Steven Horst
December, 2014
Academic Address:
Department of Philosophy
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 06459
860-685-3645
https://shorst.faculty.wesleyan.edu
Employment and Professional Affiliations
Department of Philosophy, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT USA: Professor (2007-), Associate (1997-2007), Assistant (1990-1997), Chair (1998-2001, 2004-5, 2012-14), University Director of Pedagogical Renewal (1999-2001)
Visiting Scholar Positions:
- Princeton University, Department of Philosophy, 1997-1998
- Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Information, May, 1998
- Boston University, Cognitive and Neural Systems/Center for Adaptive Systems, Fall 1993
Education
1990 — Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Notre Dame.
1982 — B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, summa cum laude, Boston University.
Areas of Research
Philosophy of Mind/Psychology/Cognitive Science, Philosophy of Science, Cognitive Science of Religion, Moral Psychology, Metaphysics
Fellowships and Awards
2017-18. NEH Public Scholar Grant.
2009-2010. John Templeton Foundation Grant for Sabbatical/Leave: “Cognitive Science of Religion: Philosophical Implications”.
2009-2010. Project Grant from Cognition, Theology and Religion Project, Oxford.
2006-2007. NEH Fellowship for College Teachers and Independent Scholars.
Fall, 2006. Fellow at Center for the Humanities, Wesleyan University.
1997-1998. NEH Fellowship for College Teachers and Independent Scholars.
Books
2016 Cognitive Pluralism. MIT Press
2011 Laws, Mind and Free Will. MIT Press.
2007 Beyond Reduction: Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science and the Philosophy of Mind. Oxford University Press.
1996 Symbols Computation and Intentionality: A Critique of the Computational Theory of Mind. University of California Press. (Republished with new Preface in paperback and electronic formats 2011)
Current Book Projects:
Mind, Method and Mechanism. (Textbook for early modern philosophy, currently in trial use in my classes.)
Exorcizing Laplace’s Demon (Trade market book examining whether the sciences threaten humanistic and theistic commitments such as free will, intrinsic worth and dignity, and a God that acts in the world.)
What Do Christians Believe? (Introduction to core Christian beliefs for a general audience, more or less at the level of C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity)
Journal Articles and Anthologized Works in academic publications:
In Print:
2016. “From Laws to Powers.” In Rethinking Order: After the Laws of Nature, ed. Nancy Cartwright and Keith Ward, Bloomsbury, pp. 157-183.
2014. “Beyond Reduction: From Naturalism to Cognitive Pluralism” (target article) Mind and Matter, 12(2), pp. 197-224.
2014. “Replies by Horst” (3000 word response to commentators on target article) Mind and Matter, 12(2), pp. 238-244.
2014. “Extended Cognitive Science, Neutral Monism, and Cognitive Pluralism (Comments on Silberstein)” Mind and Matter, 12(2),
2014. “Physicalism, Explanation and Dependence (Comments on Seager)” (2000 word commentary) Mind and Matter, 12(2),
2014 . “Dual Aspects and Neutral Monism: Some Cognitivist Concerns (Comments on Atmanspacher)” (2000 word commentary) Mind and Matter, 12(2),
2014. “Alan Turing and the Cartesian Challenge.” Online article for special issue of The Critique on Alan Turing. December 31, 2014. http://www.thecritique.com/articles/the-computational-theory-of-mind-alan-turing-the-cartesian-challenge/
2014. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” in The Roots of Religion: Exploring the Cognitive Science of Religion, ed. Roger Trigg and Justin L. Barrett, Ashgate, pp. 37-54.
2014. “Miracles and Two Accounts of Scientific Laws”. Zygon, 49(2), June 2014.
2013. “Notions of Intuition in Cognitive Science of Religion.” The Monist. Vol. 96, no. 2, pp. 378-399.
2011. “Freedom and Natural Laws”. The Montreal Review. September, 2011.
2011. “Reply to Silberstein”. (Reply to review article on Beyond Reduction.) Philosophical Psychology 24(4): 575-584.
2010. “Theories of Mind and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science”, Transdisciplinarity in Science and Religion, 6 (2010), 279-298.
2010. “The Role of Phenomenology in Psychophysics,” Handbook of Phenomenology and Cognitive Science, edited by Shaun Gallagher. Springer.
2010. Updated entry, “Computational Theory of Mind,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
2009. “Naturalisms in Philosophy of Mind.” Philosophy Compass 4/1 (2009), pp. 219-254.
2005. “Modeling, Localization, and the Explanation of Phenomenological Properties.” In Synthese special issue on philosophy of neuroscience, volume 147, issue 3, pp. 477-513
2005. “Phenomenology and Psychophysics”. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences (2005) 4: 1-21.
