Metaphysics of Science Workshop

Themes in the Metaphysics of Chemistry and Biology

supported by the AHRC and the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol

Monday 23rd, Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th June 2008

The Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol

Conveners: Alexander Bird & Emma Tobin

Confirmed Speakers:

• Jaap van Brakel (Leuven)
• Marc Ereshefsky (Calgary)
• Robin Hendry (Durham)
• Nigel Leary (Birmingham)
• Paul Needham (Stockholm)
• Samir Okasha (Bristol)
• James Ladyman (Bristol)
• Markus Schrenk (Nottingham)
• Ulrich Stegmann (Bristol)
• Emma Tobin (Bristol)
• Denis Walsh (Toronto)

Programme

MONDAY 23rd JUNE:

VENUE : Verdon-Smith Room, Institute for Advanced Studies, Royal Fort House

• 14:30 Arrival, Check-in
• 14:45 – 16:15 Marc Ereshefsky (Calgary) “Darwin’s Solution to the Species Problem ” Paper draft (pdf)
• 16:15 – 16:45 Coffee

  Plenary Session: Evolution and Causation

  • 16:45 – 17:30 Denis Walsh (Toronto) “Not A Sure Thing” Paper draft (pdf)
  • 17:30 – 18:00 Reply : Samir Okasha (Bristol)
  • 18:00 – 18:45 Discussion
• 19:30 Conference Dinner at 2 Rooms, 112 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DB.

TUESDAY 24th JUNE:

VENUE: Verdon-Smith Room, Institute for Advanced Studies, Royal Fort House

• 09:30 – 10:15 Ulrich Stegmann (Bristol) “Representation in Animal Signals” Paper Abstract
• 10:15 – 10:45 Coffee Break
• 10:45 – 12:15 Paul Needham (Stockholm) “Substance and Time” Paper draft (pdf)
• 12:15 – 13:00 Emma Tobin (Bristol) “Crosscutting Natural Kinds and the Hierarchy Thesis” Paper Abstract
• 13:00 – 14:00 LUNCH
• 14:00 – 15:30 James Ladyman (Bristol) “An Account of Ontology in the Special Sciences compatible with a Minimal Physicalism”
• 15:30 – 16:15 Nigel Leary (Birmingham) “Chemical Semantics”
• 16:15 – 16:45 Coffee Break
• 16:45 – 18:15 Robin Hendry “The Metaphysics of Chemistry”. (Hendry’s paper will be based partly on his recent book The Metaphysics of Chemistry.)
• 19:30 Conference Dinner at Sands Restaurant, 95 Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1LW.

Wednesday 25th June

VENUE: Verdon-Smith Room, Institute for Advanced Studies, Royal Fort House

• 09:15 – 10:00 Markus Schrenk (Nottingham) “A Lewisean Theory for Special Science Laws” Paper Abstract
• 10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break
• 10:30 – 12:00 Jaap van Brakel (Leuven) “Anomalous Anomalous Monism and the many sides of Chemistry” Paper Abstract
• 12:00 – 13:00 LUNCH
• 13:00 – 14:00 Postgraduate/Student Seminar with Paul Needham (Stockholm) "What Explanatory Role did Atomism Play in 19th Century Chemistry?" in the Philosophy Common Room, 9 Woodland Road.

Accommodation

We cannot organise accommodation for non-speakers, but would recommend the following:

The Clifton Hotels (Berkeley, Rodney, Clifton, Washington)

The Westbourne Hotel

Alternatively, these sites might be useful:

http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/where_to_stay

Bed and Breakfast Bristol

The AA (put 'BS8 1TB' in the location box)

Registration

There is no registration fee. However, places are limited. Please contact Emma.Tobin@bristol.ac.uk to reserve a place. Guests will have to organize their own accommodation and lunch.

Arrival and Departure

The workshop will take place at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Royal Fort House (no 30 on the map of the university precinct.)

For information about how to get to the university precinct, please consult http://www.bris.ac.uk/university/maps/.

A workshop map detailing the relevant locations for the workshop is available here.