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Curriculum Vitae: David Spurrett
Date of Birth: 25 June 1969
Address:
Philosophy
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Durban
4041
South Africa
email: spurrett@ukzn.ac.za
url (1): www.durbanphilosophy.nu.ac.za
url (2): http://www.nu.ac.za/undphil/spurrett/
this page: www.nu.ac.za/undphil/spurrett/spurrettcv.htm
Areas of Specialisation
/ Competence
Areas of
Specialisation: Philosophy of Science, Cognitive
Science, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Descartes,
History and Philosophy of Early Modern Science.
Areas of Competence:
Epistemology, History of Modern Philosophy,
Existentialism, Postmodernism and Science, Philosophy of
Language, Critical Reasoning.
Academic Employment
2003f:
Philosophy Programme, Univeristy of KwaZulu-Natal
(Howard College Campus) - Associate Professor.
2002f:
Philosophy Programme, University of Natal, Durban
-Senior Lecturer.
1999 -
2001: Department of Philosophy, University of Natal,
Durban -Lecturer.
1992 -
1998: Department of Philosophy, University of Natal,
Durban -Part-time lecturer, leave substitute lecturer
and tutor, including one twelve month and a further
two year year contract as Junior Lecturer.
1997:
Department of Philosophy, University of
Durban-Westville - Guest lecturer for one module at
honours level (part time).
1991 -
1992: Department of Philosophy, University of
Durban-Westville - Leave substitute lecturer (part
time).
1990:
Department of Classics, University of Natal, Durban -
Assistant Curator, Museum of Classical Archaeology
(part time).
University Education
Doctor of
Philosophy in Philosophy (University of Natal,
Durban 1994-1999).
(Including four months visiting King’s College
London funded by the Centre for Science Development
(South Africa), and one year as a visiting student of
King’s, funded by the Association of
Commonwealth Universities.)
Master of Arts
in Philosophy (University of Natal, Durban
1991-1993): cum laude.
Bachelor of Arts
(Honours) in Philosophy (University of Natal,
Durban 1990): cum laude.
Bachelor of Arts
(University of Natal, Durban 1987-1989), majors in
Philosophy and English.
Theses
Ph.D. thesis title:
‘The Completeness of Physics.’ (External
examiners: David Papineau, King’s College
London, and Don Ross, University of Cape Town.) [On the Web]
Master of Arts thesis
title: ‘A Philosophical Enquiry into Freedom and
the Defensibility of the Doctrine of the
Compatibility of Freedom and Determinism.’
Academic Honours and
Scholarships (selected)
2003:
Colenso scholar, Easter term, St John’s College,
Cambridge.
Distinguished
Teacher's Award, University of Natal (two awarded in
2003).
Vice-Chancellor’s
Research Award, University of Natal (one awarded
annually).
President's Award,
National Research Foundation,
1998/9:
Three year Visiting Research Fellowship in Philosophy
at King’s College, London,
Association of
Commonwealth Universities Doctoral Scholarship,
Centre for Science
Development (South Africa) Overseas Doctoral
Scholarship.
1994:
University of Natal Doctoral Research Scholarship
(two awarded annually).
Areas of Active
Research
The Completeness of
Physics, an
adaptation of my doctoral dissertation, is in preparation as a book. In
addition to this book project, I pursue research in the areas of
philosophy of science (especially regarding fundamental laws, the unity
of science, and the causal closure of physics), cognitive science (with
particular emphasis on distributed cognition, agency, and the
development of language), emergence and reductionism (especially
concerning the special sciences). I have, along with Don Ross, James
Ladyman, and John Collier, a contract to write a monograph on
metaphysics for Oxford University Press, with a deadline in the middle
of 2005.
Published (and
forthcoming) Papers
Note that electronic
preprints of some of these papers are available at the CogPrints archive and at the Philosophy of Science archive.
- Ross, D. and
Spurrett, D. (forthcoming) 'What to say to a
sceptical metaphysician: A defence manual for
cognitive and behavioral scientists' (target
article), in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
[On the Web]
- Ross, D. and
Spurrett, D. (forthcoming) ‘The cognitive
and behavioral sciences: Real patterns, real
unity, real causes, but no supervenience’,
response to commentaries in Behavioral and
Brain Sciences.
- Spurrett, D. and
Dellis, A. (forthcoming) ‘Putting infants in
their place’ (Commentary on Falk), in Behavioral
and Brain Sciences. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D. and
Cowley, D. (forthcoming) ‘The Extended
Infant: Utterance-activity and distributed
cognition’ to appear in R. Menary (ed.) The
Extended Mind: The Very Idea, Amsterdam: John
Benjamins.
