Choice & Inference

Branden Fitelson, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University, will deliver a colloquium lecture, “Accuracy, Coherence, and Evidence,” on Thursday, April 5, 2012, at Carnegie Mellon University. Having studied mathematics and physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Fitelson continued his studies at the same university to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy under the supervision of Malcom Forster, earning his doctorate in 2001 for his thesis, Studies in Bayesian Confirmation Theory.  What follows is an abstract of his lecture.

Philosophy Colloquium
Department of Philosophy
Carnegie Mellon University

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Reception.
4:00-4:35 pm   Doherty Hall 4301

Lecture.
4:45-6:00 pm   Baker Hall A53

As usual, all are invited to attend.

One Assistant Professorship in Philosophy at the Munich Center

For Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP)

Two Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Munich Center for Mathematical

Philosophy (MCMP)

Deadline: April 23rd, 2012.

(Fluency in German is not mandatory.)

——————–

Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich is seeking applications for an

**Assistant Professorship in Mathematical Philosophy**

at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (directed by Professor

Hannes Leitgeb) at the Faculty for Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and

Study of Religion. The position, which is to start from October 1st 2012,

is for three years with the possibility of extension. Technically, it is a

so-called ‘Akademische Ratsstelle auf Zeit’ in the Bavarian university

system, which means basically that one has the rights and perks of a civil

servant.

The appointee will be expected (i) to do philosophical research assisted

by logical or mathematical methods, (ii) to teach five hours a week in

areas of philosophy in which logical or mathematical methods are applied,

and (iii) to take on management tasks in the new Munich Center for

Mathematical Philosophy. The successful candidate will have (iv) a PhD in

philosophy or logic, and (v) teaching experience in philosophy or logic.

Fluency in German is not mandatory.

For details on the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, please see

<http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html>

The appointment will be made within the German A13 salary scheme

(under the assumption that the civil service requirements are met).

Women are currently underrepresented in the Faculty, therefore we

particularly welcome applications for this post from suitably qualified

female candidates. Furthermore, given equal qualification, severely

physically challenged individuals will be preferred.

Applications (including CV, certificates, list of publications) should be

sent to

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen

Fakultaet für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie

und Religionswissenschaft

Lehrstuhl für Logik und Sprachphilosophie / MCMP

Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1

80539 Muenchen

Germany

E-Mail: office.leitgeb@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

by

April 23rd, 2012.

If possible at all, we very much prefer applications by email.

Additionally, two confidential letters of reference addressing the

applicant’s qualifications for academic research should be sent to the

same address from the referees directly.

Contact for informal inquiries: office.leitgeb@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

——————–

Two postdoctoral fellowships are being advertised at the Munich Center

forMathematical Philosophy (MCMP). The MCMP, which is devoted

to applications of logical and mathematical methods in philosophy,

was established in 2010 at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

(LMU) based on generous support by the Alexander von Humboldt

Foundation. Directed by Professor Hannes Leitgeb, the Center

hosts a vibrant research community of university faculty, postdoctoral

fellows, doctoral fellows, and visiting fellows. The Center organizes

at least two weekly colloquia in Mathematical Philosophy and a weekly

internal a work-in-progress seminar, as well as various other activities

such as workshops, conferences, reading groups, and the like.

The successful candidate will partake in all of the Center’s academic

activities and enjoy its administrative facilities and financial support.

More information on the Center can be found at

<http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html>

Over and above the Center, the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy

Of Science and Study of Religion at LMU offers a wealth of expertise

in all areas of philosophy.

The successful applicants are supposed to use logical or

Mathematical methods in their philosophical research,

and/or to reflect on these methods philosophically. Research projects

can, of course, be carried out in logic or philosophy of mathematics,

but they are not restricted to these fields — for instance, work

in epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language,

metaphysics, moral philosophy, and so forth are equally encouraged,

as long as formal methods play a significant role in the corresponding

research projects.

One of the two postdoctoral fellowships is meant to combine research

on a philosophical topic with research on the following question

on academic management: Which new ways of organizing the field

of mathematical philosophy, and of presenting mathematical

philosophy to professional philosophers, students, and the public,

can be developed that might take mathematical philosophy one

step forward? If you intend to apply just for this special fellowship,

please do mention that in your application package.

In general, applicants should be in possession of the skills that would

normally be gained by  achieving a PhD or equivalent in philosophy,

logic or a closely related field. The postdoctoral stipends are for three

years, and they should be taken up by October 1st 2012 (although

there is some flexibility on that side). Each stipend will amount

to EUR 2400 of monthly salary (normally tax-free, but excluding

insurance). Additionally, the Center helps its fellows with the costs

that arise from attending conferences (fees, traveling, accommodation).

The official language at the Center is English, and the successful

candidates need not be able to speak German. There is also the

possibility, though no obligation, to do some teaching in either

English or German.

Applications are due by April 23rd, 2012, and should include:

1. A cover letter that addresses, amongst others, one’s academic

background and research interests.

2. A curriculum vitae.

3. A proposal for a research project (3 pages).

4. A sample of written work (e.g., a published article).

5. Two confidential letters of reference addressing the applicant’s

qualifications for postddoctoral research. These should be sent

from the referees directly.

We especially encourage female scholars to apply. The

Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich in general, and the MCMP

In particular, endeavor to raise the percentage of women

among its academic personnel.

Applications, letters of reference, as well as any questions should be

directed to

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen

Fakultaet fuer Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie

und Religionswissenschaft

Lehrstuhl fuer Logik und Sprachphilosophie / MCMP

Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1

D-80539 Muenchen

Germany

E-mail: office.leitgeb@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

If possible at all, we prefer to receive applications and letters of

reference by e-mail (sent to office.leitgeb@lrz.uni-muenchen.de).

**********************************

New Science – New Risks

Friday & Saturday, 30-31 March 2012

Center for Philosophy of Science
817 Cathedral of Learning
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA USA

Everyone welcome. Registration is requested but not required.
To register, contact rubus@pitt.edu.

Well, I’m sure I’m late to the party with regards to this news, but just in case any of C&I’s readers haven’t heard: Deborah Mayo has a really nice and very active new blog, “Error Statistics Philosophy”! Here is a link to her initial post, where she describes the purpose of her blog. An excerpt from that post:

Now that Bayesians have stepped off their a priori pedestal, it may be hoped that a genuinely deep scrutiny of the frequentist and Bayesian accounts will occur.  In some corners of practice it appears that frequentist error statistical foundations are being discovered anew.  Perhaps frequentist foundations, never made fully explicit, but at most lying deep below the ocean floor, are finally being disinterred.  But let’s learn from some of the mistakes in the earlier attempts to understand it.  With this goal I invite you to join me in some deep water drilling, here as I cast about on my Isle of Elba.

Second Call for Papers

Logic Workshop at Buenos Aires
A Tribute to Horacio Arló-Costa

SADAF, the Argentine Society for Philosophical Analysis, is organizing a Tribute to Horacio Arló-Costa, to take place in Buenos Aires, August 2nd to 4th, 2012.

Confirmed speakers:

Verónica Becher (Universidad de Buenos Aires)

John Collins (Columbia University)

Paul Egré (Jean Nicod Institute)

Jeff Helzner (Columbia University)

Kevin Kelly (Carnegie Mellon University)

Rohit Parikh (City University of New York)

Paul Pedersen (Carnegie Mellon University)

Fernando Tohmé (Universidad Nacional del Sur)

To be confirmed:

Cristina Bicchieri (University of Pensylvannia)

Alberto Moretti (SADAF-Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET)

Gladys Palau (Universidad de Buenos Aires)

We call for contributions in any area of philosophical logic, including (but not limited to) epistemic and modal logic, ampliative reasoning, belief revision, conditional logic, game theory and decision theory, among other topics.

We invite submissions for 40-minute presentations. Submissions should take the form of a 1000/1500-word abstract. They should be sent by e-mail in an attached file in pdf format to info@sadaf.org.ar. Authors’ names and affiliations should be given only in the text of the e-mail message. The abstracts will be blind reviewed by an international scientific committee. English and Spanish will be the official languages of the conference. However, we encourage contributors to provide the audience with an extended abstract, presentation, handout or full paper in English during the Conference.

Deadline for reception of submissions:  April 30^th, 2012

Communication of acceptance/rejection: May 30^th, 2012

For further particulars, please check the SADAF website at www.sadaf.org.ar or contact us by sending an e-mail to info@sadaf.org.ar.

Organizing Committee: Eduardo Barrio, Eleonora Cresto, Sandra Lazzer, Diana Pérez.

Scientific Committee: Verónica Becher, John Collins, Paul Egré, Jeff Helzner, Alberto Moretti, Gladys Palau, Rohit Parikh, Fernando Tohmé.

