Philip McShane

Dr. Philip McShane (1932–2020) was trained in mathematical physics. He did graduate work in relativity theory and quantum mechanics, and then earned his D.Phil in philosophy from Oxford. He is the author or editor of more than 25 books and many scholarly articles that range from technical works on the foundations of mathematics, probability theory, evolutionary process, methodology, and zoology to a popular book on spirituality titled *Music That Is Soundless: An Introduction to God for the Graduate.*

In his first book, *Randomness, Statistics, and Emergence,* McShane developed and expanded an evolutionary view of biological and historical process called “emergent probability” first articulated by Bernard Lonergan (1904–1984). McShane edited Lonergan’s two major works on phenomenology and logic and political economy, and is considered by many the leading interpreter of Lonergan’s magisterial work laying out the heuristic structure of a genetic method for studying organic, psychic, and intellectual development, *Insight: A Study of Human Understanding.*

McShane gave workshops and conferences in Canada, the U.S., Korea, India, Mexico, Columbia, and Ireland. Twice nominated for the Templeton Prize for his extensive work in methodology, economics, philosophy of science, and theology, McShane views collaboration as the key to progress in research in all fields bearing fruit in historical processes.