/54.3.509.
  4. ^ See Lennox's invited contribution to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for a review of this topic: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/#SelAdaTel
  5. ^ a b James, Lennox. "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  6. ^ "Center for Philosophy of Science ::: Past officers".
  7. ^ Berryman, Sylvia (March 2, 2022). "Review: Aristotle on Inquiry: Erotetic Frameworks and Domain-Specific Norms". Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. Retrieved September 28, 2022.