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15Locke's Theory of IdentityIn Matthew Stuart (ed.), A Companion to Locke, Wiley. 2015.John Locke's theory of identity not only provoked a strong reaction from his contemporaries and near‐contemporaries, it continues to influence philosophical discussions of identity to the present day. Locke thinks that finite intelligences have location/place, as well as temporal location. Some bodies, despite having proper parts, are easy cases, too. These are atoms and masses of atoms. Locke's attack on substance‐based theories of identity focuses mainly on theories of personal identity in whi…Read more
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20Composite Objects and the Abstract/Concrete DistinctionJournal of Philosophical Research 27 215-238. 2002.In his latest book, Realistic Rationalism (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1998), Jerrold J. Katz proposes an ontology designed to handle putative counterexamples to the traditional abstract/concrete distinction. Objects like the equator and impure sets, which appear to have both abstract and concrete components, are problematic for classical Platonism, whose exclusive categories of objects with spatiotemporal location and objects lacking spatial or temporal location leave no room for them. Katz propo…Read more
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57Reality in Common Sense: Reflections on Realism and Anti–Realism from a ‘Common Sense Naturalist’ PerspectivePhilosophical Investigations 25 (4): 331-361. 2008.
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188Locks, Schlocks, and Poisoned Peas: Boyle on Actual and Dispositive QualitiesOxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy 3 153-198. 2006.
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12The Routledge Companion to Seventeenth Century Philosophy (edited book)Routledge. 2014.The Seventeenth century is one of the most important periods in the history of Western philosophy, witnessing philosophical, scientific, religious and social change on a massive scale. In spite of this, there are remarkably few comprehensive, single volume surveys of the period as a whole. The Routledge Companion to Seventeenth Century Philosophy is an outstanding and comprehensive survey of this momentous period, covering the major thinkers, topics and movements in Seventeenth century philosoph…Read more
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12Descartes on the Objective Reality of Materially False IdeasPacific Philosophical Quarterly 81 (4): 385-408. 2000.
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258Locke on Individuation and the Corpuscular Basis of KindsPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 75 (3): 499-534. 2007.In this paper, I examine the crucial relationship between Locke’s theory of individuation and his theory of kinds. Locke holds that two material objects—e.g., a mass of matter and an oak tree—can be in the same place at the same time, provided that they are ‘of different kinds’. According to Locke, kinds are nominal essences, that is, general abstract ideas based on objective similarities between particular individuals. I argue that Locke’s view on coinciding material objects is incompatible wit…Read more
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19The Creation of the Eternal Truths and the Nature of God in DescartesDissertation, University of Massachusetts Amherst. 2000.Descartes held the seemingly bizarre doctrine that the eternal truths are freely created by God. This 'Creation Doctrine' has been the subject of great misunderstandings and ridicule from philosophers and theologians from the seventeenth century to the present. ;This dissertation is a sympathetic interpretation of Descartes' Creation Doctrine. After first briefly examining some alternative views concerning the relationship between the eternal truths and God, I argue that Descartes is committed t…Read more
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171Locke on individuation and the corpuscular basis of kindsPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 75 (3). 2007.In a well-known paper, Reginald Jackson expresses a sentiment not uncommon among readers of Locke: “Among the merits of Locke’s Essay…not even the friendliest critic would number consistency.”2 This unflattering opinion of Locke is reiterated by Maurice Mandelbaum: “Under no circumstances can [Locke] be counted among the clearest and most consistent of philosophers.”3 The now familiar story is that there are innumerable inconsistencies and internal problems contained in Locke’s Essay. In fact, i…Read more
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816Cartesian Substances, Individual Bodies, and CorruptibilityRes Philosophica 91 (1): 71-102. 2014.According to the Monist Interpretation of Descartes, there is really only one corporeal substance—the entire extended plenum. Evidence for this interpretation seems to be provided by Descartes in the Synopsis of the Meditations, where he claims that all substances are incorruptible. Finite bodies, being corruptible, would then fail to be substances. On the other hand, ‘body, taken in the general sense,’ being incorruptible, would be a corporeal substance. In this paper, I defend a Pluralist Inte…Read more