- Spurrett, D. and
Cowley, D. (2004) 'How to Do Things
Without Words: Infants, utterance-activity and
distributed cognition’ in Language
Sciences,
26(5), pp 443-466.
[On the
Web] [ScienceDirect - requires subscription.]
- Spurrett, D.
(2003) ‘Why think that cognition is distributed?’, AlterNation,
10(1),
pp 292-306.
- Dellis, A. and
Spurrett, D. (2003) ‘Real Patterns and Distributed Cognition’, AlterNation,
10(1), pp 105-131.
- Spurrett, D.
(2003) 'What about embodiment?'
(Commentary on Anderson & Lebiere), in Behavioral
and Brain Sciences,
26 (5), p 620. [On the Web]
- Cowley, S. and
Spurrett, D. (2003) ‘Putting apes (body and
language) together again’, a review article
of Savage-Rumbaugh, S., Taylor, T. J., and
Shanker, S. G. Apes, Language, and the Human
Mind (Oxford: 1999) and Clark, A. Being
There: Putting Brain, Body, and World Together
Again (MIT: 1997), in Language Sciences.
Volume 25, Number 3, pp 289-318. [On the Web] [ScienceDirect - requires subscription.]
- Spurrett, D. (2002a)
‘Information Processing and Dynamical
Systems Approaches are Complementary’
(Commentary on Shanker and King), in Behavioral
and Brain Sciences. 25 (5), pp. 639-640. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D. (2002b)
‘The Human Self as a Coalition of
Distributed Agencies’, in C W du Toit (ed) Brain,
mind and soul: Unifying the human self;
Pretoria: Research Institute for Theology and
Religion, pp. 191-223.
- Spurrett, D. (2001a)
‘Cartwright on Laws and Composition’, International
Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Volume
15, number 3, pp. 253-268. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D. (2001b)
‘What Physical Properties Are’, Pacific
Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 82, number 2,
pp. 201-225. [Blackwell Synergy - requires subscription.]
- Spurrett, D. (2000)
‘Bhaskar on Open and Closed Systems’, South
African Journal of Philosophy, Volume 19,
number 3, pp. 188-208.
- Spurrett, D. (1999a)
‘Fundamental Laws and the Completeness of
Physics’, International Studies in the
Philosophy of Science, Volume 13, number 3,
pp. 261-274. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D. (1999b)
‘Lyotard and the Postmodern Misunderstanding
of Physics’, Theoria, 93: Science
and Civilisation, pp. 29-52. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D. (1999c)
Review article of Cilliers, P. 1998. Complexity
and postmodernism (London: Routledge), South
African Journal of Philosophy, Volume 18,
number 2, pp. 258-274. [On the Web]
- Spurrett, D., and
Papineau, D. (1999) ‘A Note on the
Completeness of ‘Physics’’, Analysis,
59, 1, pp. 25-29.
- Spurrett, D. (1998)
‘Transcendental Realism Defended: A Response
to Allan’, South African Journal of
Philosophy, Volume 17, number 3, pp.
198-210.
- Spurrett, D. (1997)
‘Beyond Determinism’, South African
Journal of Philosophy, Volume 16, number 1,
pp.14-22.
Papers Presented (and
forthcoming) at Conferences
-
'Prioritising the
Cognitive and Behavioural Sciences’, at a National Research Foundation
workshop on ‘Shifting boundaries of
knowledge – the role of social sciences, law and humanities’,
Durban, July 2004.
-
‘Computer Supported
Development of Critical Reasoning Skills’, at the e/merge on-line
conference (http://emerge2004.net) July 2004.
-
‘Finding Causes’, at
the 30th Annual Philosophy of Science Conference at the
Inter University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, April 2004.
-
‘Computer Supported
Development of Critical Reasoning Skills’, at a curriculum
responsiveness workshop organized by the South African Universities
Vice-Chancellors’ Association (SAUVCA), Johannesburg March 2004.
- ‘Developing
critical reasoning using the Reason!Able
software’, at the 30th annual
congress of the South African Association of
Botanists, Durban, January 2004.
- ‘Developing
critical reasoning using the Reason!Able
software’, at the 30th annual
congress of the Philosophical Society of South
Africa, Pietermaritzburg, January 2004.
- 'Three ways of
worrying about causation' (written with Don
Ross), July 2003, at a conference entitled
'Causal Republicanism', Sydney, Australia. [On the Web]
- 'Realization
Reconsidered', June 2003, at a one-day conference
entitled 'Science and Reality', Memorial
University, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
- 'Realization
Reconsidered', May 2003, at the Annual conference
of the Canadian Philosophical Association, in
Halifax, Canada.
