David Papineau | King's College London (original) (raw)

Papers by David Papineau

Research paper thumbnail of The MWI and Distributive Justice

Quantum reports, Feb 28, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Evolution of Means-End Reasoning

Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, Mar 1, 2001

When I woke up a few days ago, the following thoughts ran through my mind. ‘I need a haircut. If ... more When I woke up a few days ago, the following thoughts ran through my mind. ‘I need a haircut. If I don't get it first thing this morning, I won't have another chance for two weeks. But if I go to the barber down the road, he'll want to talk to me about philosophy. So I'd better go to the one in Camden Town. The tube will be very crowded, though. Still, it's a nice day. Why don't I just walk there? It will only take twenty minutes. So I'd better put on these shoes now, have breakfast straight away, and then set out for Camden.’

Research paper thumbnail of Many Minds are No Worse than One

The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Jun 1, 1996

Research paper thumbnail of Everett, Lotteries, and Fairness

Thought: A Journal of Philosophy, 2022

Defenders of the Everettian version of quantum mechanics generally hold that it makes no differen... more Defenders of the Everettian version of quantum mechanics generally hold that it makes no difference to what we ought to do. This paper will argue against this stance, by considering the use of lotteries to select the recipients of indivisible goods. On orthodox non-Everettian metaphysics this practice faces the objection that only actual and not probable goods matter to distributive justice. However, this objection loses all force within Everettianism. This result should be of interest to both philosophers of physics and to ethicists.

Research paper thumbnail of Philosophical Devices: Proofs, Probabilities, Possibilities, and Sets

Research paper thumbnail of Causes and mixed probabilities

International Studies in The Philosophy of Science, 1990

Research paper thumbnail of Against Representationalism

The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience, 2021

In this chapter some initial arguments for representationalism are considered and dismissed. Natu... more In this chapter some initial arguments for representationalism are considered and dismissed. Naturalist representationalism is distinguished from phenomenal intentionalism and shown to be implausible. Appeals to the ‘transparency’ of experience are considered and shown to be problematic. These doubts are put on a more explicit footing and are shown to lead to a general argument that conscious sensory properties cannot possibly be essentially representational. Phenomenal intentionalism is argued to collapse into the qualitative view.

Research paper thumbnail of The warmth of nationhood

Times Literary Supplement Tls, 1993

Research paper thumbnail of REVIEW ARTICLE: Correlations and Causes

Research paper thumbnail of Theories of consciousness

Research paper thumbnail of The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 18, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of David Lewis and Schrödinger's Cat

Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Mar 1, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Can We Reduce Causal Direction to Probabilities?

PSA;, 1992

This paper will be a mirror image of Huw Price's paper. Like Price, I shall first in... more This paper will be a mirror image of Huw Price's paper. Like Price, I shall first in-troduce the "fork asymmetry", then consider objections to using it to analyse causal asymmetry, and finally examine the relation between causation and human agency. But where Price rejects ...

Research paper thumbnail of The disvalue of knowledge

Research paper thumbnail of The Roots of Reason: Philosophical Essays on Rationality, Evolution, and Probability

Page 1. OXFORD :v 4 THE ROOTS of REASON PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAYS ON Rationality, Evolution, and Proba... more Page 1. OXFORD :v 4 THE ROOTS of REASON PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAYS ON Rationality, Evolution, and Probability • David Papineau Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. ... Page 5. THE ROOTS OF REASON This One X4CQ-A5E-U6HA Page 6. Page 7. ...

Research paper thumbnail of What’s wrong with strong necessities?

Philosophical Studies, Sep 4, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A note on the completeness of 'physics

Research paper thumbnail of Essential Properties Are Super-Explanatory: Taming Metaphysical Modality

Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Species Have Historical Not Intrinsic Essences

Research paper thumbnail of A Companion to Naturalism

Offering a engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, A Companion to Nat... more Offering a engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, A Companion to Naturaslim shows students how to think about the relation between Philosophy and Science, and why is both essencial and fascinating to do so. All the authors in this collection reconsider the core questions in Philosophical Naturalism in light of the challenges raised in Contemporary Philosophy. They explore how philosophical questions are connected to vigorous current debates - including complex questions about metaphysics, semantics, religion, intentionality, pragmatism, reductionism, ontology, metaethics, mind, science, belief and delusion, among others – showing how these issues, and philosopher’s attempts to answer them, matter in the Philosophy. In this sense, this collection is also compelling and illuminating reading for philosophers, philosophy students, and anyone interested in Naturalism and their place in current discussions.

Research paper thumbnail of The MWI and Distributive Justice

Quantum reports, Feb 28, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Evolution of Means-End Reasoning

Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, Mar 1, 2001

When I woke up a few days ago, the following thoughts ran through my mind. ‘I need a haircut. If ... more When I woke up a few days ago, the following thoughts ran through my mind. ‘I need a haircut. If I don't get it first thing this morning, I won't have another chance for two weeks. But if I go to the barber down the road, he'll want to talk to me about philosophy. So I'd better go to the one in Camden Town. The tube will be very crowded, though. Still, it's a nice day. Why don't I just walk there? It will only take twenty minutes. So I'd better put on these shoes now, have breakfast straight away, and then set out for Camden.’

