Philosophy of science group meetings
Second half of 2025
Thursdays 1–2pm, unless otherwise noted
31 July: lab meeting
7 August: PhilSci Reading Group: Varga, “Mental health promotion and the positive concept of health: Navigating dilemmas” (Natalie)
14 August: lab meeting
21 August: PhilSci Reading Group: Garson, Chapter from Functions book (Sam)
28 August: lab meeting
4 September: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
11 September: lab meeting
18 September: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
25 September: lab meeting
2 October: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
9 October: lab meeting
16 October: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
23 October: lab meeting
30 October: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
6 November: lab meeting
13 November: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
20 November: lab meeting
27 November: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
4 December: lab meeting
11 December: PhilSci Reading Group: TBD
18 December: lab meeting
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Past semester reading archives:
Semester 1 2025
20 Feb: Maureen O’Malley’s draft chapter from Philosophical issues in microbiome research: Chapter 3: Natural microbiomes and human ‘nature’
6 March: Rose Novick, “The neutral theory of conceptual complexity”
12 March: Dan McShea visit and teleology discussion.
13 Mar: Derek Skillings’ draft paper on holobionts.
27 Mar: Karen Neander, “Functions as selected effects: The conceptual analyst's defense”
1 May: Arno Wouters, “Four notions of biological function”
8 May: James Russell’s draft paper for feedback, “Invasive species eradication standards”
15 May: David Kelley’s draft paper for feedback, “Philosophy Moves and Mini-Moves”
29 May: Mark Bedau visit.
17 July: John Matthewson & Paul Griffiths, “Biological criteria of disease: Four ways of going wrong”
Semester 2 2024
12 August: Neil Levy, “No trespassing! Abandoning the novice/expert problem”
26 August: Caleb Hazelwood (manuscript for feedback), “Beanbag holobionts”
2 September: James Mansell presenting PhD thesis overview
9 September: Samuel Johnson et al., “Conviction Narrative Theory: A theory of choice under radical uncertainty”
Semester 1 2024
12 February: Griffin et al., “Compassionate Conservation Clashes With Conservation Biology: Should Empathy, Compassion, and Deontological Moral Principles Drive Conservation Practice?”
26 February: Whyte, “Against crisis epistemology”
11 March: Chalmers, “What is conceptual engineering and what should it be?”
25 March: Sanches de Oliveira et al., “Scientific practice as ecological-enactive co-construction”
15 April: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 1
29 April: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 2
13 May: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 3
27 May: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 4
10 June: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 5
24 June: Massimi, Perspectival Realism chapter 11
8 July: Giere, “Modest evolutionary naturalism”
Semester 2 2023
25 July: Fleisher, “Rational endorsement”
8 August: Pavlinov, excerpts from The species problem: a conceptual history
22 August: Doolittle, “Speciation without species”
5 September: Odenbaugh, “On the very idea of an ecosystem”
19 September: Levy, “Too humble for words”
17 October: Gabbi’s PhD writing sample draft
31 October: Wilholt, “Epistemic trust in science”
14 November: Bright, “On fraud”
12 December: Matthew Slater visiting
Semester 1 2023
17 January: Cline, “Do Species Really Matter? The Case of ‘The’ Galápagos Giant Tortoise”
14 February: Ally’s draft paper “Landing among the stars: failure response planning for Predator Free 2050”
28 February: Brett’s practice talk for Major Transitions in the Evolution of Cognition workshop
14 March: Chapter 1 of Joyce Havstad’s book draft manuscript
28 March: Intemann, “Who needs consensus anyway? Addressing manufactured doubt and increasing public trust in climate science”
18 April: Kovaka, “Climate change denial and beliefs about science”
2 May: Nathan, “Pluralism is the answer! What is the question?”
16 May: Mayden, “Consilience and a hierarchy of species concepts: Advances toward closure on the species puzzle”
30 May: Bikyu’s draft paper
6 June: Aja Watkins’ draft paper
27 June: Kiper et al., “Experimental philosophy”
4 July: David’s draft paper
Semester 2 2022
26 July: Reydon, “On radical solutions in the philosophy of biology: What does ‘individuals thinking’ actually solve?”
9 August: David’s draft paper “Philosophical moves”
23 August: Bulbulia, “The cognitive and evolutionary psychology of religion”
6 September: Antony, “Quine as Feminist: The Radical Import of Naturalized Epistemology”
20 September: Feyaerts & Vanheule, “The logic of appearance: Dennett, phenomenology and psychoanalysis”
4 October: Michaelian, “Is external memory memory? Biological memory and extended mind”
18 October: Vazquez, “The gay gene(s)? Rethinking the concept of sexual orientation in the context of science”
1 November: Nguyen, “Echo chambers and epistemic bubbles”
15 November: Curry, “Scientific psychology for folk craft: The case of IQ”
29 November: Mitchell, “Integrative pluralism”
13 December: Deaven, “Relative significance controversies in evolutionary biology”