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469Ontology GeneratorMetaphysica 24 (1): 109-128. 2023.The paper proposes a simple method for constructing ontological theories—an ‘ontology generator’. It shows that such a generator manages to produce major existing ontological theories, e.g., Realism, Nominalism, Trope theory, Bundle theory, Perdurantism, Endurantism, Possibilism, Actualism and more. It thus turns out, surprisingly, that all these seemingly unrelated different ontological theories that were designed by thinkers hundreds of years apart, can all be generated using the same simple m…Read more
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131Way - Reflections on the Art of LivingAsia Publishers. 2021.Reflections on Ethical Living, Asia Publishers, (2021). Editor: Prof. Dror Burstein. (In Hebrew) Two academic events dedicated to the book hosted 7 commentators discussing its key philosophical themes: the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The book has also generated over 20 interviews in the main Israeli media channels.
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337Philosophy of ScienceOpen University Press. 2022.A commissioned 3-volume (800 pages) in-depth introduction to the philosophy of science, peer-reviewed by 11 specialists. (In Hebrew)
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396How Judgments of Visual Resemblance are Induced by Visual ExperienceJournal of Consciousness Studies 28 (11-12): 54-76. 2021.Judgments of visual resemblance (‘A looks like B’), unlike other judgments of resemblance, are often induced directly by visual experience. What is the nature of this experience? We argue that the visual experience that prompts a subject looking at A to judge that A looks like B is a visual experience of B. After elucidating this thesis, we defend it, using the ‘phenomenal contrast’ method. Comparing our account to competing accounts, we show that the phenomenal contrast between a visual experie…Read more
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99Possible World Semantics and the Complex Mechanism of Reference FixingActa Analytica 32 (4): 385-396. 2017.Possible world semantics considers not only what an expression actually refers to but also what it might have referred to in counterfactual circumstances. This has proven exceptionally useful both inside and outside philosophy. The way this is achieved is by using intensions. An intension of an expression is a function that assigns to each possible world the reference of the expression in that world. However, the specific intension of terms has been subject to frequent disputes. How is one to de…Read more
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584Reference and Modality: A Theory of IntensionsDissertation, University of London, UCL. 2007.The study of reference often leads to addressing fundamental issues in semantics, metaphysics and epistemology; this suggests that reference is closely linked to the three realms. The overall purpose of this study is to elucidate the structure of some of these links, through a close examination of the “mechanism” of reference. As in many other enquiries, considering the possible (i.e., the modal,) in addition to the actual proves very helpful in clarifying and explicating insights. The reference…Read more
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5321Metaphysics of Pain; Semantics of ‘Pain’Ratio 28 (1): 302-317. 2015.Functionalism is often used to identify mental states with physical states. A particularly powerful case is Lewis's analytical functionalism. Kripke's view seriously challenges any such identification. The dispute between Kripke and Lewis's views boils down to whether the term ‘pain’ is rigid or nonrigid. It is a strong intuition of ours that if it feels like pain it is pain, and vice versa, so that ‘pain’ should designate, with respect to every possible world, all and only states felt as pain. …Read more
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511Theoretical identities may not be necessaryAnalysis 74 (3): 412-422. 2014.Following insights from the New Theory of Reference, it has become widely accepted that theoretical identities like ‘water = H2O' are necessary. However, some have challenged this claim. I propose yet another challenge in the form of a sceptical argument. The argument is based on the contention that the necessity of theoretical identities is dependent upon criteria of identity. Thus, a theoretical identity is necessary given one criterion of identity but contingent given another. Since we do not…Read more
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270A Blueprint of a Calculator of IntensionsIn Brandon Bennett & Christiane Fellbaum (eds.), Formal Ontology in Information Systems, Ios Press. pp. 193-203. 2006.We are on Mars again – the favourite laboratory for philosophical experiments. Our host colleagues introduce us to some Martian stuff referred to as “T”, and ask us to help them to identify T on other possible worlds. Or, technically speaking, we are asked to determine the intension of “T”, i.e., what the term designates with respect to different possible worlds. Following a short series of experiments on the planet, we conclude that the intension of “T” depends upon three factors: (1) The seman…Read more
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Technion, Israel Institute of TechnologyHistory and Philosophy of Science and TechnologyResearcher (Part-time)
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ShenkarSenior Lecturer (Part-time)
Israel
Areas of Specialization
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Language |
General Philosophy of Science |
Environmental Ethics |