About Dr Ioannis Votsis
Ioannis Votsis holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley (BA 1998) and the London School of Economics (PhD 2004). He is a Associate Professor in Philosophy at the Northeastern University London and a Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. Prior to that he spent several years at the University of Düsseldorf, where he occupied a number of positions including that of Assistant Director and Research Fellow at the Düsseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science. He has also been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh and the Department of Methodology, History and Theory of Science at the University of Athens as well as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Bristol.
Current Positions: Associate Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, Northeastern University London. Dr Votsis is Programme Director for Critical Reasoning and Science Literacy, Northeastern University London and Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE.
Qualifications
PhD in Philosophy, London School of Economics. (2004)
BA in Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley. (1998)
Professional Affiliations
Aristotelian Society
British Society of the Philosophy of Science
European Philosophy of Science Association
Philosophy of Science Association (US)
External Examiner Appointments
King’s College London, external examiner for MPhilStud thesis, September 2018-September 2019
email: ioannis.votsis@nchlondon.ac.uk
website: www.votsis.org
Dr Ioannis Votsis's Research
Ioannis Votsis’ main research area is the philosophy of science but in addition he has active interests in the philosophy of language, philosophy of logic, philosophy of artificial intelligence and meta-philosophy. He has co-edited a number of special issues on themes like the underdetermination of theory by evidence, the role and value of novel predictions in confirmation, the nature of unification and coherence and the extent to which observation is theory-laden. He has also co-edited the European Philosophy of Science Association 2013 Conference Proceedings (Springer 2015).
His articles have been published in several journals including Philosophical Studies, Philosophy of Science, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science and Synthese. At present he is co-editor on two special issues in the philosophy of mind and is preparing two monographs, one on structural realism and one on empiricism. Ioannis has produced over thirty publications (journal articles, book chapters and book reviews) in a number of areas in philosophy including philosophy of science (structural realism, unification, theory-ladenness, confirmation theory), philosophy of language (theories of reference) and philosophy of artificial intelligence (ad hoc hypotheses and artificial scientists).
Selected Publications
Edited Volumes/Special Issues
‘Towards Foolproof Democracy: Advancing Public Debate and Political Decision-Making’, Moral Philosophy and Politics, edited with David Lanius (forthcoming)
‘Computationalism meets the Philosophy of Information’, edited with Brian Ball and Fintan Nagle, Review of Philosophy and Psychology (forthcoming)
‘The Mind and Brain in the works of Daniel Dennett and Nicholas Humphrey’, edited with Brian Ball and Fintan Nagle, Topoi, (forthcoming)
Recent Developments in the Philosophy of Science: EPSA13 Helsinki, co-edited with Uskali Mäki, Stéphanie Ruphy & Gerhard Schurz (Springer, 2015)
‘Unification and Coherence’, lead editor, other editors: G Schurz, Theoria: An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, vol. 30(1): 7-114 (2015)
‘Theory-Ladenness of Experience’, lead editor, other editors: G Schurz and M Tacca, Journal for General Philosophy of Science, vol. 46(1): 83-214 (2015)
‘Novel Predictions’, lead editor, other editors: G. Schurz and L. Fahrbach, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, vol. 45(1): 43-108 (2014)
‘Scientific Realism Quo Vadis? Theories, Structures, Underdetermination and Reference’, co-edited with G. Schurz, Synthese, vol. 180(2) (2011)
Articles & Chapters
‘Theory-Ladenness: Testing the Untestable?’, Synthese.
