It was a tremendous honor to participate in the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association’s 81st annual meeting in San Francisco on April 6, 2007 as an independent scholar. I delivered my commentary on an essay by Dr. Gregory Walters of St. Paul University, Ottawa, titled "Philosophy of Gene-being and the Encompassing: a Prolegomenon." His paper sought to establish a philosophical, scientific and theological foundation for the consideration of biotechnologies. My commentary sought to 1) acknowledge the problematic nature of the question of Being (in other words, what does it mean to say that something is?); 2) address the apparent dilemma of free will vs. determinism (which, I argued, the one way flow of time renders irresolvable) and 3) the admission that practical knowledge (how to do something) can, and often does, exceed the wisdom of doing so. This final point was an appeal for humility in the face of the unknown consequences of our actions.

Click on the link below for commentary:

Commentary D.Rau.email.doc