Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae
ABRIDGED

Education

Princeton University, Ph.D., January 2002.
Princeton University, M.A., 1996.
Australian National University, M.A., 1995.
Monash University, B.A. (with first class honors) 1993.

Areas of Specialisation

Critical Thinking, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Literature

Areas of Competence

Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy of the Emotions, Philosophy of Religion

Academic Positions

Professor, Philosophy Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, 2019–present.
Associate Professor, Philosophy Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, 2014–2019.
Senior Lecturer, Philosophy Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, 2005–2013.
Lecturer, Philosophy Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, 2002–2004.
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), Department of Philosophy, Western Washington University, 1999–2002.
Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Princeton University, Spring, 1999.

Leadership Positions

Vice-Provost (Academic) and member of the Senior Leadership team, Victoria University of Wellington (10 Direct Reports), 2019–present .
CEO, Australasian Association of Philosophy, 2019–present.
Associate Dean (Academic Programmes), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, 2016–2018.
Associate Dean (Postgraduate Research), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, 2015–2016.
Deputy Head of School, School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington, 2012–2014.
Acting Head of School, School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington, December 2012–June 2013.
Associate Dean (Students), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, 2007–2010.
Head of the Philosophy Programme, Victoria University of Wellington, 2005–2007.

Recent Courses Taught (2017-2022)

PHIL 105: The Big Questions
PHIL 106: Contemporary Ethical Issues
PHIL 107: Philosophy of Media and the Arts
PHIL 123: Critical Thinking
PHIL 201: Knowledge and Reality
PHIL 445: Contemporary Approaches to Philosophy
EDUC 191: Academic Skills
FHSS 103: Great Ideas
FHSS/HRIR 207: The Future of Work
FHSS 302: BA Internship
SCIS 414: Science and Humanities

Selected Publications

Books:

Realism and Antirealism (co-authored with Edwin Mares) Acumen/Routledge (2007).
A Critical Introduction to Fictionalism (co-authored with Fred Kroon and Jonathan McKeown-Green) Bloomsbury (2018).
Religious Pretence: Deception, Mimicry and Morality (forthcoming).

Edited Collections

Fictional Objects, co-edited with Anthony Everett, Oxford University Press (2015).
Religious Fictionalism and Moral Fictionalism, co-edited with Richard Joyce (forthcoming Oxford University Press).

Journal Articles:

‘Fictionalism About Fictional Characters.’ Noûs, 36 (2002) pp. 1-21.
‘The Ubiquitous Problem of Empty Names,’ Journal of Philosophy, (2004) pp. 277-298.
‘World-Indexed Descriptivism and the Spurious Problem of Referring Names,’ Philosophical Analysis, (2006) pp. 197-204.
‘Fiction, Feelings, and the Emotions,’ Philosophical Studies, 132 (2007) pp. 211-242.
‘The Creationist Fiction: The Case against Creationism about Fictional Characters,’ Philosophical Review, 119 (2010) pp. 337-364.
‘The Puzzle of Imaginative Failure,’ Philosophical Quarterly, 62 (2012) pp. 443-463.
‘The Phenomenological Objection to Fictionalism,’ Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 88 (2014) pp. 574-592.
‘Reductionism, Fictionalism, and the Objects of Thought,’ Philosophical Analysis, 33 (2015) pp. 89-103.
‘Fictionalism about Fictional Characters Revisited,’ Res Philosophica, 93 (2016) pp. 377-403.
‘Fictionalism, Figuralism and Presuppositionalism,’ Australasian Philosophical Review, (2017) pp. 1-3.
'A Recalcitrant Problem for Abstract Creationism,' Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 76 (2018) pp. 93-98.
'The Paradox Paradox,' (co-authored with Joshua Glasgow). Forthcoming 2022.