2003. “Computational Theory of Mind.” Entry for online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
2001. “Evolutionary Explanation and Consciousness.” Journal of Psychology and Theology, Vol 30 (2001) No. 1, 41-50.
1999. “Symbols and Computation.” Minds and Machines, Volume 9, No. 3, pages 347-381.
1999. “Evolutionary Explanation and the Hard Problem of Consciousness.” Journal of Consciousness Studies. Vol. 6, No. 1 , pp. 39-48.
1998. “Comments on Zytkow’s article.” Foundations of Science Vol 3., No. 1 (1998): Reduction in Science. Pages 103-107.
1998. “Our Animal Bodies“, for Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Vol. XXII: Philosophy and the Emotions, edited by Peter French.
1998. “The Computational Theory of Mind”, for MIT Press Encyclopaedia of Cognitive Science.
1995. “Eliminativism and the Ambiguity of ‘Belief’”, Synthese 104(123-145), July 1995.
1992. “Notions of ‘Representation’ and the Diverging Interests of Philosophy and Empirical Research,” Proceedings of the Conference on Cognition and Representation, Technical Report of the SUNY at Buffalo Center for Cognitive Science, 1992.
Online Discussion Papers
2010 “Free Will and Two Accounts of Natural Laws”. The Order Project (LSE and UCSD). http://www2.lse.ac.uk/CPNSS/projects/orderProject/documents/ Publications/HorstFreeWillLaws.pdf. ISSN 2045-5577.
2010 “Beyond Reduction: What Can Philosophy of Mind Learn from Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science?”. The Order Project (LSE and UCSD). http://www2.lse.ac.uk/CPNSS/projects/orderProject/documents/Publications/HorstBeyondReduction.pdf ISSN 2045-5577.
Papers Delivered and Participation in Conferences:
2015 Talk. “Matter as a Philosophical Posit.” Center for the Humanities, Wesleyan University, November 9, 2016.
2015 Talk/paper discussion. “Beyond Reduction”. Department of Philosophy, UMass Lowell, October 16, 2015.
2014 Invited plenary address. “Beyond Reduction” at Society for Mind-Matter Research meeting, Tucson, AZ, April 26-28, 2014.
2014 Talk. “Cognitive Pluralism”. University of Stirling, UK. March 20, 2014.
2014 Reearch seminar lecture, “Beyond Reduction,” in seminar on my book Beyond Reduction. University of Stirling, UK. March 17, 2014
2013 Invited Input-lecture. “Naturalisms and their Discontents” MPI-Workshop Muenster 2013: How Naturalistic are the Biomedical Sciences? Theoretical and Ethical Perspectives. Universität Münster. November 6-8, 2013.
2013 Talk. “Concepts of supernatural beings in folk religion and high theology: considerations from cognitive science of religion.” University of Gent (Belgium), November 4, 2013
2013 Invited symposiast on Naturalism. Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology. February 2013, Austin, TX.
2012 Talk. “Natural Laws and Free Will.” Conference on Value Inquiry, Salem State University, April 18-20, 2012.
2012 Talk. “Miracles and the Laws of Nature”. 2nd annual Philosophy Conference at Houston Baptist University, March 29-April 1, 2012
2011 Invited Plenary Speaker. “Implicit Ontologies, Critical Metaphysics, and Cognitive Pluralism.” Conference on Psycho-Ontology, Shalem Center, Jerusalem, December 11-15, 2011.
2011 Invited participant. “Why is there anything rather than nothing?” conference at Yale University, October 6-9, 2011.
2010 Talk. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion, Toronto, August 16, 2010.
2010 Talk. “What is Unity of Knowledge, and Are We Really Missing Anything Without It?” Ian Ramsey Conference, St. Ann’s College, Oxford, July 7-11, 2010.
2010 Talk. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” Cognition, Religion and Theology Workshop, Merton College, Oxford, June 27-July 1.
2010 Poster Presentation. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Portland, OR, June 9-12, 2010.
2010 Talk. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” European Society for the Study of Science and Theology, University of Edinburgh, April 7-11, 2010.
2009 Talk. “Cognitive Pluralism and Biblical Truth”, Conference on Philosophy and the Bible, Shalem Institute, Jerusalem, October 25-28, 2009.
2009 Talk. “Whose Intuitions? Which Dualism?” Cognition, Religion and Theology Summer Workshop, Christ Church, Oxford, August 10-22, 2009.
2009 Talk. “Beyond Modularity and Globalism to Cognitive Pluralism”, Society for Philosophy and Psychology meeting, University of Indiana, Bloomington, June 12-13, 2009.
2008 Talk. “Beyond Reduction: Philosophy of Mind and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science”, July 2008, Mini-Conference “Exploring Non-Reduction and Levels of Reality”, part of the 2008 Metanexus Conference held in Madrid, Spain.
