Philip Kitcher | Columbia University (original) (raw)
Papers by Philip Kitcher
Global Policy, 2016
There are obvious reasons why citizens of the nations we mark out as democracies fail to support ... more There are obvious reasons why citizens of the nations we mark out as democracies fail to support policies that address catastrophic threats. The current condition of many such nations allows for marked differences between preferences and interests (to the extent that the choice of the label ‘democracy’ can be seriously questioned). Failures in the transmission of crucial information are intensified because of market competition among media sources and widespread difficulties in understanding issues couched in terms of probabilities. Beyond these, however, are prevalent social conditions that interfere with citizens’ abilities to discern their interests. I suggest an account of the notion of interests (and of the related concept of freedom) in terms of an environment that provides opportunities for reflective choice. Such environments are highly vulnerable, and political and economic institutions within ‘democratic’ nations can systematically destroy them. Throughout, I use the examp...
Symposium on Cocking and van den Hoven’s "Evil Online"
Many philosophers are inclined to dismissive judgments about 'applied ethics'. They think of this... more Many philosophers are inclined to dismissive judgments about 'applied ethics'. They think of this line of work as merely requiring straightforward use of ethical principles (the achievements of thinkers who tackle 'fundamental questions') in light of research into the technical details of the pertinent domain. So writing a book about the moral issues posed by the widespread use of the Internet, especially the impact of social media on contemporary lives, ought to be a simple matt er. Learn the facts about what is going on, call up your favorite moral theory, and turn the crank. One of the achievements of Evil Online is to provide a decisive refutation of this all-too-common view. 1 To be sure, Dean Cocking and Jeroen van den Hoven off er a parade of appalling stories about life on the World Wide Web. They also show, however, how hard it is to adapt standard ethical categories and principles to comprehend the online behavior that so concerns them. The habits they describe and condemn, often appearing as propensities to staggering cruelty, 2 require the introduction of a new concept: that of 'moral fog'. What follows will be, in the main, an att empt to develop some of Cocking and van den Hoven's important themes. My principal focus will be on their 3. Cocking and van den Hoven, p. 86. 4. Cocking and van der Hoven, p. 40. 5. Cocking and van der Hoven, p. 40. 6.
THEORY OF REFERENCE FOR NATURAL KIND TERMS 101 with samples of gold. The term refers to all and o... more THEORY OF REFERENCE FOR NATURAL KIND TERMS 101 with samples of gold. The term refers to all and only that stuff same kind as these samples. The nature of this relation, being depending as it does on the internal structure of the samples, by scientific research (1987, p. 70).
Minerva, 2016
The internet has considerably changed epistemic practices in science as well as in everyday life.... more The internet has considerably changed epistemic practices in science as well as in everyday life. Apparently, this technology allows more and more people to get access to a huge amount of information. Some people even claim that the internet leads to a democratization of knowledge. In the following text, we will analyze this statement. In particular, we will focus on a potential change in epistemic structure. Does the internet change our common epistemic practice to rely on expert opinions? Does it alter or even undermine the division of epistemic labor? The epistemological framework of our investigation is a naturalist-pragmatist approach to knowledge. We take it that the internet generates a new environment to which people seeking information must adapt. How can they, and how should they, expand their repertory of social markers to continue the venture of filtering, and so make use of the possibilities the internet apparently provides? To find answers to these questions we will take a closer look at two case studies. The first example is about the internet platform WikiLeaks that allows so-called whistle-blowers to anonymously distribute their information. The second case study is about the search engine Google and the problem of personalized searches. Both instances confront a knowledgeseeking individual with particular difficulties which are based on the apparent anonymity of
Oxford University Press, 2013
Offering an engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, Philosophy of Sci... more Offering an engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, Philosophy of Science: A New Introduction shows students how to think philosophically about science and why it is both essential and fascinating to do so. Gillian Barker and Philip Kitcher reconsider the core questions in philosophy of science in light of the multitude of changes that have taken place in the decades since the publication of C.G. Hempel's classic work, Philosophy of Natural Science (1966)--both in the field and also in history and sociology of science and the sciences themselves. They explore how philosophical questions are connected to vigorous current debates--including climate change, science and religion, race, intellectual property rights, and medical research priorities--showing how these questions, and philosophers' attempts to answer them, matter in the real world.
