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160Aristotle and Ockham on BeingModern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand). forthcoming.Aristotle and William of Ockham both argue that existence or being is a predicate, though not a distinguishing predicate. I place Ockham’s argument in an Aristotelian context and discuss its merits. I then turn to empiricist criticisms of the view that we can coherently predicate being of things. I argue that while Ockham’s argument is cogent, his account of how we come to have the concept of being is inadequate. Ockham’s view needs to be supplemented with Kantian insights.
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19Philoponus, Kant, and Russell on the Beginning of TimeJournal of Modern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand) 36-52. 2019.© 2019 the author.
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35Feyerabend, the Ancient Quarrel and the Problem of Aesthetic CriteriaPhilosophical Inquiry 16 (1-2): 1-19. 1994.
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Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of Greek Studies 2009 (edited book)Flinders University. 2011.
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37Radical fallibilism vs conceptual analysis: The significance of Feyerabend’s Philosophy of science (review)Metascience 8 (2): 206-233. 1999.
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564Aristotle on BeingModern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand) 1 41-50. 2015.Aristotle explains existence through postulating essences that are intrinsic and percep- tion independent. I argue that his theory is more plausible than Hume’s and Russell’s theories of existence. Russell modifies Hume’s theory because he wants to allow for the existence of mathematical objects. However, Russell’s theory facilitates a problematic collapse of ontology into epistemology, which has become a feature of much analytic philosophy. This collapse obscures the nature of truth. Aristotle …Read more
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95Is induction epistemologically prior to deduction?Ratio 17 (1). 2004.Most philosophers hold that the use of our deductive powers confers an especially strong warrant on some of our mathematical and logical beliefs. By contrast, many of the same philosophers hold that it is a matter of serious debate whether any inductive inferences are cogent. That is, they hold that we might well have no warrant for inductively licensed beliefs, such as generalizations. I argue that we cannot know that we know logical and mathemati- cal truths unless we use induction. Our confid…Read more
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44Should Philosophers become Playwrights?Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 29 (1-4): 451-457. 1986.Feyerabend has recently argued that the best way to deal with philosophical problems is through drama rather than through intellectual debate. This paper criticises his view and corrects it.
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559Hume's Lucianic ThanatotherapyModern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand) 16 (B): 327-344. 2013-14.The eighteenth century philosopher David Hume was much influenced by Greek philosophy and literature. His favourite writer was the satirist Lucian. What is David Hume’s thanatotherapy (therapy of the fear of death)? Is he an Epicurean or Pyrrhonian thanatotherapist? I argue that, while he is in part an Epicurean who is sceptical about his Epicureanism, he is primarily a Lucianic thanatotherapist. A Lucianic thanatotherapist uses self and other deprecating irony as a form of therapy. He also ruth…Read more
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31Aristotle explains existence through postulating essences that are intrinsic and perception independent. I argue that his theory is more plausible than Hume’s and Russell’s theories of existence. Russell modifies Hume’s theory because he wants to allow for the existence of mathematical objects. However, Russell’s theory facilitates a problematic collapse of ontology into epistemology, which has become a feature of much analytic philosophy. This collapse obscures the nature of truth. Aristotle is…Read more
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5088Aristotle on Non-ContradictionIn Michael Tsianikas (ed.), Greek Research in Australia, Department of Modern Greek. pp. 36-43. 2011.
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1Feyerabend's Critique of FoundationalismDissertation, University of New South Wales (Australia). 1985.This thesis argues that: there are no indubitable or highly probable empirical statements that can serve as a foundation for scientific knowledge; the progress of science is not necessarily or generally cumulative; the widespread belief that certain scientific theories are founded in experience had had bad consequences because it has retarded the progress of science and led to the development of totalitarian institutions; hypotheses which are rivals to entrenched scientific theories are helpful …Read more
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392John Philoponus: Closeted Christian or Radical Intellectual?Modern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand) 15 207-219. 2011.
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45Feyerabend and Laymon on brownian motionPhilosophy of Science 55 (3): 415-421. 1988.In this paper, I will defend Paul Feyerabend's claim--that there are some scientific theories that cannot be refuted unless one of their rivals is first confirmed--by criticizing Ronald Laymon's well-known attack on Feyerabend's claim. In particular, I will argue both that the Second Law of Thermodynamics was not refuted before the Kinetic Theory's predictions were confirmed, and that it could not have been refuted without the confirmation of the remarkable predictions of some rival theory
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377Aristotle vs TheognisIn Michael Tsianikas (ed.), Greek Research in Australia, Department of Modern Greek. pp. 1-8. 2011.Aristotle argues that provided we have moderate luck, we can attain eudaimonia through our own effort. He claims that it is crucial to attaining eudaimonia that we aim at an overall target in our lives to which all our actions are directed. He also claims that the proper target of a eudaimon human life is virtuous activity, which is a result of effort not chance. He criticises Theognis for saying that the most pleasant thing is to chance on love, arguing instead that virtuous activity is the mos…Read more
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53The Philosophy of Science: Science and ObjectivitySage Publications. 1997.This comprehensive textbook provides a clear nontechnical introduction to the philosophy of science. Through asking whether science can provide us with objective knowledge of the world, the book provides a thorough and accessible guide to the key thinkers and debates that define the field. George Couvalis surveys traditional themes around theory and observation, induction, probability, falsification and rationality as well as more recent challenges to objectivity including relativistic, feminist…Read more
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60Feyerabend's Epistemology and Brecht's Theory of the DramaPhilosophy and Literature 11 (1): 117-123. 1987.In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:FEYERABEND'S EPISTEMOLOGY AND BRECHTS THEORY OF THE DRAMA by S. G. Couvalis In his early paper, "On the Improvement of the Sciences and the Arts," Feyerabend argues that, just as rival hypotheses show the shortcomings of entrenched scientific hypotheses, so theatre which presents hypotheses contrary to common beliefs about human beings shows the shortcomings of these beliefs. It develops understanding of human relations more effectiv…Read more
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2A Modern Malignant Demon? Hume's Scepticism with Regard to Reason (Partly) VindicatedIn Craig Taylor & Stephen Buckle (eds.), Hume and the Enlightenment, Pickering & Chatto Publishing. pp. 105-115. 2011.
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940Philoponus's Traversal Argument and the Beginning of TimeModern Greek Studies (Australia and New Zealand) (Special Issue): 68-78. 2013.
Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy |
Philosophy of Physical Science |