2008 Talk. “Laws, Freedom and Miracles”. Ian Ramsey Conference, Oxford, July 2008.
2008 Paper at Discussion Group, “Cognitive Pluralism”, Foundations of Cognitive Science, Hampshire College, April 25, 2008
2008 Talk, “Cognitive Pluralism”, Department of Philosophy, Mt. Holyoke College, Holyoke MA, April 24, 2008
2008 Talk (with Janice Naegele). “Studies of Consciousness: Linking Neuroscience and Philosophy”. Wesleyan University Boston Alumni Group, March, 2008.
2007 Talk (with Janice Naegele). “Studies of Consciousness: Linking Neuroscience and Philosophy”. Wesleyan University New Jersey Alumni Group, April, 2007.
2006 Talk (with Janice Naegele). “Studies of Consciousness: Linking Neuroscience and Philosophy”. Wesleyan University, October, 2006.
2006 Chair. “Morality and Value”. Session at the Society for Philosophy and Psychology Meetings, June 1-5, Washington University at St. Louis.
2006 Talk. “Modularilty, Domain-Specificity and the Disunity of Science: The Case for Cognitive Pluralism”. University of Cincinnati, May 19, 2006.
2006 Talk. “Concepts and Cognitive Phylogeny”. Indiana University, May 18, 2006.
2006 Talk. “Laws, Mind and Freedom.” “Toward a Science of Consciousness 2006”, Tucson, AZ, April 4-8 2006.
2005 Talk and symposium organizer. “Beyond Reduction: What Can Philosophy of Mind Learn from Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science?” Robert S. Cohen Forum, Boston Colloquium for Philosophy and History of Science, March 2005.
2004 Talk. “Consciousness Studies, Philosophy of Science and Theology: Why the Sciences do not Threaten Consciousness, Free Will or Miracles”. Yale Divinity School. October 11, 2004.
2004 Talk. “Consciousness Studies, Philosophy of Science and Theology: Why the Sciences do not Threaten Consciousness, Free Will or Miracles”. Calvin College. October 8, 2004.
2004 Talk. “Cognitive Pluralism.” Elizabethtown University. Elizabethtown, PA. September 30, 2004.
2004 Talk and symposium organizer. “Beyond Reduction: The Explanatory Gap and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science.” Society for Philosophy and Psychology/ESPP Joint Meetings, Barcelona, July 4, 2004.
2004 Talk. “Beyond Reduction: The Explanatory Gap and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science.” Universidade Nova de Lisboa, June 28, 2004.
2004 Talk. “Beyond Reduction: The Explanatory Gap and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science.” Consciousness 2004 Conference. Tucson, AZ, April 2004.
2003 Talk. “New Semantics and Philosophy of Mind.” Northwest Philosophy Conference, Portland, OR, October 2003.
2003 Commentator. On Peter Hanks, “A Dilemma About Necessity.” Northwest Philosophy Conference, Portland, OR, October 2003.
2003 Talk. “Naturalism and its Discontents.” University of Califronia at San Diego, May 28,
2003 Talk. “Naturalism and its Discontents.” University of California at Riverside. June 3, 2003.
- Seminar discussion of manuscript of Mind and the World of Nature. University of California at Riverside. June 2, 2003.
2002 Talk. “Christian Studies”. Society of Christian Philosophers. Messiah, College. Harrisburg, PA.
2002 Talk. “Goldilocks and Three Theories of Concepts.” NEH SummerInstitute on Consciousness and Semantics, University of California at Santa Cruz.
2002 Talk. “Phenomenology and Psychophysics.” Consciousness 2002 conference, Tucson Arizona, April 2002.
2000 Talk. “Laws and Idealization.” Society for Philosophy and Psychology. Columbia University. June 2000.
1999 Chair. Session on Philosophy of Language, American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeings. Boston, MA, December 27-30.
1999 Talk. “How (not) to Explain Concepts.” University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. November 11, 1999.
1999 Reply to Jesse Prinz, Society for Philosophy and Psychology. Stanford University.
1999 “Our Animal Bodies.” SUNY Geneseo, March 5, 1999.
1999 Organizer and Moderator of Robert S. Cohen Forum, Boston Colloquium in Philosophy of Science symposium on Naturalism, Boston University, January 1999.
1999 Talk. “Naturalism: Archaeology and Analysis” At Boston Colloquium in Philosophy of Science symposium on Naturalism, Boston University, January 1999.
1998 Reply to Sandeep Prasada. Society for Philosophy and Psychology. University of Minnesota. June, 1998.
1998 Talk. “Modularity and Disunity: What Do Philosophy and Cognitive Science Have to Say to One Another?” Stanford University Center for theStudy of Language and Information. May, 1998. Talk. “Naturalism and its Discontents.” University of California at Santa Cruz, May, 1998.
