Charles J. Lumsden (born 1949) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
in the Department of Medicine and Institute of Medical Science,
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
. He has been an early proponent of
sociobiology
Sociobiology is a field of biology that aims to examine and explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It draws from disciplines including psychology, ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, and population genetics. Within ...
, looking to our genetic nature to supplement culture in describing what makes us human. He wrote two influential books in collaboration with
Edward O. Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, entomologist and writer. According to David Attenborough, Wilson was the world's leading expert in his specialty of myrmecology, the study of a ...
''Genes, Mind and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process.'' (Harvard University Press, 1981) and ''Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind'' (Harvard University Press, 1983). Part of his interests lies in the mathematical and philosophical bases of physical theory in biology, and the origins of
creativity
Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a printed Literature ...
. He has also co-edited biology textbooks, notably ''Physical Theory in Biology: Foundations and Explorations'' 1997.
References
Lumsden: Selected bibliographyStephen Jay Gould discussed ''Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind'' in ''The New York Review of Books'', June 30, 1983
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lumsden, Charles J.
Canadian biologists
Academic staff of the University of Toronto
Living people
1949 births