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Maria Sekatskaya

Research

Areas of Specialization

  • Free Will Problem
  • Personal Identity
  • Philosophy of Mind

Areas of Competence

  • Metaphysics
  • History of Early Modern Philosophy

Employment

  • 2018-present - Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Germany, Duesseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science (DCLPS), Postdoctoral Researcher
  • 2011–2018 - Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Saint-Petersburg State University
  • 2012–2013 - Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley, USA
  • 2009–2011 - Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Philosophy, Saint-Petersburg State University

Education

  • 2010 - Defended PhD Dissertation at Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia 
  • 2007–2009 - Visiting Research Student (PhD), University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • 2005–2009 - Graduate Studies School, Department of Philosophy, Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia
  • 2000-2005 - M.A., Department of Philosophy, Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia
Research Grants and Fellowships
  • German Research Foundation (DFG), research unit Inductive Metaphysics (FOR 2495) Project A2.1 “Creative Abductive Inference and its Role for Inductive Metaphysics” (2018-2023), PI Gerhard Schurz, member of the research team.
  • German Research Foundation (DFG), research unit Inductive Metaphysics (FOR 2495) Project B5 “Statistical Causation, Intervention, and Freedom” (2018-2020), PI Gerhard Schurz, member of the research team.
  • Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation, research grant “Unity of Consciousness: the Phenomenal Field and the Binding Problem” (2016 – 2018), PI.
  • Academy of Finland - Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation, joint Russian-Finnish research grant “Collective Minds” (2014 – 2016), Co-PIs: Danil Razeev & Raimo Tuomela, member of the research team.
  • DAAD Visiting Scholar research grant “Moral Stance: Responsibility without Metaphysical Freedom” (2015), University of Mainz, Germany, scientific advisor Thomas Metzinger, individual grant.
  • Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation collective research grant “The Problem of Personal Identity in Contemporary Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind” (2013-2015), PI.
  • Russian Foundation for Basic Research, collective research grant “The Neural Correlates of Consciousness. The Philosophical Analysis of Contemporary Naturalistic Theories of Consciousness” (2013-2015), PI Danil Razeev, member of the research team.
  • Fulbright Visiting Scholar research grant “Free Will, Utilitarian Ethics and Social Engineering” (2012 – 2013). University of California, Berkeley, scientific advisor John Searle, individual grant.
  • Bourse de Canton de Fribourg (2008-2009), University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Scientific advisor Gianfranco Soldati, individual scholarship.
  • Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists (2007-2008), University of Fribourg, Switzerland, scientific advisor Gianfranco Soldati, individual scholarship.

Awards

  • Russian Academy of Sciences Prize for young scholars in philosophy and psychology (2016). 

Complete CV here.

Publications

Books

  • Res Cogitans and Res Extensa: the Problem of Free Will [Res Cogitans and Res Extensa: Проблема свободы]. Saint-Petersburg: RHGA Publishing House, 2013.

Refereed Journal Articles

In English (published)

  • “Alternative Possibilities and the Meaning of ‘Can’” (with Gerhard Schurz), Dialectica. Forthcoming.
  • “Supervenient Fixity and Agential Possibilities” (with Alexander Gebharter), Theoria. Forthcoming. 
  • "Mental causation, interventionism, and probabilistic supervenience" (with Alexander Gebharter as 1st author), Synthese (2024) 203, 206. DOI: 10.1007/s11229-024-04608-w.
  • “Free Will, Control, and the Possibility to Do Otherwise from a Causal Modeler’s Perspective” (with Alexander Gebharter (1st author) and Gerhard Schurz), Erkenntnis (2022) 87, 1889–1906.
  • "Androids, Oracles and Free Will", Kriterion (2021) 35(4), 359-378. DOI: 10.1515/krt-2021-0010.
  • “Double Defence Against Multiple Case Manipulation Arguments”, Philosophia (2019) 47(4): 1283–1295. DOI: 10.1007/s11406-018-0043-1
    All publications can be found here.

In English (submitted)

  • “The Reality of Free Will: An Abductive Account” (with Gerhard Schurz), 2023.
  • “Reductionism, Supervenience, and Carnap’s Account of Empirical Confirmability” (with Christian Feldbacher-Escamilla as 1st author), 2023.
  • “Beyond the Luck Problem: Addressing Discrimination in Event-Causal Libertarianism”, 2022.

