Charles W. Pence

Charles W. Pence. He is a philosopher and historian of science whose work focuses on the intersection of biology, history, and philosophy, with particular emphasis on evolutionary theory and the role of chance in science. Pence's research examines the historical development of evolutionary biology and its philosophical implications, often utilizing computational and digital humanities methodologies. He serves as an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Louisiana State University.

Early life and education

Pence completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and the Program of Liberal Studies. He then pursued graduate work at the University of Chicago, where he was part of the interdisciplinary Committee on the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science. Under the supervision of historian Robert J. Richards, Pence earned both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy. His doctoral dissertation investigated the historical and philosophical foundations of chance in evolutionary biology.

Academic career

Following the completion of his doctorate, Pence held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institut d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences et des techniques (IHPST) at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He subsequently joined the faculty at Louisiana State University, where he holds a joint appointment in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies and the Center for Computation & Technology. At Louisiana State University, he has directed the LSU Digital Humanities Lab and contributed to the interdisciplinary LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences. He has also been a visiting scholar at institutions including the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Research and contributions

Pence's primary scholarly contribution is a detailed historical and philosophical analysis of the concept of chance within evolutionary theory. His book, The Rise of Chance in Evolutionary Theory, traces this development from Charles Darwin through the modern synthesis to contemporary debates. His research often employs innovative methods from the digital humanities, such as text mining and corpus linguistics, to analyze large collections of historical scientific texts. He has published on topics including the work of R.A. Fisher, the history of natural selection, and philosophical issues in contemporary evolutionary biology. Pence is also known for his work on open-source digital tools for scholarly research and his advocacy for open access publishing in the humanities.

Selected publications

* Pence, C.W. (2022). The Rise of Chance in Evolutionary Theory: The Fate of Darwin's Dream. Academic Press. * Pence, C.W. & Ramsey, G. (Eds.) (2023). Chance in Evolution. University of Chicago Press. * Pence, C.W. (2017). "Darwin's Historical Sketch: An Examination of the 'Preface' to the Origin of Species." Annals of Science. * Pence, C.W. (2015). "The Early History of Chance in Evolution." Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. * Pence, C.W. (2011). "R.A. Fisher, Design Theory, and the Indian Statistical Tradition." Journal of the History of Biology.

Awards and honors

Pence's research has been recognized with several grants and fellowships, including support from the National Science Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. He was awarded the Mozilla Foundation's Open Science Fellowship for his work on digital research tools. His book The Rise of Chance in Evolutionary Theory received the Patrick Suppes Prize from the American Philosophical Society. He has also been the recipient of the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences Research Award for his interdisciplinary scholarship.

Category:American philosophers of science Category:Historians of biology Category:Louisiana State University faculty Category:University of Notre Dame alumni Category:University of Chicago alumni