INSTITUT FÜR PHILOSOPHIE

Education and Career

  • Born 01-21-1956 in Graz (Austria).
  • 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.
  • Since 1992: 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 general 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.
  • Since 03/2000 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.
  • Since 04/2002: Chair of Theoretical Philosophy (C4-Professorship) at the Philosophy Department of the University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
  • Since 7/2005 second speaker and since 7/2008 project-area 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 University of Düsseldorf.
  • Since 2012: Director of the DCLPS (Duesseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science)

Guest Professorships:

  • 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 (acquiration of funds):

  • 1998 - 02/2000: General 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 yeras: 1.000.000,- Euro; 8 full time postdoc positions. From 3/2002 to 10/2001 member, project leader, and advisor of this Interfacultary Reserach 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: head 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,- €, full postdoc position for 6 years.
  • 08/2008 - 08/2011: head 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 postdoc position for 3 years.
  • 09/2008 - 09/2011: head of the DFG-financed project P1 "Probability Logic and Non-Monotonic Reasoning from an Evolutionary Perspective", which is part of  EuroCores project "The Logic of Causal and Probabilistic Reasoning in Uncertain Environments". Grant: approx. 250.000.- €, full postdoc position for 3 years
  • Since 01/2010 head 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. 250.000,-€, full postdoc position for 3 years (in the first period).
  • Since 07/2011 head of the DFG-financed  project B4: A Frame-theoretical Investigation of Unification and Reduction in Scientific Therories, within the DFG-financed project SFB 991 "Die Struktur von Repräsentationen in Sprache, Kognition und Wissenschaft" at the University of Duesseldorf. Grant approx. 250.000,-€, full postdoc position for 3 years (in the first period).
  • Since 1/2011 head of the DFG-financed  project The Role of Meta-Induction in Human Reasoning" within the Special Project Program "New Frameworks of Rationality" . Grant approx. 250.000,-€, full postdoc position for 3 years (in the first period).
  • 01/10/2011 - 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).
  • Since 12/2012 head of the DFG-financed project P5: Die kausale und explanatorische Relevanz von Abwesenheiten (SCHU1566/10-2) of the DFG research unit "Kausalität, Gesetze, Dispositionen und Erklärung am Schnittpunkt von Wissenschaften und Metaphysik" (FOR 1063) (Grant approx. ca.  120.000,- Euro, half postdoc position).

Research and teaching:

Scientific research areas:

  • 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:

  • 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, philosphy of culture.

Supervision of M.A.'s and PhD's:

  • Supervisor of master theses and dissertations (approx. 35 since 1991) in the topics Logic, Philosophy of Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science, Epistemology, and Meta-Ethics.
    My PhD-Students include, among others: Helmut Prendiger (2006 Prof. at National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo), Hannes Leitgeb (2006 Prof. at University of Bristol), Franz Huber (2006 Ass.Prof. at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena), Markus Werning (2010 Prof. at University of Bremen), Eckhart Arnold (2007 Ass.Prof. at University of Bayreuth), Jens Paulßen (2010 Postdoc at Univ. Duesseldorf), Mag. Phil. Mag. Psych. Matthias Unterhuber (2010 research assistant at the Univ. of Duesseldorf), Mag. Alexander Gebharter (2010 research assistent an der Univ. Duesseldorf). Dr. rer. nat. Lennart Treuel, M.A. Florian Boge, M.A. Alexander Christian (research assistent at the Univ. of Düsseldorf).

Scientific Activities

Organisation of scientific conferences:

  • 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 Universität Düsseldorf.
  • Co-chair of EPSA 2013 (4th Biennial Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association Helsinki).

Membership in scientific and 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)
  • Editorial board membership of Scientific Journals:  Erkenntnis (1999-), Synthese (1999-2008), 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.

Publications and Lectures:

6 Books, 17 Editions, more than 170 Papers. More than 200 Lectures in various countries.

Refereeing activities:

  • For Scientific Journals (among others): Erkenntnis, Journal of Philosophical Logic, Synthese, Artificial Intelligence, 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, Refiew of Symbolic Logic, Cognition, Acta Biotheoretica.
  • Refereeing activities for the Austrian FWF, the German DFG, and similar organisations, as well as for various university commisions.