Leiden,7-8-2026.
Vandaag publiceerde het FD een essay ” arom deze Nijmeegse filosoof Anthropic afwees “van Carmody Grey.
Zij is katholiek theoloog en filosoof, docent in Durham en bijzonder hoogleraar in Nijmegen.
Zij is een leerling/volger van de katholieke engelse filosoof John Milbank, die hier in dialoog gaat met zijn absolute regenhanger Slavoj Zizek.
The Monstrosity of Christ: Paradox or Dialectic? – Slavoj Zizek and John Milbank
Dr. Carmody Grey is a prominent British theologian, philosopher, and academic specializing in the moral foundations of science, philosophical theology, and theological ethics. Her work heavily bridges the gaps between the life sciences, Catholic Social Teaching, and ecological justice. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Academic Background and Roles
Current Chairs: She serves as an assistant professor of Catholic theology at Durham University and was appointed to a five-year Special Chair in Integral Ecology at the Laudato Si’ Institute at Radboud University in the Netherlands. [1, 2]
Education: Dr. Grey possesses an elite multidisciplinary background. She holds degrees in theology and philosophy from Trinity College Oxford, Kings College Cambridge, the University of Bristol, and the University of Nottingham. Crucially, she also holds a postgraduate degree in conservation biology from the University of Edinburgh. [1]
Core Philosophy and Arguments
Integral Ecology: Drawing heavily from Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, Grey argues that socio-economic justice and environmental care are fundamentally inseparable. To care for human beings requires caring for the planet, and vice versa. [1, 2]
Rejection of Techno-Optimism: She critiques modern society’s “technocratic paradigm,” which treats nature and human identity merely as data or resources to exploit. Instead, she advocates for a renewed awareness of human vulnerability, wonder, and deep biological connection. [1, 2, 3]
Why We Don’t Act: In high-profile addresses (such as her lecture leading up to COP 26), Grey posited that giving people more climate statistics does not work; the actual barrier to environmental action is our internal human motivation and spiritual alienation. [1]
Critiques of Artificial Intelligence
Human vs. Machine: Grey actively challenges the tech sector’s co-opting of biological language. In a notable 2026 essay for the Financial Times, she explained why she turned down working with AI giant Anthropic.
The Category Error: She argues that analyzing Large Language Models (LLMs) in biological terms is an absolute category error. True intelligence cannot be separated from organic reality—it requires being a feeling organism shaped by physical needs, fears, and desires. [1]
Major Publications
Theology, Science and Life (2025): A definitive text where she argues that dividing theology from natural sciences like biology is completely unsustainable.
Wat betekent het mens te zijn (“What Does It Mean to Be Human?”): A philosophical book dissecting our modern separation from the natural world. [1, 2]
Radboud UniversiteitCarmody Grey appointed professor by special appointment of Integral Ecology | Radboud University7 Oct 2024 — Carmody Grey is a professor at the Laudato Si’ Institute at Radboud University’s Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Stu…
Laudato Si’ Research InstituteCarmody Grey – Laudato Si’ Research InstituteCarmody works in philosophical theology and theological ethics. In philosophical theology, she is interested in how Christianity r…
laudato-si.nlHoogleraar Carmody Grey in Nederland – Laudato Si21 Nov 2024 — Dat is mijn werk. ‘ Carmody Grey werkt sindskort aan de Radboud Universiteit als hoogleraar Integrale Ecologie. Vorige week hield …