About SADAF

SADAF, the Argentine Society for Philosophical Analysis, is a non-profit organization devoted to research in philosophy. It was founded in 1972, and at present it counts with more than two hundred members, many of which are either faculty members or advanced students at various universities in Argentina and abroad. SADAF offers seminars and colloquium series, and hosts different kinds of academic meetings all year round. Since 1981 it is also home of Análisis Filosófico, a biannual, peer-reviewed journal of philosophy. Horacio Arló-Costa was an active member of SADAF while he lived in Argentina, and kept close ties with our institution after leaving the country. More information in Spanish in www.sadaf.org.ar

Submitted by Eleonora Cresto

From Branden Fitelson:

Dear Friends of FEW,

The Program for this year’s workshop is now set. See here. As you can see, the program is terrific, and so is the venue! If you’re interested in attending, please contact the local organizers: Ole Hjortland <olethhjortland@gmail.com> and/or Florian Steinberger <Florian.Steinberger@lmu.de>. [Note: because of the swanky venue, there will be a limit on the number of attendees this year.]

We hope to see you in Munich!

Best, Branden

Professor Kieran Healy has been putting up some very interesting posts about the PGR during his recent stint as a guest blogger over at Leiter Reports. I have a couple of concerns that are making it difficult for me to interpret many of the claims that I’ve heard people make on behalf of the PGR. Since it seems to me that these concerns extend to claims of the sort that might be supported by Professor Healy’s analysis, I decided to share my concerns with Professor Healy. Of course Professor Healy has no obligation to address these concerns that are surely nothing more than evidence of my own ignorance. However, since there might be a few philosophers out there who are as ignorant as me, I thought it might be worth sharing these concerns here on Choice and Inference.  Okay, so here are my two concerns as presented in the two messages that I sent to Professor Healy:

%%%

Dear Professor Healy,

I have enjoyed your recent posts at Leiter Reports. I do hope that you will have a chance to discuss some of your own work on that popular blog!

I have a very basic concern about the PGR that I’m hoping you will be able to address. The raters are asked to evaluate programs in terms of “faculty quality”. The evaluations provided by the individual raters are then combined into a single evaluation. However, I’m wondering about the sense in which these individual ratings can be combined. A meaningful combination would seem to presuppose that the raters are each evaluating the same thing, or at least can be viewed “as if” they are each evaluating the same thing (e.g., as shown by the existence of a common unit). It is not at all obvious to me that we are entitled to assume that the various rater evaluations are commensurable, but I’m not sure how we are supposed to interpret the PGR rankings without making such an assumption.

Kind regards,

Jeffrey Helzner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Philosophy Department
Columbia University

%%%

Dear Professor Healy,

I wonder if you could say a bit about what it is that the PGR rater pool is supposed to represent. It seems that students would need to know a bit about this in order to be able to use the PGR in an intelligent way. I realize that this issue — as well as the one I raised about commensurability in my previous message — might be transparent to you as an expert, but I’m sure that many philosophers would appreciate an explanation of why these issues aren’t a problem for the PGR. Thanks!

Kind regards,
Jeff

Jeffrey Helzner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Philosophy Department
Columbia University

Wayne Wu, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, will deliver a philosophy colloquium lecture, “Visual Spatial Constancy and the Modularity of Mind.” What follows is an abstract of his lecture to be delivered Thursday, March 22, 2012, at Carnegie Mellon University.

Philosophy Colloquium
Department of Philosophy
Carnegie Mellon University

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Reception.
4:00-4:35 pm   Doherty Hall 4301

Lecture.
4:45-6:00 pm   Baker Hall A53

As usual, all are invited to attend.

It is great to see that recent posts at C&I (here and here) have helped to bring about some productive discussions (here and here) concerning the PGR and some possible alternatives, e.g., perhaps something along the lines of the “PhilRanks” idea that Greg mentioned here or perhaps something like the new Feminist Philosophy Wiki mentioned in this recent post at New Apps. In addition to all of this Professor Leiter has noted that Kieran Healy is likely to discuss the PGR while he is guest-blogging over at Leiter Reports next week. These are encouraging developments, to be sure,  but it is worth noting that these recent discussions are focused on the issue of open data, which is just one of the important issues to consider when designing a tool that is meant to help students make informed decisions about where to pursue graduate study in philosophy. We look forward to discussing some of these issues at C&I in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are links to a couple of earlier discussions by philosophers who took an interest in some of the difficulties surrounding the development of the PGR:

“About the Philosophical Gourmet Report” (by Richard Heck)

“Our Naked Emperor: The Philosophical Gourmet Report” (by Zachary Ernst)