Lakatos award: Announcement of winner 2009, and invitation for nominations 2010

[Dean Peters]

The London School of Economics and Political Science announces that
this year's Lakatos Award, of �10,000 for an outstanding contribution
to the philosophy of science, goes to: Samir Okasha (Bristol
University), for his book Evolution and the Levels of Selection
(Oxford University Press, 2006). He will visit LSE to receive the
Award and give the Award Public Lecture during summer term, 2010.

Does natural selection act primarily on genes, on individual organisms
or on whole species of organisms? Samir Okasha provides a
comprehensive analysis, and proposed resolution, of this longstanding
debate. The framework developed sheds new light both on issues within
biology (particular attention is paid to the recent literature on
�major evolutionary transitions� and multi-level selection theories)
and within the foundations or philosophy of biology (for example
reductionism and holism, and realism and pluralism).

The Lakatos Award is given for an outstanding contribution to the
philosophy of science, widely interpreted, in the form of a book
published in English during the previous five years. It was made
possible by a generous endowment from the Latsis Foundation. The
Award is in memory of the former LSE professor, Imre Lakatos, and is
administered by an international Management Committee organised from
the LSE. The Committee, chaired by John Worrall, decides the outcome
of the Award competition on the advice of an international,
independent and anonymous panel of Selectors.

Nominations can now be made for the 2010 Lakatos Award, and must be
received by Friday 23rd April 2010. The 2009 Award will be for a book
published in English with an imprint from 2005-2010 inclusive. A book
may, with the permission of the author, be nominated by any person of
recognised standing within the profession. For further details of the
nomination procedure or more information on the Lakatos Award 2010,
contact the Administrator, Dean Peters on + 44 (0) 79 424 76452, or
email D.D.P...@lse.ac.uk

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