David R. Purkey, Ph.D.

US Water Group Leader

Lessons from an Athenian Drought: What Greek Philosophy Suggests about the Proper Role of Models and Analysis in the Management of Water Resources

Abstract

In 360 BC, Athens was gripped by a severe drought. At this same moment two of the leading minds in Greek Philosophy, and hence in the Western intellectual tradition, were engaged in a prolonged discussion regarding the proper role of knowledge and authority in a democracy. Plato, the teacher, held to a view that the few that could attain real knowledge should be endowed with authority, Aristotle, the student, cautioned that the many driven by beliefs, should be allowed to participate in deliberations. This seminar will use a hypothetical dialogue between the two regarding the proper response to the Athenian drought to frame a discussion on the proper role of knowledge and belief in our own water management discourse, and offer a decision support approach that attempts to productively meld both perspectives. Examples from California and the Andes will be shared.

Bio

David Purkey is the US Water Group Leader within the Stockholm Environment Institute, an international research institute focused on bridging science and policy in support of a more sustainable world. In spite of his interest in philosophy, which almost led him to make a career damaging decision to major in the subject as an undergraduate, Dr. Purkey completed a B.A. in Geology at Carleton College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Hydrologic Science at the University of California, Davis. At SEI he leads the team responsible for the development and deployment of the Institutes Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system, which captures his interest in the integration of physical science and the messy world of water management.