1997 Talk. “Naturalism and its Discontents.” University of Massachussetts, Amherst, MA, December 5, 1997.
1997 Talk. “Naturalism and its Discontents.” Boston University, Boston, MA, October 24, 1997.
1997 Talk. “Why Naturalistic Metaphysics and Naturalistic Epistemology Make for Poor Bedfellows.” Reasons to Believe conference, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown PA, July, 1997.
1997 Presenter. “Phenomenology and Psychophysics.” Society for Philosophy and Psychology meetings, June 5, 1997, New School for Social Research, New York City.
1996 Session Chair. Rethinking Intuitions. Notre Dame, IN, April 1996.
1996 Comment. Reply to Thomas Bittner, APA Pacific Division Meetings, Seattle, WA. March, 1996.
1995 Comment. Reply to Evan Thompson, Conference on Embodiment, Stonehill College, April 1995.
1994 Session Chair. Conference on Mind, Notre Dame, IN, November 1994.
1994 Presentation and discussion of paper. “Computation, Naturalization and Psychological Explanation.” PATF, Smith College, May 8, 1994
1993 Talk. “Computation, Naturalization and Psychological Explanation.” St. Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire, November 9, 1993.
1993 Talk. “Computation, Naturalization and Psychological Explanation.” Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science. Boston University, November 1, 1993.
1993 Talk. “Weak Naturalization and Realization: The Case against Strong Naturalism in the Philosophy of Mind,” NEH Summer Institute on Naturalism, University of Nebraska, June, 1993.
1992 Talk. “Notions of ‘Representation’ and the Diverging Interests of Philosophy and Empirical Research,” Conference on Cognition and Representation, SUNY Buffalo, April 3—5, 1992
1991 Talk. “Issues in the Notion of Representation,” NEH Summer Seminar for College Teachers on Mental Representation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, June—August 1991
1988 Talk. “The Emergence of Cognitive Science (and the scars it bears)”, Thirty-First Midwest Junto in the History of Science Annual Meeting, March 1988
1987 Talk. “Husserl’s Noema, Metaphysics and the Transcendental Perspective: A Critique of Føllesdal”, Society for Philosophy and Existential Philosophy Conference, October 1987
1983 Talk. “Divine Eternity and the Relativity of Space-Time”, Indiana Philosophical Society Meeting, October 1983
Academic Institutes and Workshops
November, 2013. Lecturer at MPI-Workshop Muenster 2013: How Naturalistic are the Biomedical Sciences? Theoretical and Ethical Perspectives. Universität Münster. November 6-8, 2013.
Summer, 2010. Participant in Cognition, Theology and Religion Summer Workshop, Merton College, Oxford
Summer, 2009. Participant in Cognition, Theology and Religion Summer Workshop, Christ Church, Oxford, August 10-22, 109
Summer, 2002. NEH Summer Institute on Consciousness and Intentionality, University of California at Santa Cruz.
July-August 1993. NEH Summer Institute on Meaning, Rutgers University.
June-July 1993. NEH Summer Institute on Naturalism, University of Nebraska.
June-August 1991. NEH Summer Seminar for College Teachers on Mental Representation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Membership in Academic and Professional Societies:
Associate, Behavioral and Brain Sciences
American Philosophical Association
Society for Philosophy and Psychology (Executive Council 2004-2007)
Phi Beta Kappa
Refereeing
NEH panelist for Summer Stipend applications
Acumen Press
Australasian Journal of Philosophy
Basil Blackwell Publishers
British Journal for Philosophy of Science
Cambridge University Press
Canadian Journal of Philosophy
Cognition
Dialectica
Faith and Philosophy
Journal of Consciousness Studies
MIT Press
Noûs
Oxford University Press (UK)
Oxford University Press (US)
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
Philosophical Psychology
Philosophical Studies
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research
Rowman & Littlefield
Routledge
Society for Philosophy and Psychology
Springer Verlag
Synthese
The John Templeton Foundation
University of California Press
Zygon
Outside Dissertation Reader
Yale University, 1996
Tenure and Promotion Reviews
5 tenure reviews
2 reviews for promotion to Full Professor
1 reappointment review
Outside Review of Department
University of Cincinnati, 2008
Teaching Experience
Undergraduate teaching at Wesleyan University from 1990-present.
Courses Regularly Taught: Philosophy of Mind, Philosophical Classics II (Early Modern), Philosophy as a Way of Life, Moral Psychology, Philosophy and Christianity, Seminars in philosophy of mind (naturalism, concepts, cognitive science of religion, animal minds), Early Modern (Descartes/Hobbes, Newton/Leibniz). (More complete listing available upon request.)
Additional Courses Taught While at Wesleyan: Philosophical Classics I (Ancient Greek), Philosophy of Language, Introduction to Philosophy, Classical Antiquity Colloquium in College of Letters