Featuring numerous illustrative examples and extensive further reading lists, Philosophy of Science: A New Introduction is ideal for courses in philosophy of science, history and philosophy of science, and epistemology/theory of knowledge. It is also compelling and illuminating reading for scientists, science students, and anyone interested in the natural sciences and in their place in global society today.
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association
Pragmatic Naturalism, 2013
Contents Preface ix The Creationist Crusade 1 1 Evolution for Everyone 7 2 Believing Where We Can... more Contents Preface ix The Creationist Crusade 1 1 Evolution for Everyone 7 2 Believing Where We Cannot Prove 30 3 Darwin Redux 55 4 Mountains, Molehills, and Misunderstandings 82 5 What Price Creationism? 124 6 Exploiting Tolerance 16^ 7 The Bully Pulpit 186 with ...
Scientific Realism and Democratic Society
Canadian Journal of Philosophy
Here is a traditional way of thinking about human knowledge. (1) Knowledge is a species of true b... more Here is a traditional way of thinking about human knowledge. (1) Knowledge is a species of true belief. The crucial difference between knowledge and other kinds of true belief is that propositions that are known have a special property (they are justified, or warranted).(2a) Justified (warranted) propositions either have intrinsic justification (they are self-warranting for the knower) or else they are obtainable by means of a justification-conferring argument from other justified propositions that the knower believes.(3a) The only propositions with intrinsic justification are those that fall into one of two classes: the set of a priori truths (logic, mathematics, etc.) and the set of propositions recording the sensory experiences of the knower.
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association
Analyse & Kritik
Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust, Die eine will sich von den andern trennen: Die eine häl... more Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust, Die eine will sich von den andern trennen: Die eine hält in derber Liebeslust Sich an die Welt mit klammernden Organen; Die andre hebt gewaltsam sich vom Dust Zu den Gelden hoher Ahnen. (Goethe, Faust I) 1 That does not mean that the great gures in the history of philosophy have contributed nothing to ethics, but simply that their ideas cannot be understood as authoritativediscoveries. Many of them are valuable as proposals that might be kept in mind as people continue to work out the ethical project together.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Nov 1, 2016
Nearly everyone agrees that knowledge is gained through diligent study and investigation, but the... more Nearly everyone agrees that knowledge is gained through diligent study and investigation, but there is far greater ambiguity when it comes to the meaning of wisdom and how it is acquired. What is wisdom, and how can it be attained? Is there an empirical relationship between wisdom and the cultivation of character, as Aristotle and others have argued? Are the development of virtue and the fulfillment of our innate potential prerequisites to living the good life? Steven Paulson, moderator and executive producer of To the Best of our Knowledge, led a discussion with philosopher Philip Kitcher, philosopher Valerie Tiberius, and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett on role of wisdom in the interplay between positive emotions, virtues, and character.
Kant and Contemporary Epistemology, 1994
... THE UNITY OF SCIENCE AND NATURE ... I began to develop in "Projecting the Or... more ... THE UNITY OF SCIENCE AND NATURE ... I began to develop in "Projecting the Order ofNature" (in RE Butts (ed.), Kant's Philosophy ofPhysical Science, Dordrecht: Reidel ... I have been greatly helped by the recent work of Paul Guyer on Kant's notion(s) of systematicity, by Michael ...
B jiologists have discovered that a wide variety of population-genetics models apply to cases of ... more B jiologists have discovered that a wide variety of population-genetics models apply to cases of natural selection in the wild. The outcome of selection may depend on the number ... 17 Also, I am not aware that Dawkins has ever taken a stand on whether the average fitness ...