‘Structural Realism’, in J. Saatsi (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Realism, London: Routledge, pp. 108-119 (2018)
‘Putting Theory-Ladenness to the Test’, Cognitive Science Society Proceedings, pp. 2630-2635 (2018)
Vale la pena debatir acerca del realismo científico?’, in B. Borge and N. Gentile (eds.), La ciencia y el mundo inobservable. Discusiones contemporáneas en torno al realismo científico, Buenos Aires: EUDEBA (2018)
‘Unification through Confirmation’, EPSA15 Selected Papers, European Studies in Philosophy of Science, vol 5, Berlin: Springer, pp. 83-93 (2017)
‘Philosophy of Science and Information’, in L. Floridi (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Information pp. 249-262, London: Routledge, pp. 249-262 (2016)
‘Ad Hoc Hypotheses and the Monsters within’ in V. C. Müller (ed.), Fundamental Issues of Artificial Intelligence (Synthese Library), Berlin: Springer, pp. 299-313. (2016)
‘Perception and Observation Unladened’, Philosophical Studies, vol. 172(3): 563-585. (2015)
‘Unification: Not Just a Thing of Beauty’, Theoria: An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, vol. 30(1): 97-114. (2015)
‘Reconstructing Scientific Theory Change by Means of Frames’, in T. Gamerschlag et al. (eds.), Frames and Concept Types, Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy, vol. 94, Springer, pp. 93-109. [secondary author, lead author: G. Schurz] (2014)
‘Putting Realism in Perspectivism’, Philosophica, vol. 84: 85–122. (2012)
‘A Frame-Theoretic Analysis of Two Rival Conceptions of Heat’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol. 43(1): 105-114, [lead author, other author: G. Schurz). (2012)
‘The Prospective Stance in Realism’, Philosophy of Science, vol. 78(5): 1223-1234. (2011)
‘Data meet Theories: Up, Close and Inferentially Personal’, Synthese, vol 182(1): 89-100. (2011)
‘Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Structural Realism but Were Afraid to Ask’, European Journal for the Philosophy of Science, vol. 1(2): 227–276, [co-authored with R. Frigg]. (2011)
‘Saving the Intuitions: Polylithic Reference’, Synthese, vol. 180(2): 121-137. (2011)
‘How not to be a Realist’, in E.M. Landry and D. Rickles (eds.), Structure, Objects and Causality, Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, vol. 77, Springer, pp. 59-76. (2011)
‘Structural Realism: Continuity and its Limits’, in A. Bokulich and P. Bokulich (eds.), Scientific Structuralism, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol. 281, Springer, pp. 105-117. (2011)
‘Making Contact with Observations’, in M. Suárez, M. Dorato and M. Rédei (Eds.) EPSA Philosophical Issues in the Sciences. Launch of the European Philosophy of Science Association, vol. 2, Springer, pp. 267-277 (2010)
Recent Talks, invited
‘Taking up Space: The Case of the Ether’, From Space to Spacetime, University of Oxford (June 2018)
‘Will I work for AI or will AI work for me?’, (panellist), LSESU Economics Symposium, London School of Economics (February 2018)
‘On the Brink: When Object-Level Debates Fail’, Debating Debates Workshop, Northeastern University London (November 2017)
‘The Physics of Intrinsic Properties’, University of Mainz. (August 2017)
Philosophical Debates about Models and Representations: What are they Good for?’, Models and Explanations in Economics, University of Rostock (July 2017).
‘Will Tomorrow be Another Day?’, TEDx talk hosted by SouthBank International London. (June 2017)
‘Artificial Intelligence and Philosophy: Some Themes’, Real Time Club. (May 2017)
‘Bragging’, PPE Society Fireside Chat, London School of Economics (with Susanne Burri). (January 2017)
‘Testing for Theory-Ladenness: The Stimulus Exchange Procedure (and Ostensive Learnability)’, Celebratory Colloquium in Honor of Gerhard Schurz, University of Duesseldorf. (December 2016)
‘Why is it Sensible to Trust the Senses?’, Departmental Colloquium, University of Duham. (November 2016)
‘Is the Scientific Realism Debate Irredeemably Mired?’ Realism, Progress, and Cognitive Values in Science and Philosophy Workshop, University of Trieste. (September 2016)
‘Truly Undesirable Hypotheses’, University of Rostock. (July 2016)
‘How to Bring Forward a Desirable Future’, TEDx talk hosted by the University of Nicosia. (November 2015)
‘Do you See what I See?’, IAI Academy, How the Light Gets in 2015 (Music and Philosophy Festival), Hay-on-Wye. (May 2015)
‘Is the World a Massive Simulation?’, IAI Academy, How the Light Gets in 2015 (Music and Philosophy Festival), Hay-on-Wye. (May 2015)
‘How to Really Win an Argument’, IAI Academy, How the Light Gets in 2015 (Music and Philosophy Festival), Hay-on-Wye. (May 2015)
‘What Makes a Hypothesis Ad Hoc?’, University of Montreal. (November 2014)
‘Empiricism Unchained: Debunking the Instrument Conspiracy’, University of Western Ontario. (November 2014)
‘Veridical Perception and Observation’, keynote lecture, Experience and Reality conference, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia. (June 2014)
‘The Metaphysical Status of Logical Principles’, Aspects and Prospects of Realism in the Philosophy of Science and Mathematics, University of Athens. (March 2014)
‘Logic as Ultra-Physics’, California State University Los Angeles. (October 2013)
‘Positivism in the 21st Century’, graduate seminar, University of California Davis. (October 2013)
‘Empiricism Unchained’, Bay Area Philosophy of Science, San Francisco State University. (October 2013)
‘Post-Hoc Monsters and the Frankenstein Theory of Confirmation’, Logos Colloquium, University of Barcelona. (April 2013)
