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1212Philosophical interest in ecology is relatively new. Standard texts in the philosophy of biology pay little or no attention to ecology (though Sterelny and Griffiths 1999 is an exception). This is in part because the science of ecology itself is relatively new, but whatever the reasons for the neglect in the past, the situation must change. A good philosophical understanding of ecology is important for a number of reasons. First, ecology is an important and fascinating branch of biology with dis…Read more
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802Philosophical issues in ecology: Recent trends and future directionsEcology and Society 14 (2). 2009.Philosophy of ecology has been slow to become established as an area of philosophical interest, but it is now receiving considerable attention. This area holds great promise for the advancement of both ecology and the philosophy of science. Insights from the philosophy of science can advance ecology in a number of ways. For example, philosophy can assist with the development of improved models of ecological hypothesis testing and theory choice. Philosophy can also help ecologists understand the …Read more
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522Troubles with time travelPhilosophy 74 (1): 55-70. 1999.Talk about time travel is puzzling even if it isn't obviously contradictory. Philosophers however are divided about whether time travel involves empirical paradox or some deeper metaphysical incoherence. It is suggested that time travel requires a Parmenidean four-dimensionalist metaphysical conception of the world in time. The possibility of time travel is addressed (mainly) from within a Parmenidean metaphysical framework, which is accepted by David Lewis in his defence of the coherence of tim…Read more
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338Anthropocentrism and deep ecologyAustralasian Journal of Philosophy 71 (4). 1993.This Article does not have an abstract
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275Epicurus and the harm of deathAustralasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (3). 1999.Epicurus notoriously argued that death at no time is a harm because before death there is no harm and after death there is no victim. The denial that death can be a harm to the one who dies has been challenged by various claims including (1) death is eternally bad for the victim (Feldman), (2) it is before death that it is bad for the victim (Feinberg and Pitcher), (3) death is bad for the victim but at no particular time (Nagel), and (4) it is at the time of death that death is bad for the vict…Read more
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120Environmental Value and AnthropocentrismEthics and the Environment 3 (1). 1998.The critique of traditional Western ethics, and in particular its anthropocentric foundations, is a central theme which has dominated environmental philosophy for the last twenty years. Anthropocentrism is widely identified as a fundamental source of the alienating and destructive attitudes towards the nonhuman world which are a principal target of a number of salient ecophilosophies. This paper addresses a problem about articulating the concern with anthropocentrism raised by the influencial fo…Read more
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90A Critique of Deep EcologyJournal of Applied Philosophy 3 (2): 211-216. 1986.Our environmental crisis is commonly explained as a product of a set of attitudes and beliefs about the world which have been developed by post‐Cartesian technological society. Deep ecologists claim that the crisis can only be overcome by adopting an alternative non‐technological paradigm, such as can be discovered in non‐Western cultures. In this paper I express misgivings about the use of the expression ‘Paradigm’ by deep ecologists, question the claim that a science‐based world‐view inevitabl…Read more
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54Evolution and the meaning of lifeZygon 22 (4): 479-496. 1987.The last century has witnessed a succession of revolutionary transformations in the discipline of biology. The rapid expansion of our understanding of life and its nature has however had curiously little impact on the way that questions about life and its significance have been discussed by philosophers. This paper explores the answers that biology provides to central questions about our existence, and examines why the substitution of causal explanations for teleological ones appears natural and…Read more
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41Beyond Environmentalism: A Philosophy of NatureAustralasian Journal of Philosophy 89 (4). 2011.Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Volume 89, Issue 4, Page 740-743, December 2011
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33Possible Persons and the Problems of PosterityEnvironmental Values 5 (2). 1996.The moral status of future persons is problematic. It is often claimed that we should take the interests of the indefinite unborn very seriously, because they have a right to a decent life. It is also claimed (often by the same people) that we should allow unrestricted access to abortion, because the indefinite unborn have no rights. In this paper I argue that these intuitions are not in fact inconsistent. The aim is to provide an account of trans-temporal concern which resolves the prima facie …Read more
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23Deviant epistemologiesCogito 9 (1): 61-67. 1995.In this paper I investigate some characteristics of anomalous or deviant belief systems, such belief systems which include the extraordinary diversity of paranormal claims. It is frequently suggested that the appropriate attitude to adopt to such belief systems is one of scepticism—and that is a conclusion which I will not dispute. However I also suggest that deviant belief systems have characteristics which reveal much of interest about human psychology and the way that we try to make sense o…Read more
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23A Case for Investigating the Ethics of Artificial Life?In H. Abbass & J. Wiles (eds.), Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Artificial Life, The University of New South Wales. pp. 276-287. 2003.A major stream of Artificial Life research aims to build synthetic life forms, operating in virtual worlds, implemented as computer programs. A clear long-term target for this research is the evolution of digital life-forms with a complexity of structure and behaviour analogous to biological life-forms, potentially exhibiting intelligence and self-awareness. The creation of intelligent, self-aware digital life-forms has clear ethical implications, but there is no current research into how these …Read more
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19Last man argumentsIn J. Baird Callicott & Robert Frodeman (eds.), The encyclopedia of environmental ethics and philosophy, Macmillan Reference. pp. 40-41. 2008.
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17Time wounds all heelsIn Charles Tandy (ed.), Death and anti-death: Twenty years after de Beauvoir, thirty years after Heidegger, Ria University Press. pp. 165-180. 2006.Epicurus famously argued that death is never a harm to the one who dies, because there is no time at which the decedent is worse off. While the decedent is still alive death isn't a harm; but after death there is no one to be harmed. Life is death-excluding, and death is harm-excluding. When then can the decedent be worse off? Either: at no particular time; always; before death; at death; or, after death. In an earlier paper ('Epicurus and the harm of Death') I argued that decedents may suffer p…Read more
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17Metaphore and MeaningMinerva - An Internet Journal of Philosophy 4 (1). 2000.In this paper I explore the question: Can what is said metaphorically be said literally? I provide a qualified affirmative answer to this question. However I also suggest that although a paraphrase can be provided which satisfactorily conveys the cognitive content of the metaphor, the paraphrase is unable to provide the insight which the metaphor did. I go on to argue that the tendency to take an ex post facto view of metaphor obscures the central role which metaphor plays in concept formati…Read more
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16Gaia theory: Reflections on life on earth (review)Australian Review of Public Affairs 2010. 2010.This is a critical notice of three books which discuss aspects of James Lovelock's Gaia Theory.
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14Gasking's proofAnalysis 60 (4): 368-370. 2000.St Anselm (1033-1109) devised an ontological “proof” of the existence of God based on the impossibility of conceiving of God's non-existence. This famous argument inspired a much less-widely known atheistic ontological “proof” of God's non-existence by Melbourne philosopher Douglas Gasking (1911-1994). Juxtaposing Gasking’s argument for the non-existence of God with Anselm’s “proof” brings the basic defect of Anselm’s argument into sharp relief.
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14An international event established by UNESCO in 2002 • Observed annually on the third Thursday of November, in order – to honor philosophical reflection around the world – to share thoughts, and to openly explore and discuss ideas and inspire public debate or discussion about social challenges • Objective: to make philosophy accessible and create opportunities for rational reflection, discussion and to foster independent and critical thought.
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13The Ethics of EnhancementIn Death And Anti-Death, Volume 6: Thirty Years After Kurt Godel (1906-1978), Ria University Press. pp. 101-126. 2008.
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University of QueenslandSchool of Historical and Philosophical InquiryHonorary Research Associate Professor (Part-time)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia