Abstract: This talk defends a contextualist theory of 鈥榢nowledge鈥� ascriptions. I argue that in some sentences, the implicit argument of 鈥榢nows鈥� is bound by a quantifier. The natural readings of these sentences can be generated by contextualist theories, but not by competing interest-relative theories of knowledge. In addition, I argue that the contextualist can explain…
Abstract. 鈥� Talk of function often plays a central role in work on conceptual engineering. An appeal to functions can provide much needed standards for evaluating and constructing concepts, according to how well they fulfill their functions, and whether those functions are desirable. However, there has also been a great deal of skepticism about the…
Title: Modeling contingently existing propositions (and other intensions). Abstract: The traditional Montagovian framework for the analysis of intensional language uses constant domain models. However, in other areas of philosophy which employ modal logic, it is much more common to use variable domain models which permit various forms of contingent existence. Part of the difficulty in…
Abstract: The notion of risk plays a central role in economics, finance, health, psychology, law and elsewhere, and is prevalent in managing challenges and resources in day-to-day life. In recent work, Duncan Pritchard (2015, 2016) has argued against the orthodox probabilistic conception of risk on which the risk of a hypothetical scenario is determined by…
Abstract. 鈥� This talk addresses methodological and political challenges of conceptual engineering in cross-cultural perspective. Based on four case studies of interdisciplinary (empirical and philosophical) research projects in Latin America and West Africa, the talk demonstrates the heterogeneity of epistemological and ontological perspectives of stakeholders and the often hidden politics of their inclusion/exclusion in the…
Title: “Good News for the Subregion Theory of Parthood” Abstract: The Subregion Theory of Parthood is probably the most intuitive theory of parthood. It says that whatever is exactly located at a subregion of your exact location is part of you, and nothing else is. Mutatis mutandisfor all material objects. I defend this view from…
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