- 'Three concepts of
causation' (written with Don Ross), April 2003,
at the 29th Annual philosophy of
Science Conference at the Inter University
Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
- ‘(Multiple)
Realisation Reconsidered’, January 2003, at
the 29th annual congress of the
Philosophical Society of Southern Africa,
Grahamstown, South Africa.
- ‘Non Humean
Mental Causation’, (with Don Ross of the
University of Cape Town), May 2002, at the
International Congress on Causation and
Explanation in the Natural and Social Sciences,
Ghent, Belgium.
- ‘How to be a
Promiscuous Realist, and why you should
stop’, April 2002, at the 28th
Annual philosophy of Science Conference at the
Inter University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
- ‘Non Humean
Mental Causation’, (presented with Don Ross
of the University of Cape Town), January 2002 at
the 28th annual congress of the
Philosophical Society of Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- ‘How to be a
Promiscuous Realist, and why you should
stop’, September 2001, Spring Colloquium of
South African analytic philosophers, Rhodes
University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
- ‘The Human Self
as a Coalition of Distributed Agencies’,
presented at the 2001 conference of the South
Africa Science and Religion Forum, July 2001 in
Pretoria, South Africa. Published as Spurrett
(2002).
- ‘Minded Apes,
Talking Infants and the Distribution of
Language’, (presented with Stephen Cowley,
Psychology, University of Natal, Durban) June
2001 at a conference entitled ‘The Extended
Mind’ in Hertfordshire, England.
- ‘Dennettian
Philosophy of Science’, (presented with Don
Ross of the University of Cape Town) April 2001,
at the 27th Annual philosophy of
Science Conference at the Inter University
Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
- ‘Cartwright on
Laws and Composition’, April 2000, 26th
Annual philosophy of Science Conference at the
Inter University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Published as Spurrett (2001a).
- ‘Descartes’
"Cosmological Myths" ’, January
2000, 26th annual congress of the
Philosophical Society of Southern Africa,
Muldersdrift, South Africa.
- ‘For the
Completeness of Physics’, May 1999, One day
conference on the Completeness of Physics, at
Senate House, University of London. Published as
Spurrett (2001b).
- ‘Fundamental
Laws’, April 1999, 25th Annual
Philosophy of Science Conference at the Inter
University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Published
as Spurrett (1999a).
- ‘Bhaskar on Open
and Closed Systems’, January 1999, 25th
annual congress of the Philosophical Society of
Southern Africa, University of the Orange Free
State, South Africa. Published as Spurrett
(2000).
- ‘Descartes’
Determinism, Leibniz’s Criticism of his
Dualism’, September 1998, Spring Colloquium
of South African analytic philosophers, Hogsback
Lodge, South Africa.
- ‘Could Physicalism
be True?’ September 1997, Spring Colloquium
of South African analytic philosophers,
Drakensburg, South Africa. Parts published as
Spurrett and Papineau (1999).
- ‘The Muzak of
the Spheres: Reflections on the Idea of a
Postmodern Physics’, January 1997, 23rd
annual congress of the Philosophical Society of
Southern Africa, Rand Afrikaans University, South
Africa. Parts published in Spurrett (1999c).
- ‘Lyotard and the
Postmodern Misunderstanding of Physics’,
September 1996, First Colloquium of the Wits
Transdisciplinary Study Group, Johannesburg,
South Africa. (Also at the Warwick University
Philosophy of Science seminar in May 1998.)
Published as Spurrett (1999b).
- ‘Transcendental
Realism and Quantum Mechanics’, January
1996, 22nd annual congress of the PSSA,
Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- ‘ "By any
methods necessary..." – An enquiry into
social science and emancipation’, July 1994,
HSRC conference "Knowledge, Method and the
Public Good" at the HSRC conference centre
in Pretoria, South Africa. Parts published as
Spurrett (1998).
- ‘Beyond
Determinism’, July 1994, 21st annual
congress of the Philosophical Society of Southern
Africa, Durban, South Africa, published as
Spurrett (1997).
Administrative
Services
1. At the University of
Natal:
2003 - Member of the
University Research ‘Think Tank’ (intended
to provide strategic direction for the research
efforts of the University).
Programme director for
cognitive science.
2002 - Member of
faculty executive (Faculty of Human Sciences).
Programme director for
philosophy (from July 2002 to December 2004).
2001- Webmaster for
philosophy programme and mind AND world working
group. See <www.durbanphilosophy.nu.ac.za> and <www.maw.nu.ac.za>.
2001 - Chair of
University Forum Committee.
2001f - Member of
Faculty selection committees for posts in History,
Linguistics, Philosophy, Music, Media and
Communication.
2000 - Founder and
co-ordinator of the mind AND world working group at
the University of Natal, Durban, pursuing
interdisciplinary research in cognitive science and
language.
