|
|
Associate
Professor of Philosophy Ph.D.,
Rutgers University, 1997 Areas
of research: Metaphysics,
philosophy of mind, physicalism, consciousness, a priori knowledge I joined the faculty at the University of Florida in
1997 after completing my doctorate at Rutgers University. My research has been in metaphysics
and philosophy of mind, focusing mostly on the doctrine of physicalism, the
claim, roughly, that everything that exists is in some sense ultimately
physical in nature. I've also
worked on such topics as the nature of intrinsic properties, questions about
mental causation, functionalist treatments of the mind, and the role of
conceptual analysis and/or a priori knowledge in metaphysics generally. My
interest in epistemology and philosophy of religion has grown over the years
and I may aim to publish in those areas as well. My main project in the foreseeable
future, however, is to complete a book defending physicalism. Recent graduate seminars have
included courses in epistemology, physicalism, and the problem of
consciousness. By way of undergraduate teaching, I have often taught the
philosophy major's required course in epistemology (PHI3300) as well as the
elective course in philosophy of religion (PHI3700). Other undergraduate courses I teach
include Philosophy of Mind (PHI4320), Metaphysics (PHI3500), and Analytic
Philosophy (PHP4784), as well as a bit of Intro to Philosophy (PHI2010) and
Ethical Theory (PHI4662). I am presently the faculty advisor for UF's Gator
Freethought society. Current courses PHI 5325
Philosophy of Mind (Graduate). Selected Publications "How To Be A (Sort of) A Priori Physicalist." Philosophical
Studies 131 (1):
185-225. October 2006. "Intrinsicality without Naturalness." Co-authored with William Butchard and
Kelly Trogdon. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research
70 (2): 326-350. March 2005. "Multiple Realizability and Psychological Laws: Evaluating Kim's Challenge." In Physicalism and Mental Causation: The Metaphysics of Mind and Action. Sven Walter and Heinz-Dieter
Heckmann. Imprint Academic
Publishers, UK. 2003. Pages 59-84. "Functionalism and Causal Exclusion." Pacific
Philosophical Quarterly 84 (2): 198-214. June 2003. "DuprŽ's Anti-Essentialist Objection to
Reductionism." The Philosophical Quarterly 53
(211): 181-200. April 2003. "Sufficiency Claims and Physicalism: A Formulation." In Carl Gillett and Barry Loewer,
eds., Physicalism and Its Discontents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2001. Pages
57-73. "Experience, Appearance, and Hidden Features." PSYCHE
7(09), July 2001. http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v7/psyche-7-09-witmer.html "Locating the Overdetermination Problem." The
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 51: 273-286. June 2000. Selected Recent
Presentations "Realization and the Promise of Explanatory Import." November 11, 2007, Florida
Philosophical Association (Tallahassee, Florida) and April 6, 2007, Southern
Society for Philosophy and Psychology (Atlanta, Georgia). "Realization,
Higher Order Properties, and Explanatory Import." October 14, 2006. At the conference on Mind, Body and
Realization, held at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. Comments on Alyssa Ney: "Physicalism as an
Attitude." April 14, 2006.
Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology. Charleston, South Carolina. Comments on William Rottschaefer: "The Many Places of
Knowledge in Nature: Reflections
on Hilary Kornblith's Knowledge and Its Place in Nature." March 25, 2006. Pacific Division,
American Philosophical Association.
Portland, Oregon. Comments on Barry Loewer: "Why Is There Anything
Except Physics?" October
2004. Kline Colloquium on
Physicalism. University of
Missouri at Columbia. Comments on Andrew Melnyk: "Rea on
Naturalism." April 9,
2004. Southern Society for
Philosophy and Psychology, New Orleans, Louisiana. "The Shortcut Argument Against Coincident
Objects." November 14
2003. Florida Philosophical
Association, St. Petersburg, Florida. "Functionalism, Causation, and the Bait and Switch
Problem." October 16-17,
2003. Central States
Philosophical Association.
Chicago, Illinois. Also
November 9, 2001. Florida
Philosophical Association.
Deland, Florida. "The Epistemic Conceivability Argument Against
Physicalism." April
2002. Central Division, American
Philosophical Association.
Chicago, Illinois. Also: November 10, 2000. Florida Philosophical
Association. Sarasota, Florida. Current
projects "Realization and the Promise of Explanatory
Import." "Necessity, Identity, and A Priori Access." Demanding
Physicalism (book project) Faculty
< Department
< College
< University |
|
Email: <gwitmer> Office: 330B Griffin-Floyd Hall Phone: (352) 273-1830 Dept. Fax: (352)
392-5577 Department of Philosophy 330 Griffin-Floyd Hall University of Florida Gainesville,
FL 32611-8545 Office
hours for Fall 2009: Wednesdays
3:00-5:00 PM Fridays
3:00-5:00 PM And by
appointment* ... *Regular
office hours are not held during holidays, spring break, or after the last
day of classes (during reading days and exam week). Appointments may still be made during those times. If a
class is cancelled on a particular day, the office hours on that day will be
cancelled as well. |
