Yale Bulletin and Calendar

October 12, 2001

Volume 30, Number 6

Francisco J. Ayala

'From Biology to Ethics' is
theme of Terry Lectures

"From Biology to Ethics: An Evolutionist's View of Human Nature" is the theme of the Tercentennial Terry Lectures that will be presented the week of Oct. 15.

The featured speaker will be noted geneticist, evolutionary biologist and philosopher of science Francisco J. Ayala, who has been described as one of the leading thinkers of modern times. In a series of four lectures, he will consider how developments in modern biology -- such as research on the human genome -- are affecting our ethical systems.

The dates and titles of Ayala's four Terry Lectures are: Monday, Oct. 15 -- "The Emergence of Humankind"; Tuesday, Oct. 16 -- "Good Natured: Animal Behavior and the Evolution of the Moral Sense"; Thursday, Oct. 18 -- "Biological Evolution versus Cultural Evolution"; and Friday, Oct. 19 -- "Beyond Biology: The Evolution of Moral Codes." All talks will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Davies Auditorium, Becton Center, 15 Prospect St. They are free and open to the public.

At the University of California at Irvine, where he is the Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences and professor of philosophy, Ayala focuses his scientific research on population and evolutionary genetics, including the origin of species, genetic diversity of populations and the molecular clock of evolution, among other topics.

He has written over 750 articles and is author or editor of 15 books, including "Variation and Evolution in Plants and Microorganisms," "Genetics and The Origin of Species," "Tempo and Mode in Evolution" and "Studies in the Philosophy of Biology," among others.

Former president and chair of the board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Ayala was a member of the U.S. President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology 1994-2001. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

Ayala's many awards and honors include the Gold Honorary Gregor Mendel Medal from the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Gold Medal of the National Academy of Sciences of Italy, the President's Award of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award from the AAAS, and the Medal of the College of France. He is a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Rome), the Mexican Academy of Sciences and the Latin American Institute for Advanced Studies. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and a two-time Fulbright Fellow.

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