Inquiry, Representation, and Epistemic Value

I am in the early stages of a book project, Inquiry Without Mirrors, that develops these ideas. Its guiding idea is that science aims to provide true answers to relevant questions, where a question’s relevance is determined largely by pragmatic factors such as interests, social roles, and background assumptions. I show how this homely idea provides novel answers to philosophical questions concerning scientific realism, the epistemology and semantics underlying scientific modeling, and the role of social, political, and moral values in science.

Articles and Book Chapters

In progress. Literature review of science and values literature. (with Matt Brown, Dan Hicks, and Soazig LeBihan)
In progress. More work on questions and epistemic value. (with Jared Millson).
In progress. Papers on scientific representation, questions, and inference. (with Mark Risjord and Jared Millson)
In progress. Paper on representation in functional neuroimaging. (with Daniel Kostic)
In progress. Science, values, and misguided pursuits. (with Marina DiMarco)
Under review. Paper on scientific realism. (with Jared Millson and Mark Risjord)
Forthcoming. "Understanding, truth, and epistemic goals." Philosophy of Science. doi: 10.1086/710545.
2020. "Explanatory Obligations." Episteme. 17 (3): 384-401. (with Jared Millson)
2020. "Questions, perspectives, and epistemic value." In Knowledge for a Human Point of View. edited by A. Cretu and M. Massimi. Dordrecht: Springer. (with Jared Millson).
2019. "Inquiry tickets: values, pursuit, and underdetermination." Philosophy of Science. doi: 10.1086/705446. (with Marina DiMarco).