Academic details
Areas of Speciality
Philosophy and history of biology, with special reference to taxonomy and systematics, evolution, ecology, antievolutionary movements, theory structure and change, evolutionary psychology, cultural evolution, and evolution of religion.
Areas of Competence
Philosophy of religion, history of philosophy, philosophy of science, history of science, history of astronomy, philosophy of history, philosophy of social science.
Academic presentations and activities
Reviewing
Acta biotheoretica
Biology and Philosophy
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
Canadian Journal of Philosophy
Journal of Applied Systems Studies
Journal of Evolutionary Economics
Philosophy of Science
PLOSOne
Reports of The National Centre for Science Education in Washington DC.
Springer
Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Synthese
Systematic Biology
The Journal of Memetics – Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
Theory in Biosciences
Reviewed also for several other journals and books.
Coordinator, Essentialism and classification, International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science biennial conference, Exeter, 2007.
Talks
Species, traditions and corporations: What is it that evolves? Queensland University of Technology, December 2008
Aristotle’s Biology, Classical Philosophy Course, University of Queensland, September 2008
Is Christianity rational? University of Queensland, August 2008
Species are not Theoretical Objects, Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference, July 2008
How Not to Feyerabend, University of Queensland October 2007, ANU, June 2008
Is Religion an Adaptation to the Environment? University of Sydney, May 2008
Science as a Way of Knowing the World, Ecology and Environment Class, Gatton Campus, University of Queensland, April 2008
Two Dogmas of Taxonomy, University of Arizona, Phoenix, March 2008
“Darwinism” and Eugenics, Queensland University of Technology, August 2007
The myth of essentialism, ISHPSSB Conference, Exeter, July 2007
The Unseasonable Lateness of Being: or, Essentialism comes after Darwin, not before, 9 November, University of California, Berkeley, HPS and Biosystematics lecture series.
Macrobial species and lateral gene transfer, Philosophy of Microbiology Conference, Egenis, University of Exeter, UK, 2006
A deflationary account of information in biology, AAHPSSS 2007, ANU, July 2006.
Introduction to Biological Essentialism, Biological Essentialism Workshop, University of Queensland, 2005
The Myth of Essentialism, 2005, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Natural Kinds and Natural Groups, 2005, International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology conference in Guelph, Canada.
Natural Kinds and Natural Groups, 2005, History and Philosophy of Science, University of Melbourne.
The Synapomorphic Concept of Species, 2003, Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Association conference in Melbourne.
The Synapomorphic Concept of Species, 2002, Melbourne Museum, Systematics Forum.
The Synapomorphic Concept of Species, 2001 International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology conference in Hamden, Connecticut.
The advantages of theft over toil. 2001 Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Association conference in Melbourne.
Species as classes, 1999 Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference, at the University of Melbourne.
Adaptationism and spandrels.1998 Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Association conference in Adelaide.
Other conferences and workshops
Invited Participant in the Genetic Information Workshop, Australian National University, 11 September 1999, and in September 2000.
Respondent in First Queensland Biohumanities Conference (1QBC): The Conceptual Impact of the Genomic Revolution 14-15 October 2005.
Half Day Workshop: Rationality: Bounded, Ecological and Social, March 2006.
Half Day Workshop: Robert Solomon and the Philosophy of Emotion, April 2006.
2nd Queensland Biohumanities Conference: The Philosophy of Ecology, June 2006.
Joint Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference/Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Association Conference at ANU, Canberra, July 2006.
Philosophy of Science Association Conference, Vancouver, November 2006.
3rd Queensland Biohumanities Conference: Idealization, mechanism and reduction: New Directions in the Philosophy of Proximal Biology. University of Queensland, December 2006.
Teaching and Employment
Assistant Professor, Bond University, Gold Coast, 4229, 2010.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the department of Philosophy, University of Sydney, 2009
Associate at the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne, 2004
Sessional Lecturer, University of Queensland 2008
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Biohumanities Project, Philosophy, University of Queensland, 2005–2007
2007 – Cognitive Science, an Introduction, University of Queensland
2005 – Tutoring and 3 lectures in Philosophy of the Life Sciences subject, Philosophy, University of Queensland.
2004 – 50% Course preparation, lectures and tutorials in Philosophy of Biology subject, History and Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne
Lectures:
2006, University of Queensland
– Lecture in Philosophy of the Life Sciences subject, University of Queensland. Species concepts.
– “Expert commentator” for Philosophy of Science subject, on evolutionary psychology.
2005 University of Queensland
– “Expert commentator” for Philosophy of Science subject, on evolutionary psychology.
2004 – Lecture to God and Science subject: “Intelligent Design”, History and Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne.
2002
– to VCE (Years 11 and 12) students, Gene Technology Access Centre, “Two kinds of evolution – Lamarck and Darwin” and “Have we stopped evolving? And how?”
– Advanced Studies (honours) students in the School of Botany, “Controversies in Science: Darwinism and the Public”, The University of Melbourne
Darwinism subject, History and Philosophy of Science, University of Melbourne:
2002 – “Linnaeus and Buffon”, “Lamarck and Cuvier”, “The Modern Synthesis”.
2001 – “Linnaeus and Buffon”
Other
1997 – Years 8–12 students on “God and Evolution” at Melbourne Grammar
Tutor:
2001 and 2002, Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne, in History of Astronomy.
