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Curriculum Vitae

Education and Career / Ausbildung und wissenschaftlicher Werdegang

  • 1980: Master in chemistry (Magister rer. nat)
  • 1983: Doctor in philosophy (Doktor phil.)
  • Title of the dissertation: Scientific Explanation (Wissenschaftliche Erklärung)
  • 1983-89: Universitätsassistent (university assistent/assistent professor) at the Department of Philosophy, University of Salzburg (Austria).
  • 1989: Habilitation in Philosophy. Title of the Habilitation: Relevant Deduction in Science and Ethics. With a Case Study of the Is-Ought Problem.
  • 1989-97 Universitätsdozent (lecturer with tenure) and Assistenzprofessor and 1997-2000 ao. Universitätsprofessor (associate professor) at the Department of Philosophy, University of Salzburg.
  • 1992-2009: Department Leader and since 03/2002 member of the Institute for Philosophy of Science at the International Reserach Center in Salzburg (Austria).
  • 1994-2000: Director of the exchange program between the Philosophy departments of the universities in Salzburg und Irvine, California (UCI).
  • 1993-97 Coordinator of the Interfacultary Research Group Coexistence of Rivalising Paradigms at the University of Salzburg.
  • 1998-02/2000 Speaker and since 03/2000 member of the Interfacultary Research Project F012 (Plurality of Theories and Paradigms in Sciences and Humanities) at the University of Salzburg, financed by the Austrian FWF (Funds for Scientific Research.)
  • 3/2000-3/2002 Professorship for Philosophy of Science at the University of Erfurt, Germany.
  • 10/2001-3/2002 Head of the Philosophical Seminar at the University of Erfurt.
  • 4/2002 - 2/2022: Chair of Theoretical Philosophy (C4-Professorship) at the Philosophy Department of the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
  • 7/2005-6/2011 Second speaker and since 07/2008 group speaker of the research Group Functional Concepts and Frames (FOR 600) financed by the DFG (German Research Association).
  • 10/2006-10/2009: Head of the Philosophical Institute at the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf.
  • 9/2011-12/2017: Member of the steering committee of the DFG-financed priority program SPP 1516 "New Frameworks for Rationality".
  • Since 2012: Director of the DCLPS (Düsseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science).
  • 2013-15: Member of the Steering Committe of EPSA (European Philosophy of Science Association).
  • 2016-2022: President of the GWP (Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsphilosophie, German Association for Philosophy of Science).
  • Since 2019:  Member of Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences.
  • Since 2019 corresponding member and since 2022 member of the International Academy for Philosophy of Science  (AIPS).
  • Since 3/2022: Seniorprofessor at the Philosophy Department of the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany.

Guest Professorships / Gastprofessuren

  • 1989/90 Visiting Assistant Professor and 1996 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of California at Irvine, Department of Philosophy

  • 1991 Lecturer at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Department of Psychology

  • 1997 Professor (in substitution) at the University of Bochum, Germany, Department of Philosophy

  • 1999 Visiting Full Professor at Yale University, Department of Philosophy

  • 10/2009 and 03/2011 Guest Professor (cumulated) at the University of Graz, Austria.

  • 03/2010 Guest Professor (cumulated) at the University of Vienna, Austria.

Grants / Drittmittel

  • 1998 - 02/2000: Speaker of the Interfacultary Research Project F012 "Plurality of Theories and Paradigms in Sciences and Humanities" at the University of Salzburg, financed by the Austrian FWF (Austrian Funds for Scientific Reserach). Grant for the first three years: 1.000.000,- Euro (8 postdoc positions). From 3/2000 to 10/2001 PI (principal investigator) and advisor of this Interfacultary Research Project.
  • Grant by the Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung für Wissenschaftsförderung for the International Conference "Compositionality, Concepts and Cognition" (CoCoCo), 28.2004 - 04.03.2004., at the University of Düsseldorf. Grant: 16.000,- €.
  • 07/2005 - 07/2011: PI (principal investigator) of the project "B2 neuroframes – neuronal foundations of functional concepts" of the research unit Functional Concepts and Frames (FOR 600) financed by the German DFG (German Research Association). Grant: approx. 400.000,- € (one postdoc position for 6 years).
  • 08/2008 - 08/2011: PI of the project "B6 a frame-theoretic investigation of the dynamics of scientific theories" of the research unit Functional Concepts and Frames (FOR 600) financed by the German DFG (German Research Association). Grant: approx. 120.000,- € (half post-doc position for 3 years).
  • 09/2008 - 09/2011: PI of the DFG-financed project P1 "Probability Logic and Non-Monotonic Reasoning from an Evolutionary Perspective", being part of  EuroCores project "The Logic of Causal and Probabilistic Reasoning in Uncertain Environments". Grant: approx. 250.000.- € (one postdoc position for 3 years).
  • 01/2010 - 12/2015: PI of the DFG-financed project P1 "Kausalität und Erklärung" of the DFG-financed research unit "Erklärung, Kausalität, Gesetze und Dispositionen am Schnittpunkt von Wissenschaften und Metaphysik" (FOR 1063). Grant approx. 500.000,-€ (one postdoc position for 3+3 years in two 3-years periods).
  • 07/2011 - 06/2015: PI of the DFG-financed project B4: A Frame-theoretical Investigation of Unification and Reduction in Scientific Theories, within the DFG-financed project SFB 991 "Die Struktur von Repräsentationen in Sprache, Kognition und Wissenschaft" at the University of Düsseldorf. Grant approx. 250.000,-€ (one postdoc position for 4 years).
  • Since 09/2011: Member of the steering committee of the DFG-financed special priority program SPP 1516 "New Frameworks of Rationality".
  • 9/2011 - 12/2017: Member of the steering committee of the DFG priority program SPP 1516 "New Frameworks for Rationality".
    PI of the DFG-financed project "The Role of Meta-Induction in Human Reasoning" within the Special Project Program SPP 1516 "New Frameworks of Rationality". Grant approx. 520.000,-€ (one postdoc position for 6 years). 
  • 1/10/2011 - 31/03/2011: DFG-financed research semester (Vertretung der eigenen Stelle für Ws 2011/12) with the project title "The Optimality of Meta-Induction. A  New Approach to Hume's Problem Based on Learning and Game Theory" (grant approx. 60.000,- Euro).
  • 12/2012-11/2015: PI of the DFG-financed project P5: "Causal and explanatory relevance of absences" within the DFG research unit "causality, laws, dispositions and explanations" (FOR 1063). Grant approx. 120.000,- € (half postdoc position).
  • 7/2015-12/2019: PI of the projects A06: Logic and ontology of the cognitive representation of theories and D01: Frame representation of prototype concepts and prototype-based reasoning within the DFG-financed collaborative research centre SFBs 991 "The Structur of representations in Language, Cognition and Science". Grant approx. 550.000,-€ (one postdoc and two PhD-positions for 4 years).
  • 4/2017-3/2020: PI of the research projects A2 "Creative Abductive Inference and Its Role for Inductive Metaphysics" and B5 "Statistical Causation, Intervention, and Freedom" within the DFG research unit FOR2495 "Inductive Metaphysics". Grant approx. 450.000,-  (1.5 postdoc positions for 3 years).
  • Beginning with 04/2020: Speaker of the DFG research unit FOR2495 "Inductive Metaphysics"  (second period) and PI of the projects A2 "Creative Abductive Inference and Its Role for Inductive Metaphysics" and B10 "Metaphysics of Evolution" (grant approx. 800.000,- Euro, 1.5 postdoc positions and coordination project for 3 years).
  • Since 09/2021 PI of the DFG project "Parameterised Frames and Conceptual Spaces" (163.000,- €, 50% postdoc).

Scientific Research Areas / Forschungsgebiete

  • Philosophy of Science (general; natural science; history of science; explanation and understanding; lawlikeness; induction and abduction; theory confirmation and verisimilitude; normic laws, structural realism)

  • Logic (philosophical; mathematical; in particular: modal logic, logic and relevance, probability logic, nonmonotonic logic)

  • Epistemology (justification of induction, justification of abduction, Analytic epistemology, Pragmatism, Logical Empiricism)

  • Generalized Evolution Theory

  • Artificial Intelligence (explanation; nonmonotonic, uncertain and probabilistic reasoning; Prolog programming) and Cognitive Science (relevance; non-monotonic reasoning and prototypicality, logic of neuronal nets)

  • Metaethics (Is-Ought Problem) and Applied Ethics (Ethics of Science and Technology).

Teaching / Lehre

  • Teaching in a broad range of areas, which include - beyond my research areas - also history of philosophy, philosophy of world-views, philosophy of literature, ethics of environment, pragmatism and post-modernism, philosophy of culture.

Supervision of M.A.'s and PhD's / Betreuung von Masterarbeiten und Dissertationen

  • Supervisor of master theses and dissertations within the topics Logic, Philosophy of Science, Epistemology,  Philosophy of Physics, Evolution, Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science, Meta-Ethics and Normative Ethics.

  • My PhD-Students include, among others: Helmut Prendiger (2006 Professor National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo), Hannes Leitgeb (2006 Professor University of Bristol), Franz Huber (2006 Professor California Institute of Technology, Pasadena), Markus Werning (2010 Professor University of Bremen), Eckhart Arnold (Bavarian Academy of Sciences), Wolfram Ballhausen (business manager), Jens Paulßen (mathematics teacher), Matthias Unterhuber (research fellow  University of Bochum), Alexander Gebharter (research fellow Center for Philosophy, Science, and Policy, Ancona, Italien), Florian Boge (2023 Professor University Dortmund), Alexander Christian (research fellow University Düsseldorf), Christian Feldbacher-Escamilla (managing director Dptm. Philosophy University of Cologne), Nina Retzlaff (business manager), Karim Baraghith (research fellow University Hannover), Annika Schuster (research fellow University Paris).