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94The Resurrection of the Same Body and the Ontological Status of Organisms: What Locke Should Have (and Could Have) Told StillingfleetIn & Yaffe Hoffman Owen (ed.), Contemporary Perspectives on Early Modern Philosophy, Broadview. 2008.Vere Chappell has pointed out that it is not clear whether Locke has a well-developed ontology or even whether he is entitled to have one.2 Nevertheless, it is clear that Locke believes that there are organisms, and it is clear that he thinks that there are substances. But does he believe that organisms are substances? There are certainly parts of the Essay in which Locke seems unequivocally to state that organisms are substances. For instance, in 2.23.3 Locke uses men and horses as examples of …Read more
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16Divine simplicity and the eternal truths in DescartesBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy 11 (4). 2003.This Article does not have an abstract
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4Locks, Schlocks, and Poisoned Peas: Boyle on Actual and Dispositive QualitiesIn Daniel Garber & Steven Nadler (eds.), Oxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy Volume 3, Clarendon Press. 2006.
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12Descartes's creation doctrine and modalityAustralasian Journal of Philosophy 80 (1). 2002.This Article does not have an abstract
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30God's immutability and the necessity of Descartes's eternal truthsJournal of the History of Philosophy 43 (1): 1-19. 2005.In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Journal of the History of Philosophy 43.1 (2005) 1-19 [Access article in PDF] God's Immutability and the Necessity of Descartes's Eternal Truths Dan Kaufman Descartes's doctrine of the creation of the eternal truths (henceforth "the Creation Doctrine") has been thought to be a particularly problematic doctrine, both internally inconsistent and detrimental to Descartes's system as a whole. According to the Creation Doctrine, the etern…Read more
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2Review of David Clemenson, Descartes' Theory of Ideas (review)Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 2008 (3). 2008.
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8Descartes on Composites, Incomplete Substances, and Kinds of UnityArchiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 90 (1): 39-73. 2008.It is widely-accepted that Descartes is a substance dualist, i.e. that he holds that there are two and only two kinds of finite substance – mind and body. However, several scholars have argued that Descartes is a substance trialist, where the third kind of substance he admits is the substantial union of a mind and a body, the human being. In this paper, I argue against the trialist interpretation of Descartes. First, I show that the strongest evidence for trialism, based on Descartes' discussion…Read more
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14Infimus gradus libertatis? Descartes on indifference and divine freedomReligious Studies 39 (4): 391-406. 2003.Descartes held the doctrine that the eternal truths are freely created by God. He seems to have thought that a proper understanding of God's freedom entails such a doctrine concerning the eternal truths. In this paper, I examine Descartes' account of divine freedom. I argue that Descartes' statements about indifference, namely that indifference is the lowest grade of freedom and that indifference is the essence of God's freedom are not incompatible. I also show how Descartes arrived at his doctr…Read more
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1Review of Stephen Gaukroger (ed.), The Blackwell Guide to Descartes' Meditations (review)Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 2006 (6). 2006.
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8Descartes on the objective reality of materially false ideasPacific Philosophical Quarterly 81 (4). 2000.“The Standard Interpretation” of Descartes on material falsity states that Descartes believed that materially false ideas (MFIs) lack “objective reality” [realitas objectiva]. The argument for the Standard Interpretation depends on a statement from the “Third Meditation” that MFIs are caused by nothing. This statement, in conjunction with a causal principle introduced by Descartes, seems to entail that MFIs lack objective reality. However, the Standard Interpretation is incorrect. First, I argue…Read more
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Areas of Specialization
17th/18th Century Philosophy |
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy |
17th/18th Century Philosophy |