Question: Facts: - residence: newcastle , u.k. - known for: moral , ethology , evolution philosophy , animal rights , philosophy of science - notable works: '' '' animals and why they matter '' -lrb- 1983 -rrb- beast , '' evolution as a religion '' -lrb- 1985 -rrb- and , '' science as salvation '' -lrb- 1992 -rrb- man '' -lrb- 1978 -rrb- , - birth name: mary scrutton - spouse: geoffrey midgley -lrb- m. 1950 -rrb- - education: '' college , oxford literae humaniores '' -lrb- 1942 -rrb- , somerville - birth date: 13 september 1919 - name: mary midgley - image: mary midgley.jpg - birth place: london - occupation: philosopher Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of mary midgley .
Answer:
mary beatrice midgley -lrb- nee scrutton ; born 13 september 1919 -rrb- is an english moral philosopher .she was a senior lecturer in philosophy at newcastle university and is known for her work on science , ethics and animal rights .she wrote her first book , '' beast and man '' -lrb- 1978 -rrb- , when she was in her fifties .subsequently she has written over 15 other books , including '' animals and why they matter '' -lrb- 1983 -rrb- , '' wickedness '' -lrb- 1984 -rrb- , '' the ethical primate '' -lrb- 1994 -rrb- , '' evolution as a religion '' -lrb- 1985 -rrb- , and '' science as salvation '' -lrb- 1992 -rrb- .she has been awarded honorary doctorates by both durham and newcastle universities .her autobiography , '' the owl of minerva '' , was published in 2005 .midgley strongly opposes reductionism and scientism , and any attempts to make science a substitute for the humanities -- a role for which it is , she argues , wholly inadequate .she has written extensively about what philosophers can learn from nature , particularly from animals .a number of her books and articles have discussed philosophical ideas appearing in popular science , including those of richard dawkins .she has also written in favour of a moral interpretation of the gaia hypothesis .'' the guardian '' has described her as a fiercely combative philosopher and the uk 's '' foremost scourge of ' scientific pretension . ' ''