In Russian (with abstracts in English, published)

  • “Каузальная эффективность интенциональных актов.” [Causal Efficiency of Intentional Acts] Epistemology & Philosophy of Science (2020) 57(1): 79-95. DOI: 10.5840/eps20205718.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2018. “Necessary and Sufficient Criteria of Personal Identity” [Необходимые и достаточные критерии тождества личности] // Voprosy filosofii, 5: 125-133.
  • Sekatskaya, M., Popova-Nikityuk N. 2017. “Robert Kane’s Naturalistic Libertarianism” [Натуралистическое либертарианство Роберта Кейна] // Filosofiya. Zhurnal Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki [Philosophy. Journal of the Higher School of Economics], 1(4): 141-145.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2017. “The Consequence Argument and the Problem of Luck in Free Will Debates” [Аргумент последствий и проблема удачи в дебатах о свободе воли] // Voprosy filosofii, 3: 198-205.
  • Besedin A., Kuznetsov A., Mertsalov A., Sekatskaya, M., Volkov D. 2017. “Failure of the Manipulation Argument and the Disappearing Agent Argument to Solve the Problem of Free Will and Moral Responsibility” [Несостоятельность аргументов манипуляции и исчезающего агента для проблемы свободы воли и моральной ответственности] // Voprosy filosofii, 6: 29-38.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2017. “Phenomenal Unity of Consciousness in Synchronic and Diachronic Aspects” [Феноменальное единство сознания в синхроническом и диахроническом аспектах] // Epistemology & Philosophy of Science, 54(4): 123-135.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2016. “Free Will and Predictability. A Philosophical Analysis of the Current Research in Neuroscience” [Свобода воли и предсказуемость. Философский анализ современных исследований в нейронауке] // Voprosy filosofii, 3: 163-169.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2016. “Intentionality, Free Will and Moral Responsibility of Collectives” [Интенциональность, свобода воли и моральная ответственность коллективов] // Mysl. Zhurnal Peterburgskogo Filosofskogo Obshestva [Thought. Journal of Saint-Petersburg Philosophical Society], 21: 77-86.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2015. “Consciousness in Philosophy and Cognitive Science: Why the Hard Problem Doesn't Need a Solution” [Исследование сознания в философии и когнитивных науках: почему трудная проблема сознания не нуждается в решении], Voprosy filosofii, 4: 185-194.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2015. “Why Explanatory Gap is not a Decisive Argument against Naturalism in Philosophy of Mind” [Почему разрыв в объяснении не является решающим аргументом против натурализма в философии сознания], Epistemology & Philosophy of Science, 44(2): 125-135.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2014. “Brain Transplantation and Personal Identity. An Alternative Interpretation of One Thought Experiment” [Пересадка мозга и тождество личности: альтернативная интерпретация одного мысленного эксперимента], Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, 42(4): 67-76.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2014. “Moral Responsibility without Free Will. An Argument for Ethics Naturalized” [Моральная ответственность без свободы воли. Аргумент в пользу натуралистической этики], Voprosy filosofii, 10: 151-161.
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2014. “Functionalism as a Scientific Approach to Consciousness: why Qualia Arguments Can’t be Decisive”  [Фунцкионализм как научная философия сознания: почему аргумент о квалиа не может быть решающим]. Voprosy filosofii, 3: 143-152. 
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2013. “Personal Identity as a Matter of Ontology. An Objection to Derek Parfit” [Тождество личности как онтологический факт: возражение Дереку Парфиту]. Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, 3(37): 76-84. 
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2012. “What We Know about Consciousness: A Commentary on Daniel Dennett and David Chalmers Polemics” [Что мы знаем о сознании? Комментарий к полемике Д. Чалмерса и Д. Деннета]. Voprosy filosofii, 11: 147-157.  
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2012. “Ethical ideals, Logical Restrictions and the Free Will Problem” [Этические идеалы, логические ограничения и проблема свободы] Voprosy filosofii, 2: 81-92.  
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2010. “Physical Determinism and Free Will: the Cartesian Solution” [Физический детерминизм и свобода воли: картезианское решение]. Philosophical Sciences, 10: 65-80. 
  • Sekatskaya, M. 2010. “Is there a Way Out from the Cartesian Circle? The Commentary on Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy” [Есть ли выход из “картезианского круга”? Комментарий к “Размышлениям о первой философии”]. Voprosy filosofii, 9: 167-176.  
Selected Presentations (In English)

