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W.E. Easterwood
Professor of Philosophy
PhD Columbia University, 1981
AOS: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science
Southern Methodist University
Philosophy Department
Hyer Hall 211C P.O. Box 750142
Dallas TX 75275-0142
214-768-2137
dehring@smu.edu
CV
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Current Research
Causation
My main area of research
has been causation. I have
proposed theories in the three main areas of the metaphysics of
causation: (1)
what is it for two events to be causally connected? (2) What accounts for
causal
asymmetry or direction? (3) What kinds of things, for example objects or
events, can stand in causal relations?
Philosophy of Science
In the philosophy of science, I have
written on
the concept of a function and goal-directed processes, including the
issue of
what distinguishes a mere effect of a thing, say an organ, from its
function.
Personal Identity
I am interested in and have published papers on
the
nature of personal identity.
Objects and Object Persistence
I have published a number of
papers on objects
and persistence. The broad topic of these papers concerns the question
of how
objects are related to their properties.
The Problem of Universals
I am working on developing a nominalist
view
of properties according to which properties are particulars.
The Problem of Mental Causation
I am interested in the challenge
presented by physicalism of showing how a mind could have any causal
role in a
causally closed physical world.
Political Philosophy
I have published papers in the area of
political philosophy.
Representative
Publications
Books
- Causation
and Persistence: A Theory
of
Causation (New York: Oxford University Press), 1997.
- Tropes : Properties, Objects, and Mental Causation (New York: Oxford I+University Press), 2011
Papers
- "Causal
Asymmetry," The Journal of
Philosophy 79 (1982) pp. 761-774.
- "The
Transference Theory of Causation," Synthese 67
(1986), pp. 249-258.
- "Survival
and Trivial Facts," Analysis 47 (1987) pp. 50-54.
- "Causal
Relata," Synthese, 73
(1987) pp. 319-328.
- "Preemption,
Direct Causation, and Identity," Synthese 85 (1990) pp. 55-70.
- "Mental
Causation, Determinables, and Property Instances," Nous 30 (1996) pp. 461-480.
- "Lewis,
Temporary Intrinsics, and Momentary Tropes," Analysis 57 (1997)
- "Temporal
Parts and Bundle Theory," Philosophical
Studies 104 (2001) pp. 163-168.
- "Spatial
Relations Between Universals," The
Australasian Journal of Philosophy 80 (2002) pp. 17-23.
- "The
Causal Argument Against Natural Class Trope Nominalism," Philosophical Studies 107 (2002)
pp. 179-190.
- "Part-Whole
Physicalism and Mental Causation," 136 (2003) Synthese pp.359-388.
- "Property
Counterparts and Natural Class Trope Nominalism," 82 (2004) The Australasian Journal of Philosophy pp. 436-454.
- "Distinguishing
Universals From Particulars," 64 (2004) Analysis pp. 326-332.
- "Causal
Relata," Oxford
Handbook on Causation, eds. Beebee, Hitchcock, Menzies, Oxford
University Press (2009).
-
"Abstracting Away from
Preemption," The Monist 2009 92, pp. 41-71.
- "Contemporary
Theories of Causation,", ed. Tad
Schmaltz, in Philosophical Concepts Series, Oxford University Press (2009).
Work in Progress
Tropes (book manuscript submitted to Oxford University Press) "Contemporary Theories of Causation.”
Teaching
Logic
Metaphysics
Other than that
No Limit
Texas Hold 'Em
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