‘The Houdini Argument for Intrinsic Properties’, The Metaphysics of Scientific Realism Workshop, University of Athens. (March 2013)
Recent Talks, contributed
‘Putting Theory-Ladenness to the Test’, (poster presentation), Cognitive Science Society 2018, University of Wisconsin, Madison (July 2018)
‘Computation: A Tale of Two Notions’, Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence, University of Leeds (November 2017)
‘A General Case for Scientific Realism… and for Anti-Realism’, PSA 2016, Atlanta (with Jamie Rumbelow). (November 2016)
‘Materiality does not Equal Lack of Generality’, 8th Quadrennial International Fellows Conference, University of Lund. (July 2016)
‘Measurements and Standards: The Case of the Meter’, PSF2016, Doorn. (May 2016)
‘Why Immaterial Standards Matter’, The Making of Measurement Conference, Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Cambridge. (July 2015)
‘Can Theory-Laden Effects be Removed?’, 23rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology, University of Tartu. (July 2015)
July 2015 – ‘How to Make a Long Theory Short’, British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference, University of Manchester. (July 2015)
‘Methods and Universality’, Symposium on: ‘The Scientific Method – Revisited’, Philosophy of Science Association 2014 Biennial meeting, Chicago. (November 2014)
‘Intelligence as Portability in Problem-Solving’, International Association for Computing and Philosophy 2014, Thessaloniki, Greece. (July 2014)
‘An Inferentialist Account of Confirmation’, Inferentialism in Epistemology and Philosophy of Science workshop, University of Madrid. (November 2013)
‘Science with Artificially Intelligent Agents’, 2nd Conference on the Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence (PT-AI 2013), University of Oxford. (September 2013)
‘The Scientific Method’, British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference, University of Exeter. (July 2103)
‘Objectivity in Confirmation’, Philosophy of Science in a Forest, Dutch Society for the Philosophy of Science. (May 2013)
Recent Conference Organising
Improving Public Debate and Political Decision-Making, Northeastern University London, upcoming March 28-29 2019, (jointly funded by the Practical Philosophy Chair, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Northeastern University London).
Debating Debates: Meta-Ontology and Scientific Realism, Northeastern University London, co-organised with Brian Ball, funded by Northeastern University London and the Duesseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science. (November 2017)
Mind and Brain Conference, Northeastern University London, co-organised with Brian Ball and Fintan Nagle, jointly funded by Analysis Trust, the Aristotelian Society, the British Society for the Philosophy of Science and Northeastern University London. (March 2016)
European Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Conference 2015, University of Duesseldorf, member of local organising committee. (September 2015)
The Scientific Method – Revisited, Symposium at PSA 2014, co-organised with Nancy Cartwright, Clark Glymour, Sam Schindler and Elliott Sober. (November 2014)
Unification and Coherence, University of Duesseldorf, co-organised with G. Schurz, supported by the DFG. (January 2014)
Dr Ioannis Votsis's Teaching
Dr. Votsis teaches both the undergraduate and the MA course Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, the MA course Mind and Reality (with Dr. Brian Ball) as well as two core courses: Critical Reasoning in Science and Science Literacy: History of Science. He also teaches Philosophy of Science to both undergraduate and graduate students as well as Evidence and Policy to graduate students at the London School of Economics.
Teaching Appointments
Senior Lecturer, Philosophy Faculty, Northeastern University London (2014-present)
Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE (2016-present)
Teaching Fellow, Philosophy Institute, University of Duesseldorf (2006-2015)
Teaching Fellow, Philosophy Department, University of Bristol (2004-2006)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Philosophy Department, LSE (1999-2004)
London School of Economics, research, undergrad and postgraduate teaching and examining
University of Bristol, research, undergrad and postgraduate teaching and examining
Professional Activity
Assistant Director and Research Fellow, Düsseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science (DCLPS) (2013-2015)
Research Fellow, Collaborative Research Centre 991: The Structure of Representations in Language, Cognition, and Science, University of Düsseldorf [German Research Foundation (DFG) funding] (2011-2015)
Visiting Research Fellow (12 month period over 3 years), Department of Methodology, History and Theory of Science, University of Athens. [EU and Greek Government funding] (2012-2015)
Research Fellow, FOR600, University of Düsseldorf. [German Research Foundation (DFG) funding] (2008-2011)
Visiting Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh (Fall 2010 semester)
Research Assistant, Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics (2000-2004)
Faculty Positions
Co-Director of the Diploma, Diploma Team Chair, Northeastern University London
Assistant Director, Düsseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science (DCLPS), University of Duesseldorf
PhD progress interviews, Graduate Studies Committee, Staff-Student Committee, Admissions Tutor, Personal Tutor, etc, University of Bristol
Languages Spoken
Fluent in English and Greek.