Lynne Rudder Baker (February 14, 1944 – December 24, 2017) was an American philosopher and author. At the time of her death she was a Distinguished Professor at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...
(UMass Amherst).
Biography
Born in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
in 1944 to Virginia Bennett and James Rudder, she earned her Ph.D. in 1972 from
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
after beginning her graduate studies at
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
in 1967. She was a fellow of the
National Humanities Center (1983–1984) and the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (1988–1989).
She joined the faculty of UMass Amherst in 1989. She is the author of several books, notably ''Saving Belief: A Critique of
Physicalism
In philosophy, physicalism is the view that "everything is physical", that there is "nothing over and above" the physical, or that everything supervenience, supervenes on the physical. It is opposed to idealism, according to which the world arises ...
'' (1987), ''Explaining Attitudes: A Practical Approach to the Mind'' (1995), ''Persons and Bodies: A Constitution View'' (2000), and ''The Metaphysics of Everyday Life: An Essay in Practical Realism'' (2007).
Along with several other scholars, Baker delivered the 2001
Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology at the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, published as ''The Nature and Limits of Human Understanding'' (ed. Anthony Sanford, T & T Clark, 2003). She was a member of the Amherst Grace
Episcopal Church. Baker died of
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
on December 24, 2017, in
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...
, aged 73.
Views on science and religion
Baker imputes to scientists generally the view that human beings are just another species rather than a
special creation of
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
:
Yet, the sciences are relentless in taking human beings to be just another part of nature: a little more complex than chimpanzees, but not essentially different—certainly not morally and ontologically special. We are just one species among many."Our Place in Nature: Material Persons and Theism
/ref>
See also
*
Social ontology
Notes
External links
Biography and summary of Gifford Lectures by Brannon Hancock
Lynne Rudder Baker, UMass Faculty Directory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Lynne Rudder
1944 births
2017 deaths
Philosophers from Massachusetts
Christian philosophers
University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty
Vanderbilt University alumni
American women philosophers
20th-century American philosophers
21st-century American philosophers
Writers from Atlanta
Philosophers from Georgia (U.S. state)
The Westminster Schools alumni
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women academics
21st-century American academics
20th-century American women academics
20th-century American academics