Book Chapters:

‘A Puzzle About Fictional Characters,’ (co-authored with Cei Maslen and Justin Ngai) From Fictionalism to Realism: Fictional and Other Social Entities, Carola Barbero, Maurizio Ferraris, and Alberto Voltolini (eds.), Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2013) pp. 63-86.
Introduction, Fictional Objects, Stuart Brock and Anthony Everett (ed.), Oxford University Press (2015) pp. 1-23.
‘Fictionalism, Fictional Characters, and Fictionalist Inference,’ Fictional Objects, Stuart Brock and Anthony Everett (ed.), Oxford University Press (2015) pp. 230-254.
‘Is Philosophy Progressing Fast Enough?’ Philosophy’s Future: The Problem of Philosophical Progress, Damien Broderick and Russell Blackford (eds.) Wiley Blackwell (2017) pp. 119-131.
'Religious Fictionalism and Pascal's Wager,' New Essays on Philosophical Fictionalism, Fred Kroon and Bradley Armour-Garb (eds.), Oxford University Press (forthcoming 2018).
'Abstract Objects and the Causal Order: No Cause for Concern' (co-authorer with Cei Maslen), Joshua Brown and Otavio Bueno (forthcoming 2019).
'Religion without Morality: A New Argument for Moral Fictionalism,' Religious Fictionalism and Moral Fictionalism, Stuart Brock and Richard Joyce (eds.), Oxford University Press. (forthcoming).

Discussion Note:

‘Modal Fictionalism: A Response to Rosen.’ Mind, 102 (1993) pp. 147-150 [published as a student].

Encyclopedia Entry:

Fictionalism, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2022).

Recent MA and PhD Supervision

PhD Supervision

Primary Supervisor, Jordan Skrzynski PhD (currently enrolled).
Primary Supervisor, Anton Killin PhD (graduated 2017).
Primary Supervisor, Katharine Hamilton PhD (graduated 2016).
Primary Supervision: Tessa Balan PhD (suspended).

Secondary Supervisor, Michael Gilchrist PhD (graduated 2020).

MA Supervision

Primary Supervision: Holly Jarvis (graduating 2022).
Primary Supervision: Chrissy van Hulst MA (graduated with merit 2018).
Primary Supervision: Mathew Logan MA (graduated with merit 2017).
Primary Supervision: Jordan Skrzynski MA (graduated with distinction 2017).
Primary Supervision: Josef Holden MA (graduated with distinction 2015).
Primary Supervision: Justin Ngai MA (graduated 2012).
Primary Supervision: Alistair Hammel MA (graduated with merit 2010).

Secondary Supervisor, Jennifer Gosnell MA (graduated 2014).

Current Committees and Governance Groups

National Committees

Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP), University Representative.
DVC-A Committee, University Representative.
Work Integrated Learning Committee (subcommittee of DVC-A committee), Convener.
Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, New Zealand Representative.

Victoria University of Wellington: Committees

University Academic Committee, Convener.
University Learning and Teaching Committee, Convener.
University Work Integrated Learning Committee, Convener.
Victoria University of Wellington-UP Education Management Committee, Convener.
Victoria University of Wellington-UP Education Joint Board of Studies, Convener.
University Learning and Teaching Operations Group (Associate Deans, CSU Directors, Faculty Managers, Student Representatives), Convener.
University Senior Leadership Team, Member.

Victoria University of Wellington: Governance Groups

Curriculum Framework Project Governance Group, Sponsor.
Curriculum Management System Governance Group, Sponsor.
Learning and Teaching Transformation Governance Group, Member.
Student Success Programme Governance Group, Member.
Digital Learning Project Governance Group, Member.
Accommodation Governance Board, Member.
International Board, Member.

Australasian Association of Philosophy

Executive Committee, Convener.
Journals Committee, Convener.
Board of Directors, Member (CEO).

Current External Research Grants

Religious and Moral Fictionalism: Marsden Grant, Royal Society of New Zealand, Principle Investigator (2021-2024).

This is an abridged CV. Feel free to contact me for a full CV.