1989 - 1998 Founder
and co-ordinator of the Sceptic Tank, an
interdisciplinary seminar programme at the University
of Natal, Durban.
1997 - 1998 Chair of
University Forum Committee.
1996 - Member of
University Forum Committee.
1995 - Philosophy
representative on faculty schools liaison and
publicity committee.
2. Scholarly and
Professional Services
2004f - Co-editor of the South
African Journal of Philosophy.
2002 - Treasurer of
the Philosophical Society of Southern Africa.
January 2001 Organiser
of the 2001 conference of the Philosophical Society
of Southern Africa.
1997 - List-owner of
TANK-L, an electronic communication service for the
academic philosophy community in South Africa.
Memberships:
Philosophical Society of Southern Africa (member
since 1997),
Behavioural and Brain
Sciences (Associate since 2001).
Ethics Society of
South Africa (founder member in 2002).
Refereeing for:
Journals
Australasian Journal of
Philosophy, Synthese,
International Studies in the Philosophy of Science,
Philosophical Papers, Theoria, South African Journal
of Philosophy, Review of Southern African Studies,
AlterNation, South African Journal of Science.
Books
Recent Themes in
the Philosophy of Science: Scientific Realism and
Common Sense, edited by Steve Clarke and Tim
Lyons (Kluwer).
External examination:
History,
University of Natal Durban: graduate course on
Science and Religion (1997).
Architecture,
University of Natal Durban: elective senior
undergraduate courses on Postmodernism and
Eco-systemic Design (1996).
Economics,
University of Cape Town: Undergraduate course
entitled Cooperation and Competition: Introductory
game theory (2002).
Masters and Doctoral
Supervisions
Completed
Mr. Grant Blair, Masters
(M.A. – part coursework) in Philosophy. Dissertation
title: "Distributed Cognition in Interpersonal
Dialogue". Degree awarded cum laude by the
University of Natal, 2003.
Mr. Stephen Edwards,
Masters (M.A. – part coursework) in Philosophy.
Dissertation title: "Virtually Explained: Daniel
Dennett’s Theory of Consciousness – Explanation
and Implementation". Degree awarded cum laude
by the University of Natal, 2003.
Mr. Patience Sindani
Kabamba, Masters (M.A.) dissertation. Thesis title:
"Understanding Scientific Knowledge from a
Postmodernist Perspective: An Exploration of
Lyotard’s Account of Postmodernism in Science."
Degree awarded by the University of Natal, 2001.
In Progress
Mr. Andrew Dellis, Masters
in Psychology (co-supervisor). Thesis research on infant
cognitive development within a dynamical systems
framework.
Mr. Dagmar Vader, Masters
(part coursework) in Philosophy. Dissertation research on
memetics and culture.
Courses taught
At the University
of Durban-Westville
Descartes (twice)
Free will
Philosophy of
language
Philosophy of
science (three times)
Graduate seminar
in philosophy of science
At the University
of Natal, Durban
Cognitive science
Critical reasoning
(five times)
Descartes (six
times)
Existentialism
(three times)
Hume (twice)
Intellectuals and
society (three times)
Introduction to
ethics (twice)
Introduction to
philosophy
Kant
Philosophy of
language (twice)
Philosophy of mind
(twice)
Philosophy of
Science – undergraduate (five times)
Graduate seminar
in cognitive science (four times)
Graduate seminar
in philosophy of science (four times)
Graduate seminar
in physics and philosophy.
Graduate seminar
on Descartes
Other teaching
In addition to ten
years of formal teaching, I have offered a number of
extra-curricular courses on scientific and
philosophical topics at the University of Natal Unit
for Continuing Education, and once at the University
of Cape Town Summer School.
Research Funding
External
Graduate
Scholarships: Centre for Science Development
grants for Honours (1989), Masters (1990) and
Doctoral (1995) degrees, Centre for Science
Development scholarship for 4 month visit to
King’s College, London during Ph.D. studies
(1998), Assocation of Commonwealth Universities
scholarship for further 12 month period at
King’s College, London (1998-9).
Conference Grants: National
Research Foundation grant to attend 27th
(2001) Annual philosophy of Science Conference at the
Inter University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Other funding: Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.)
commission to prepare two reports on aspects of
distributed cognition (completed 2001).
Internal (University of
Natal)
Graduate
Scholarships: University of Natal graduate
scholarships for Honours, Masters and Doctoral study.
Conference Grants: Eight
grants to attend and present papers at conferences
within South Africa, two grants to present papers at
conferences outside South Africa.
Project funding:
2002 University
Research Fund project: ‘Cognitive Science’.
2000-2001 University
Research Fund project: ‘Philosophy of
Science’.
Awards:
2003
Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award.
Last updated: July 2004
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