Ernan McMullin

Ernan McMullin (October 13, 1924 – February 8, 2011) was an Irish philosopher and physicist who served as the O’Hara Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. He was internationally respected for his work in the philosophy of science, addressing topics such as the intersection of cosmology and theology, the influence of values in scientific understanding, and the effects of Darwinism on Western religious thought. McMullin is unique for having held the presidency of four major US philosophical associations. He was also a recognized expert on the life and work of Galileo. McMullin was educated at Maynooth College, earning a BSc in physics and a bachelor of divinity degree. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1949. He furthered his studies in theoretical physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Leuven in 1954. He joined the University of Notre Dame faculty in 1954, becoming a full professor in 1967 and holding the John Cardinal O’Hara Chair from 1984. He chaired the philosophy department from 1965 to 1972. McMullin was a visiting professor at numerous institutions, including the University of Minnesota, University of Cape Town, UCLA, Princeton, and Yale. He was a former Phi Beta Kappa National Lecturer and delivered various distinguished lectureships globally. He received numerous accolades, including the Aquinas Medal and two Notre Dame faculty awards. His extensive publications include "Newton on Matter and Activity" and "The Inference That Makes Science." He also edited several significant volumes, such as "The Church and Galileo" and "The Concept of Matter in Greek and Medieval Philosophy."