“Science, Philosophy, and Religion” Lecture to Explore “What is Wisdom?”

What makes a person wise? Is wisdom different than intelligence? Is God the only one that can be called “wise”?

Stephen Grimm, Ph.D., as associate professor of philosophy, will take up the topic of wisdom for the next installment of Fordham University’s John C. and Jeanette D. Walton Lecture in Science, Philosophy, and Religion.

“What is Wisdom?”

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014

6:30 p.m.

12th-floor Lounge / Corrigan Conference Center

Lincoln Center Campus

113 W. 60th St., New York City

Grimm, a philosopher who specializes in epistemology, is the recipient of a $4.2 million John Templeton Foundation grant — the largest award Fordham has ever received in the humanities. The grant funds Grimm’s interdisciplinary project, “Varieties of Understanding: New Perspectives from Psychology, Philosophy, and Theology,” a three-year initiative that sponsors research into the many ways in which human beings understand the world.

“As human beings, we have a natural desire to understand the world and our place within it… But what exactly is understanding?” said Grimm.

We know generally what understanding is, he said; namely, it is a higher-order cognitive capacity that falls within the broader category of knowledge. To put this in practical terms, the person who has knowledge of a thing might possess a collection of facts about that thing, but the person who understands it is able to also see how these facts relate to one another and to the larger picture.

Wisdom, though, is another category altogether. In the Walton lecture, Grimm will explore questions surrounding this topic, which was favored by ancient and medieval philosophers, yet has been given relatively little attention by contemporary thinkers.

The Walton lectures and workshops features scholars of the highest caliber on topics at the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology. Upcoming events will cover current research on how consciousness and free will relate to the brain, the role of science in contemporary society, and more.

For more information, contact the Office of Special Events by email or at (212) 636-6575.

— Joanna K. Mercuri

Religion to Play a Big Role in Upcoming Supreme Court Decisions

Last year’s Supreme Court term was always going to be tough to top, what with blockbuster decisions being handed down on voting rights, affirmative action, and same sex marriage.

But Robert J. Hume, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, says this year’s term is shaping up to be important nonetheless. 

Hume, whose research centers on the nations’ high court, said two cases—one that was argued in November and another scheduled to be argued on March 25—have the potential to affect religious expression in the United States. 

The upcoming case, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores; Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius, pits private businesses that want to opt out on religious grounds against provisions of the Affordable Care Act that mandate employers to provide insurance that covers birth control and related services.

As far-reaching as that decision will be, Town of Greece v. Galloway, argued in November, has equal potential, as the court's decision will weigh in on “ceremonial deism.”

“Ceremonial deism is when you see various invocations of god by the government [which is] not supposed to be connected to any particular religious faith,” Hume said. 

Such as seeing “In God We Trust” on the currency, or the phrase “Under God” in the pledge of allegiance.  “Those types of invocations,” he said.

Robert Hume
Photo by Bruce Gilbert

Even though ceremonial deism is in tension with a clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” Hume said courts have allowed certain displays of it. In 1983, the Supreme Court handed down Marsh vs. Chambers, deciding that since the United States has a history of ceremonial deism, it was going to allow it to continue. At the time, commentators didn’t find that to be a very satisfactory response, he said.

“The justices in the oral arguments in November were looking for a rationale that is more compelling than the Marsh v. Chambers rationale, so they find themselves in a bit of a tight corner,” Hume said.

“I think for reasons of policy, they don’t want to take the step of striking down the legislative prayer “Under God” in the pledge, or “In God We Trust” in the currency. It will be unpopular motives that’ll be seen as controversial.
“But if they follow their doctrine to the logical conclusion, they probably have to.” 

Hume said the Court actually passed on an opportunity to address the issue in 2004, when it heard Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. But the court dismissed it without ruling on the merits of the case, because it said the father of a student forced to recite the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance did not have standing authority to bring the case.

“So you can see them struggling with it,” he said.  

—Patrick Verel

Monsignor Quinn on The Debrief with David Ushery

Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, J.D., J.C.L., vice president for University mission and ministry at Fordham, on the NBC show The Debrief with David Ushery. Monsignor Quinn's co-panelists are Imam Shamsi Ali, head of The Islamic Cultural Center of New York, and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of Congregation Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights. The show aired Sunday, Dec. 27 at noon on WNBC Channel 4.