Free Will: An Abductive Approach (with Gerhard Schurz)

  • "Abduction in Philosophy of Mind" Workshop at "Sophia 2023" Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2023
  • "Inductive Metaphysics: Insights, Challenges and Prospects" Conference, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany, August 2023
  • Research Meeting of the Inductive metaphysics Research group, University of Düsseldorf, Germany, May 2022
  • DCLPS Research seminar, University of Düsseldorf, January 2022

(Non-)Reductionism in Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Mind (with Christian Feldbacher-Escamilla)

  • ECAP11: 11th European Congress of Analytic Philosophy, University of Vienna, August 2023
  • Research colloquium of Prof. Jan Michel, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, April 2023
  • Research colloquium of Prof. Raphael van Riel, University of Duisburg-Essen, January 2023
  • GAP.11: 11th International Congress of German Society for Analytic Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, September 2022
  • "(Non-)Reductionism in the Metaphysics of Mind" Workshop at "Sophia 2022" Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2022

Reductionism in the philosophy of science and the problem of mental properties (with Christian Feldbacher-Escamilla)

  • GWP.2022 – The Fourth International Conference of the German Society for Philosophy of Science, Technische Universität Berlin, August 2022

Supervenient Fixity and Agential Possibilities (with Alexander Gebharter) 

  • "Compatibilist Libertarianism: Advantages and Challenges" Workshop, LMU Munich  (virtually hosted), October 2021
  • "Realities of Free Will" Workshop at "Sophia 2021" Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2021
  • "Agents' Abilities and Options for Action" Conference, University of Konstanz, Germany, September 2021
  • DCLPS Research Seminar, University of Duesseldorf, Germany, April 2021

Compatibilist Libertarianism and the Fixity Principles

  • "Volition: neurobiological, cognitive and phenomenological aspects", Conference, St.-Petersburg State University (online), Russia, November 2020

Free Will, Control, and the Possibility to do Otherwise from a Causal Modeler’s Perspective

  • ECAP10 - The Tenth European Congress of Analytic Philosophy, Utrecht University (online), The Netherlands, August 2020

“Event-Causal Libertarianism and the Problem of Discrimination”

  • University of Duesseldorf, DCLPS, Germany, May 2020

“The Consequence Argument and Counterfactual Conditionals”

  • Free Will and Methodology International Conference, KU Leuven, Belgium, June 2019

“Alternative Possibilities and the Meaning of ‘Can’” 

  • EENPS-2020 Conference, University of Belgrade  (online), Serbia, June 2021

  • University of Konstanz, Germany, January 2020

  • University of Cologne, Germany, January 2019

  • University of Duesseldorf, DCLPS, Germany, November 2018

“The Consequence Argument and Naming across Possible Worlds” 

  • Agent Causation, Powers and Sourcehood International Conference, University of Zagreb, Croatia, May 2018

“The Multiple Case Response to the Manipulation Argument”

  • Invited lecture, Institute of Cognitive Studies of the Higher School of Economics, University, Moscow, Russia, May 2018

“Neuroscience and Free Will: Conceptual Clarification” 

  • Science of Self-Control and New Arguments in Free Will Debates Workshop, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia, September 2016

“Agency, Autonomy and Responsibility”

  • Collective Minds IV Workshop, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia, September 2016

“Manipulated and Responsible?” 

  • Free Will and Consciousness Summer School, Riga, Latvia, July 2016

“Neuroscience and Free Will: A Conceptual Issue” 

  • University of Innsbruck, Austria, June 2016

“I, We or Someone Else: Inferring the Source of Agency” 

  • Collective Minds III Workshop, University of Helsinki, Finland, April 2016

“Free Will, Predictability and Neuroscience” 

  • Mind Group Research Seminar, University of Mainz, Germany, October 2015

“Why Explanatory Gap is not Consciousness Specific?” 

  • Ontology of Subjectivity: Selves, Persons, Organisms International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia, September 2015

“Do We Have Pre-Theoretical Intuitions about Collective Minds?”  

  • Collective Minds and Social Ontology Workshop, University of Helsinki, Finland, April 2015

“From One to Many: Intentionality and Brain” 

  • Collective Minds II Workshop, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia, December 2014

“Why Ontology Matters for Personal Identity Debates?” 

