Hello, hola, hej! As a philosophy professor, I investigate the philosophical foundations of evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics, cognition and consciousness, and biotechnology and neurotechnology. Such foundations need to be placed in their historical, psychological, and sociological contexts. Much to do! And as a citizen, I am obsessed with the promises and dangers of our diverse scientific theories and practices.
rgwinther@gmail.com
1. Education and Appointments? My passion for exploring the relation between science and philosophy, in the context of a variety of scientific cultures, is perhaps reflected in the various contexts in which I have been fortunate enough to study and work:
Academic
CV
2. General research content? Abstraction and pluralism are two focal concepts of my research. Below please find some questions addressed in my publications.
+ Abstraction- What is the relation between the concrete and the abstract? Three concrete-abstract pairs that interest me:
- (a) reality and scientific theory
- (b) technology and functional design
- (c) body and cognition/consciousness
- (a) When and how do we overgeneralize, ontologize, and insist on our abstractions (e.g., evolutionary models; mathematical and mechanistic theories of "race", cognition/consciousness, and IQ)?
- (c) How can we pull together abstractions into a powerful integration network, thereby avoiding pernicious reification?
+ Pluralism
- Which sorts of units of scientific research exist in a plurality of ways? Examples:
3. Current specific projects? + Pragmatic aspects of models and modeling:
- (i) mathematical models (especially in genomics, climate studies, and physics)
- (ii) diagrammatic models (especially of biological mechanisms, and "Tree of life" vs. "Network of life")
- (iii) narrative models (especially in Evo-Devo)
+ Assumption Archeology of the practices, theories, and ontologies of these fields:
+ Prediction and hypothesis testing (frequentist & Bayesian) as empirical methodologies
+
The nature of distinctions, classifications, and kind-making
+ The realism-empiricism-constructivism debate
4. Other intellectual interests? Physics, psychology, literature and poetry, art, architecture, and the study of multiculturalism.
5. Languages? I speak Danish, English, and Spanish. Perhaps one day my French, German, and Latin will improve.
6. Other personal webpages?
Check out the rest of my webpage, if you are interested! Please send me your feedback.Short Essay
A general essay on philosophy as the study of distinction-making: