Templeton Funding Controversy
Following on from the latter part of my previous post:
Templeton funding was suggested to me for my Spinoza research by a male lecturer over breakfast at the Aristotelian Society Annual Conference 2016. So I created a profile with them in all innocence, not realising what I was doing. After all, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks received a Templeton prize in 2016 so I assumed that my Jewish interpretation of Spinoza would be in their wheelhouse. However, I never actually used my profile to apply for any funding and just as well. Because I later discovered to my horror that the founder was an US-born ultra-conservative billionaire and that the foundation is known for being the top funder of rightwing popularism in the UK, according to the Guardian newspaper in this article and another. In the latter article, they call this foreign interference in British politics. Of course, Templeton exploited a loophole by living in the tax haven of the Bahamas thereby making himself also British which led him to be eligible for a knighthood from the Queen (1987). Templeton, therefore, affects British policy by donating to UK think tanks and pressure groups, such as the Centre for Policy Studies, founded by Thatcher and Keith Joseph, which promote a conservative ideology. 😱 (Liz Truss gave a speech at the CPS in December 2020).
Unfortunately, I didn't come across this academic journal article until recently which clearly states who they are, rather than who they pretend to be. That is, they like to give the appearance of being open-minded and pro-science when they are actually a zealous, rightwing Christian group who are evangelical about their religion and anti-science so quietly skew research they fund accordingly. Anyway, this very long article by Bains in Evolutionary Psychology titled 'Questioning the Integrity of the John Templeton Foundation' discusses this and demonstrates how the research they fund has little credibility, as a result.
Much as I have done the topic of religion and science in my Spinoza/Darwin paper and later in my Spinoza volume 1, I in no way agree with the aims of the Templeton foundation or with the way they go about realising these aims. Both politically and religiously they have never fitted with who I am. But I didn't know that at the time because there wasn't much on them on the internet and, besides, I rather trusted that this lecturer wouldn't make an unhelpful suggestion! Moreover, they are anti-gay marriage, as this article shows, so, since I am gay, that makes them completely off my radar! No way am I going to support or be linked with any anti-LGBTQIAPD2S+ organisations, institutions etc.
Furthermore, I am a philosopher not a theologian. I am also not a philosopher who wishes to push a religious agenda. Religion is, or at least should be, a personal matter not something foisted on others and certainly not something you should try to convert people to or convert them to a specific religion. For me, philosophy and theology are two separate, distinct disciplines that do not mix well, and indeed should not be conflated with each other.
I have tried to remove my profile on the Templeton website but cannot find a delete profile button to do so. I'm not sure why not, it's a standard feature for all sites and profiles and usually clearly visible. I also haven't found any instructions on how to delete my profile. I and other researchers should not be stuck with a profile on a website of an organisation with which they do not wish to be associated.
1For more information on this 2017-2019 project, see:
For more information on this Jan 2020 - Dec 2021 or Jan 2022 project, see:
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