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Tim Lyons

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Nearly 400 years ago, Galileo peered through his primitive telescope and saw things no human had seen before: Jupiter's moons, Saturn's majestic rings (or as he described them, "handles"), and the phases of Venus. Such observations challenged an idea accepted for thousands of years: the heavens, in fact, do not revolve around us; we are not at the center of our universe.

Dr. Timothy Lyons has long been fascinated with humanity's attempt to understand the universe. As Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the School of Liberal Arts, Dr. Lyons specializes in the Philosophy of Science. Some may have the impression that philosophy and science operate independently of, or even in conflict with, one another. Arguably, however, both disciplines are connected; they seek to make sense of the world and our place in it, and both rely on the critical evaluation of ideas.

Undeterred by the perceived differences between science and philosophy, Lyons was motivated by their similarities. He followed his passion for both disciplines to the University of Colorado where he earned his B.A. and graduated summa cum laude. He then proceeded directly to the University of Melbourne for his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Science.

Within the philosophy of science, Lyons is currently most engaged in the Scientific Realism debate. This debate revolves around two main philosophical questions: What is the primary aim of science, and what can one justifiably believe about successful scientific theories? Realists will contend that science aims at finding truth and that we are justified in believing that successful scientific theories are (at least approximately) true. Antirealists deny both of these claims. In a book he is currently writing, Dr. Lyons employs the history of science as evidence for his own position in the debate. Against the antirealist, he argues that science seeks truth. Against the realist, he challenges the justification for believing that science has achieved (or approximated) that goal.

In the classroom Dr. Lyons' discussions address a wide range of philosophical and scientific theories: from competing accounts of the scientific method to attempted proofs of the existence (and non-existence) of God; from Plato's theory of Forms to relativity and quantum mechanics; from the cosmologies of the Presocratic philosophers to contemporary string theory. The diverse backgrounds of his students provide a wealth of viewpoints for lively philosophical discussions.

Including his graduate work at the University of Melbourne, Dr. Lyons' research has taken him literally across the world, from London to Beijing; transcendentally, he has traveled equally as far, seeking insight at the intersection of philosophy and science.

--Sam Krauter, BA English 2008
Liberal Arts News Bureau

Featured Interviews

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Associate Professor Tim Lyons talks about the philosophy of science.

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