metaphysics of science
an AHRC funded research project
causes, laws, kinds, and dispositions
Upcoming workshop March 2010 (Bristol)
The next and final project workshop—Metaphysics of Science (and related topics)—will be held in Bristol, 29–31 March 2010. Please go to the conference webpage for further details.
project description
We naturally think that what happens in the universe is governed by laws of nature. We also think that events are causally related to other events, that things are naturally classified into kinds (physical, chemical and biological kinds, for example), and that at least some natural kinds have distinctive dispositions (for example, the disposition of NaCl to dissolve in water). This project explores how, or whether, all these distinct notions - law, cause, natural kind, disposition - can be made to fit together into a coherent and unified worldview. For example, must two causally related events be such that they are members of kinds that are lawfully related? Must those kinds be natural kinds? Are natural kinds distinguished from one another by the fact that members of different kinds are disposed to behave in different ways? This is a three year project based at the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, and Nottingham.
project leaders
- Alexander Bird
(PI)
Philosophy, University of Bristol. email: Alexander.Bird@bristol.ac.uk - Helen
Beebee
Philosophy, University of Birmingham. email: h.beebee@bham.ac.uk - Stephen
Mumford
Philosophy, University of Nottingham. email: Stephen.Mumford@nottingham.ac.uk
postdoctoral research fellows
Three postdoctoral research fellows worked on the project:
- Dr Francis Longworth (Birmingham)
- Dr Emma Tobin (Bristol)
- Dr Markus Schrenk (Nottingham)
doctoral students
Two PhD students worked on the project.
- Nigel Leary (Birmingham)
- Matt Tugby (Notthingham)