Organization of Scientific Conferences / Organisation wissenschaftlicher Konferenzen

  • 08/1986 11th International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg/Wechsel (Austria)
  • 08/1988 13th International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg/Wechsel (Austria)
  • 07/1994 International Research Symposium on Unpredictability and Chaos at the International Reserach Center in Salzburg (Austria)
  • 06/1995 Salzburg-Ljubljana Symposium on The Philosophical Relevance of Nonclassical Logic at the University of Salzburg (Austria)
  • 07/1997 Irvine-Salzburg Conference Quantities in Science II at the University of Salzburg (Austria)
  • 08/1997 20th International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg/Wechsel (Austria)
  • 03/2002 Salzburg-SFB-Workshop on Relevance, Consequence and Content at the University of Salzburg.
  • 07/2002 SFB-Workshop Non-Monotonic Reasoning in the Context of Cognitive Paradigms.
  • 03/2004 International Conference Compositionality, Concepts and Cognition (CoCoCo) at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 04/2008 International conference Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Underdetermination at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 05/2008 International workshop Reliable Knowledge and Social Epistemology: The Philosophy of Alvin Goldman at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 05/2009 International workshop Conditionals at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 02/2011 International conference Novel Predictions at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 03/2011 International workshop Theory Ladenness of Experience at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 05/2011 International conference Conditionals, Counterfactuals and Causes in Uncertain Environments at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 11/2011  International workshop Explanation, Causality and Unification at the Universität Düsseldorf.
  • 06/2013 [With A. Gebharter and M. Unterhuber] Workshop The Philosophy of Clark Glymour at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • Co-chair of EPSA 2013 (4th Biennial Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association Helsinki).
  • 01/2014 [With I. Votsis] Workshop Unification and Coherence at the  University of Düsseldorf.
  • 04/2015  [With A. Gebharter] Workshop with Christopher Hitchcock at the University of Düsseldorf.
  • 09/2015: Organization of  EPSA 2015 (5th Biennial Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association) at the HHU.
  • 03/2016 Organization of GWP.2016 (2nd triennal conference of the Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsphilosophie, German Society for Philosophy of Science) at the HHU.
  • 7/2017 [With A. Gebharter and D. Hommen] Theories of Causation.  Workshop at the HHU.
  • 10/2017 [With K. Engelhard et al.] Traditional and Inductive Metaphysics. Workshop at the University of Dortmund. 
  • 1/2018 [With K. Baraghith] The Generalized Theory of Evolution. Symposium at the HHU.
  • 12/2018 [With M. Schrenk et al.] Abduction and modelling in Metaphysics. With Timothy Williamson. Workshop at the HHU.
  • 9/2019 [With M. Sekatskaya] Free Will and Causality. Conference at the HHU.
  • 9/2021 [With C. Feldbacher-Escamilla, O. Scholz, A. Seide] Induction and Abduction. Online-Workshop.

Membership in Scientific and Editorial Boards / Mitgliedschaften in scientific boards und editorial boards

  • Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society (Member of Executive Board 1990-2000), German Association for Analytic Philosophy (Member of the extended Executive Board 1994-2000), Association for Foundation of Science, Language and Cognition (Austrian Representative since 1995), EPSA (European Philosophy of Science Association) Steering Committee 2013-15.
  • Editorial board membership of Scientific Journals:  Erkenntnis (1999-), Synthese (1999-2008, 2013-), Grazer Philosophische Studien (1999-), Studia Logica (1997-2002), Ethik und Sozialwissenschaften (1990-), Facta Philosophica (1998-), Angewandte Sozialforschung (1998-), Vienna Circle Yearbook (2006-), Journal for General Philosophy of Science (2010-), Episteme (2010-), Springer book series SAPERE (2012-)
  • Edition of the book series Philosophische Grundlagen der Wissenschaften und ihrer Anwendungen, Peter Lang Publishers.
    Co-editor of the three book series Studies/Proceedings/Dissertations in Language and Cognition with Düsseldorf University Press dup, Imprint von De Gruyter.

Publications and Lectures / Veröffentlichungen und Vorlesungen

11 books, 26 editions, more than 260 papers. More than 300 lectures in various countries.

 

Refereeing Activities / Gutachtertätigkeit

  • For Scientific Journals (among others): Erkenntnis, Journal of Philosophical Logic, Synthese, Artificial Intelligence, Noûs, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Science, Journal of Logic and Computation, Logique et Analyse, Studia Logica, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Psychiatrisches Forum, Bulletin of the AL, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Grazer Philosophische Studien, Theoria, Facta, Logic Journal of the IGPL, Philosophica, Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic, Philosophia, Review of Symbolic Logic, Cognition, Acta Biotheoretica, Theoria, Theory and Decision, Philosophical Studies, Cognitive Science, Philosophical Psychology, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Journal of Mathematical Psychology, European Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Journal for the General Philosophy of Science, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, Bioscience, Frontiers in Psychology, Episteme, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Social Epistemology, American Philosophical Quarterly, Minds and Machines, Zeitschrift für Philosophische Forschung, Analyse und Kritik, Kriterion, Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie.

  • Refereeing activities for the Austrian FWF, the German DFG, and similar organisations, as well as for various university commisions.

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