  • Bodies, Persons and Selves Workshop, New University of Lisbon, Portugal, June 2014

“Ontology of Minds”

  • Collective Minds Workshop, University of Helsinki, Finland, April 2014

“Freedom and Determinism in Physicalist Perspective” 

  • Berkeley Social Ontology Group Research Seminar, UC Berkeley, USA, October 2012

“Utilitarian Ethics and Social Engineering” 

  • Modern and Contemporary Philosophy Research Seminar, Saint-Luc, Switzerland (Organized by University of Fribourg), February 2011
Teaching

In English (selected courses)

  • Naturalistic Approaches to the Free Will Problem (undergraduate seminar course): Spring 2023, University of Düsseldorf
  • Introduction to the Problem of Free Will (undergraduate seminar course): Fall 2021, University of Düsseldorf
  • An Introduction to Metaphysics (undergraduate lecture course): Fall 2019, University of Düsseldorf (together with Christian Feldbacher-Escamilla).
  • Philosophy in Movies: Possible Worlds, Free Will, Personal Identity (graduate/undergraduate seminar): Spring 2019, University of Düsseldorf (together with Corina Strößner).
  • Free Will and Moral Responsibility (graduate seminar): Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
  • Free Will (graduate seminar): Spring 2016, Fall 2016; Spring 2014, Fall 2014
  • Personal Identity and Unity of Consciousness (graduate seminar): Spring 2015, Fall 2015
  • Mind-Body Problem in Analytic Philosophy (graduate/undergraduate seminar): Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2013 

In Russian

  • Философия сознания [Philosophy of Mind] (undergraduate lecture course): Spring 2018
  • Философия сознания [Philosophy of Mind] (undergraduate seminar): Spring 2016
  • Проблема сознания в современной философии и науке [Problem of Consciousness in Philosophy and Science] (undergraduate seminar): Spring 2017
  • Тексты по языкознанию В. фон Гумбольдта [Wilhelm von Humboldt’s Philosophy of Language] (undergraduate seminar): Spring 2011, Spring 2018
  • Философия науки [Philosophy of Science] (undergraduate lecture course): Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016
  • Философские проблемы естествознания и методолгия биологии [Topics in Philosophy and Methodology of Life Sciences] (graduate lecture course): Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018
Service

Co-organizer (selected international events) 

  • "Abduction in Philosophy of Mind" Workshop at Sophia 2023 Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2023
  • "Inductive Metaphysics: Insights, Challenges and Prospects" Conference, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany, August 2023
  •  "(Non-)Reductionism in the Metaphysics of Mind" Workshop at Sophia 2022 Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2022
  • "Compatibilist Libertarianism: Advantages and Challenges" Workshop, LMU Munich, online, October 2021
  • "New Work on Induction and Abduction", Workshop, University of Düsseldorf, Germany, online, September 2021
  • "Realities of Free Will" Workshop at Sophia 2021 Conference, University of Salzburg, Austria, September 2021
  • "Free Will and Consciousness as a Problem of Philosophy of Science", Symposium at EENPS-2020 Conference, University of Belgrade, Serbia, online, June 2021
  • "Laws and Explanations in Metaphysics and Science", Spring School and Workshop, University of Düsseldorf, Germany, March 2021
  • "Free Will and Causality" International Conference, Duesseldorf, Germany, September 2019
  • "Collective Minds V" Workshop, University of Helsinki, Finland, April 2018
  • "Physicalism in Contemporary Philosophy" Workshop, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia, December 2017
  • "Ontology of Subjectivity: Selves, Persons, Organisms" International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, September 2015
  • "Collective Minds" Workshop, St.-Petersburg State University, December 2014
  • "Unity of Consciousness: Phenomenological and Cognitive Aspects" International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, August 2014
  • "Naturalistic Approaches to Consciousness" International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, May 2013
  • "Current Issues in Philosophy of Mind: Personal Identity, the Flow of Consciousness, the Ontology of Persons" International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, June 2012
  • "New Concepts in Modern Phenomenology: Genetic Method and Interdisciplinary Problems" International Conference, St.-Petersburg State University, June 2010

Referee for Grants and Fellowships

  • Fulbright, Russian Competition

Referee for Journals

Analysis (2019); European Journal of Analytic Philosophy (2019); KRITERION - Journal of Philosophy (2019); Philosophia (2020); Philosophy Journal [Философский журнал] (2019, 2018); Epistemology & Philosophy of Science (2019, 2018), Mysl. Zhurnal Peterburgskogo Filosofskogo Obshestva (2016, 2015).

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