John A. Campbell, an expert in rhetorical theory and criticism, will give a lecture, "Debating Darwinism: Science as Argument and Civic Education," at Hamilton College on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 4:15 p.m. in the Red Pit of the Kirner-Johnson building. Campbell has a special interest in the theories of Charles Darwin and considers Darwin to be "a rhetorical genius of the first order." How else could the 1859 publication of The Origin of Species touch off a cultural and scientific revolution that is still being felt today? Campbell is professor and director of graduate studies in the department of communication at the University of Memphis. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Hamilton College department of rhetoric and communication.
To advance scientific literacy and liberal education, Campbell proposes that Darwin's theory should be taught at a two-sided argument, and that philosophically worthy objections to neo-Darwinism should be considered. This is part of a greater approach to teaching science, now being debated by educators, that would stress informed critical thinking about both sides of an issue.
Campbell is a past president of the American Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology. He received his bachelor's degree from Portland State University (1964) and his master's and doctoral degrees in rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh (1967,1968.) He taught in the department of speech communication at the University of Washington until 1995. His research has focused on the rhetoric of science. He has published numerous technical articles analyzing the rhetorical strategy of Darwin's The Origin of Species and is widely regarded as the world's foremost expert on the subject.