Global Policy, 2016
There are obvious reasons why citizens of the nations we mark out as democracies fail to support ... more There are obvious reasons why citizens of the nations we mark out as democracies fail to support policies that address catastrophic threats. The current condition of many such nations allows for marked differences between preferences and interests (to the extent that the choice of the label ‘democracy’ can be seriously questioned). Failures in the transmission of crucial information are intensified because of market competition among media sources and widespread difficulties in understanding issues couched in terms of probabilities. Beyond these, however, are prevalent social conditions that interfere with citizens’ abilities to discern their interests. I suggest an account of the notion of interests (and of the related concept of freedom) in terms of an environment that provides opportunities for reflective choice. Such environments are highly vulnerable, and political and economic institutions within ‘democratic’ nations can systematically destroy them. Throughout, I use the examp...
Symposium on Cocking and van den Hoven’s "Evil Online"
Many philosophers are inclined to dismissive judgments about 'applied ethics'. They think of this... more Many philosophers are inclined to dismissive judgments about 'applied ethics'. They think of this line of work as merely requiring straightforward use of ethical principles (the achievements of thinkers who tackle 'fundamental questions') in light of research into the technical details of the pertinent domain. So writing a book about the moral issues posed by the widespread use of the Internet, especially the impact of social media on contemporary lives, ought to be a simple matt er. Learn the facts about what is going on, call up your favorite moral theory, and turn the crank. One of the achievements of Evil Online is to provide a decisive refutation of this all-too-common view. 1 To be sure, Dean Cocking and Jeroen van den Hoven off er a parade of appalling stories about life on the World Wide Web. They also show, however, how hard it is to adapt standard ethical categories and principles to comprehend the online behavior that so concerns them. The habits they describe and condemn, often appearing as propensities to staggering cruelty, 2 require the introduction of a new concept: that of 'moral fog'. What follows will be, in the main, an att empt to develop some of Cocking and van den Hoven's important themes. My principal focus will be on their 3. Cocking and van den Hoven, p. 86. 4. Cocking and van der Hoven, p. 40. 5. Cocking and van der Hoven, p. 40. 6.
THEORY OF REFERENCE FOR NATURAL KIND TERMS 101 with samples of gold. The term refers to all and o... more THEORY OF REFERENCE FOR NATURAL KIND TERMS 101 with samples of gold. The term refers to all and only that stuff same kind as these samples. The nature of this relation, being depending as it does on the internal structure of the samples, by scientific research (1987, p. 70).
Minerva, 2016
The internet has considerably changed epistemic practices in science as well as in everyday life.... more The internet has considerably changed epistemic practices in science as well as in everyday life. Apparently, this technology allows more and more people to get access to a huge amount of information. Some people even claim that the internet leads to a democratization of knowledge. In the following text, we will analyze this statement. In particular, we will focus on a potential change in epistemic structure. Does the internet change our common epistemic practice to rely on expert opinions? Does it alter or even undermine the division of epistemic labor? The epistemological framework of our investigation is a naturalist-pragmatist approach to knowledge. We take it that the internet generates a new environment to which people seeking information must adapt. How can they, and how should they, expand their repertory of social markers to continue the venture of filtering, and so make use of the possibilities the internet apparently provides? To find answers to these questions we will take a closer look at two case studies. The first example is about the internet platform WikiLeaks that allows so-called whistle-blowers to anonymously distribute their information. The second case study is about the search engine Google and the problem of personalized searches. Both instances confront a knowledgeseeking individual with particular difficulties which are based on the apparent anonymity of
Oxford University Press, 2013
Offering an engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, Philosophy of Sci... more Offering an engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, Philosophy of Science: A New Introduction shows students how to think philosophically about science and why it is both essential and fascinating to do so. Gillian Barker and Philip Kitcher reconsider the core questions in philosophy of science in light of the multitude of changes that have taken place in the decades since the publication of C.G. Hempel's classic work, Philosophy of Natural Science (1966)--both in the field and also in history and sociology of science and the sciences themselves. They explore how philosophical questions are connected to vigorous current debates--including climate change, science and religion, race, intellectual property rights, and medical research priorities--showing how these questions, and philosophers' attempts to answer them, matter in the real world.
