Holmes Rolston III

University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Colorado

Genes, Genesis and God

In his series of lectures, Rolston investigates the development of diverse and complex species on Earth. He explores the genesis of cumulative, transmissible culture, particularly the emergent phenomena of science, ethics, and religion. Behind his analysis, he poses questions regarding the suitability of contemporary Neo-Darwinist genetic theories, which account for these events. His lectures are filled with philosophical significance which is often overlooked. 

Biography

Holms Rolston III was born on 19 November 1932 in Staunton, Virginia. A philosopher known for his contributions to environmental ethics, he was awarded the Templeton Prize in Religion by Prince Philip in 2003. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1956, he obtained a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 1958. He became Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Colorado State University in 1968, was made Professor in 1976, and University Distinguished Professor in 1992. Rolston was the first President of the International Society for Environmental Ethics in 1990. 

Member of the Advisory Council of METI (Messaging Extra-terrestrial Intelligence), he has lectured on all seven continents. Rolston has criticized the idea of animal rights and extending rights to flora. Rolston’s works include Science and Religion (1987), Environmental Ethics (1988), Philosophy Gone Wild (1989), Conserving Natural Value (1994), Three Big Bangs: Matter-Energy, Life, Mind (2010), and A New Environmental Ethics: The Next Millennium for Life on Earth (2011). A biography, Saving Creation: Nature and Faith in the Life of Holmes Rolston, III was written by Christopher Preston in 2009

Published/Archival Resources