Research paper thumbnail of Many Minds are No Worse than One

The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Jun 1, 1996

Research paper thumbnail of Everett, Lotteries, and Fairness

Thought: A Journal of Philosophy, 2022

Defenders of the Everettian version of quantum mechanics generally hold that it makes no differen... more Defenders of the Everettian version of quantum mechanics generally hold that it makes no difference to what we ought to do. This paper will argue against this stance, by considering the use of lotteries to select the recipients of indivisible goods. On orthodox non-Everettian metaphysics this practice faces the objection that only actual and not probable goods matter to distributive justice. However, this objection loses all force within Everettianism. This result should be of interest to both philosophers of physics and to ethicists.

Research paper thumbnail of Philosophical Devices: Proofs, Probabilities, Possibilities, and Sets

Research paper thumbnail of Causes and mixed probabilities

International Studies in The Philosophy of Science, 1990

Research paper thumbnail of Against Representationalism

The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience, 2021

In this chapter some initial arguments for representationalism are considered and dismissed. Natu... more In this chapter some initial arguments for representationalism are considered and dismissed. Naturalist representationalism is distinguished from phenomenal intentionalism and shown to be implausible. Appeals to the ‘transparency’ of experience are considered and shown to be problematic. These doubts are put on a more explicit footing and are shown to lead to a general argument that conscious sensory properties cannot possibly be essentially representational. Phenomenal intentionalism is argued to collapse into the qualitative view.

Research paper thumbnail of The warmth of nationhood

Times Literary Supplement Tls, 1993

Research paper thumbnail of REVIEW ARTICLE: Correlations and Causes

Research paper thumbnail of Theories of consciousness

Research paper thumbnail of The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 18, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of David Lewis and Schrödinger's Cat

Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Mar 1, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Can We Reduce Causal Direction to Probabilities?

PSA;, 1992

This paper will be a mirror image of Huw Price's paper. Like Price, I shall first in... more This paper will be a mirror image of Huw Price's paper. Like Price, I shall first in-troduce the "fork asymmetry", then consider objections to using it to analyse causal asymmetry, and finally examine the relation between causation and human agency. But where Price rejects ...

Research paper thumbnail of The disvalue of knowledge

Research paper thumbnail of The Roots of Reason: Philosophical Essays on Rationality, Evolution, and Probability

Page 1. OXFORD :v 4 THE ROOTS of REASON PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAYS ON Rationality, Evolution, and Proba... more Page 1. OXFORD :v 4 THE ROOTS of REASON PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAYS ON Rationality, Evolution, and Probability • David Papineau Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. ... Page 5. THE ROOTS OF REASON This One X4CQ-A5E-U6HA Page 6. Page 7. ...

Research paper thumbnail of What’s wrong with strong necessities?

Philosophical Studies, Sep 4, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A note on the completeness of 'physics

Research paper thumbnail of Essential Properties Are Super-Explanatory: Taming Metaphysical Modality

Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Species Have Historical Not Intrinsic Essences

Research paper thumbnail of A Companion to Naturalism

Offering a engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, A Companion to Nat... more Offering a engaging and accessible portrait of the current state of the field, A Companion to Naturaslim shows students how to think about the relation between Philosophy and Science, and why is both essencial and fascinating to do so. All the authors in this collection reconsider the core questions in Philosophical Naturalism in light of the challenges raised in Contemporary Philosophy. They explore how philosophical questions are connected to vigorous current debates - including complex questions about metaphysics, semantics, religion, intentionality, pragmatism, reductionism, ontology, metaethics, mind, science, belief and delusion, among others – showing how these issues, and philosopher’s attempts to answer them, matter in the Philosophy. In this sense, this collection is also compelling and illuminating reading for philosophers, philosophy students, and anyone interested in Naturalism and their place in current discussions.

Research paper thumbnail of History of the KCL Philosophy Department

Research paper thumbnail of Teleosemantics, Selection, and Novel Contents

Biology & Philosophy, 2019

Mainstream teleosemantics is the view that mental representation should be understood in terms of... more Mainstream teleosemantics is the view that mental representation should be understood in terms of biological functions, which, in turn, should be understood in terms of selection processes. One of the traditional criticisms of teleosemantics is the problem of novel contents: how can teleosemantics explain our ability to represent properties that are evolutionarily novel? In response, some have argued that by generalizing the notion of a selection process to include phenomena such as operant conditioning, and the neural selection that underlies it, we can resolve this problem. Here, we do four things: we develop this suggestion in a rigorous way through a simple example, we draw on recent neurobiological research to support its empirical plausibility, we defend the move from a host of objections in the literature, and we sketch how the picture can be extended to help us think about more complex "conceptual" representations and not just perceptual ones.

Research paper thumbnail of Forum for Philosophy: Doping

Forum for Philosophy, 2019