Featuring numerous illustrative examples and extensive further reading lists, Philosophy of Science: A New Introduction is ideal for courses in philosophy of science, history and philosophy of science, and epistemology/theory of knowledge. It is also compelling and illuminating reading for scientists, science students, and anyone interested in the natural sciences and in their place in global society today.
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association
Pragmatic Naturalism, 2013
Contents Preface ix The Creationist Crusade 1 1 Evolution for Everyone 7 2 Believing Where We Can... more Contents Preface ix The Creationist Crusade 1 1 Evolution for Everyone 7 2 Believing Where We Cannot Prove 30 3 Darwin Redux 55 4 Mountains, Molehills, and Misunderstandings 82 5 What Price Creationism? 124 6 Exploiting Tolerance 16^ 7 The Bully Pulpit 186 with ...
Scientific Realism and Democratic Society
Canadian Journal of Philosophy
Here is a traditional way of thinking about human knowledge. (1) Knowledge is a species of true b... more Here is a traditional way of thinking about human knowledge. (1) Knowledge is a species of true belief. The crucial difference between knowledge and other kinds of true belief is that propositions that are known have a special property (they are justified, or warranted).(2a) Justified (warranted) propositions either have intrinsic justification (they are self-warranting for the knower) or else they are obtainable by means of a justification-conferring argument from other justified propositions that the knower believes.(3a) The only propositions with intrinsic justification are those that fall into one of two classes: the set of a priori truths (logic, mathematics, etc.) and the set of propositions recording the sensory experiences of the knower.
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association
Analyse & Kritik
Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust, Die eine will sich von den andern trennen: Die eine häl... more Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust, Die eine will sich von den andern trennen: Die eine hält in derber Liebeslust Sich an die Welt mit klammernden Organen; Die andre hebt gewaltsam sich vom Dust Zu den Gelden hoher Ahnen. (Goethe, Faust I) 1 That does not mean that the great gures in the history of philosophy have contributed nothing to ethics, but simply that their ideas cannot be understood as authoritativediscoveries. Many of them are valuable as proposals that might be kept in mind as people continue to work out the ethical project together.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Nov 1, 2016
Nearly everyone agrees that knowledge is gained through diligent study and investigation, but the... more Nearly everyone agrees that knowledge is gained through diligent study and investigation, but there is far greater ambiguity when it comes to the meaning of wisdom and how it is acquired. What is wisdom, and how can it be attained? Is there an empirical relationship between wisdom and the cultivation of character, as Aristotle and others have argued? Are the development of virtue and the fulfillment of our innate potential prerequisites to living the good life? Steven Paulson, moderator and executive producer of To the Best of our Knowledge, led a discussion with philosopher Philip Kitcher, philosopher Valerie Tiberius, and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett on role of wisdom in the interplay between positive emotions, virtues, and character.
Kant and Contemporary Epistemology, 1994
... THE UNITY OF SCIENCE AND NATURE ... I began to develop in "Projecting the Or... more ... THE UNITY OF SCIENCE AND NATURE ... I began to develop in "Projecting the Order ofNature" (in RE Butts (ed.), Kant's Philosophy ofPhysical Science, Dordrecht: Reidel ... I have been greatly helped by the recent work of Paul Guyer on Kant's notion(s) of systematicity, by Michael ...
B jiologists have discovered that a wide variety of population-genetics models apply to cases of ... more B jiologists have discovered that a wide variety of population-genetics models apply to cases of natural selection in the wild. The outcome of selection may depend on the number ... 17 Also, I am not aware that Dawkins has ever taken a stand on whether the average fitness ...