Metaphysics of Science (and related topics)

A workshop funded by the AHRC under the auspices of the Metaphysics of Science project

All are very welcome to attend. If you are coming from outside the University of Bristol, it would be helpful if you could let Alexander Bird know, in order to ensure sufficient space for all. Email:

Location: Department of Philosophy, 9 Woodland Road. (For visitors, entrance in via 3-5 Woodland Road.)

provisional programme

Monday 29 March

• 14.00–16.15 Stephen Mumford, Markus Schrenk, Helen Beebee: Symposium on “Perceiving Causation”
• 16.15–16.45 break
• 16.45–18.00 Hugh Mellor “Successful Semantics”

Tuesday 30 March

• 09.30–10.30 Alexander Bird “Necessity Versus Regularity on Laws and the Problem of Induction” (with James Ladyman)
• 10.30–11.30 Nigel Leary tba
• 11.30–12.00 break
• 12.00–13.00 Annika Wallin “How Dual are Dual Process Theories?”
• 13.00–14.15 lunch
• 14.15–15.15 Alexander Reutlinger “Woodward meets Russell. Is there a metaphysical problem for conceptually non-reductive theories of causation?”
• 15.15–16.15 Matt Tugby “The Problem of Geometrical Properties for Pandispositionalists”
• 16.15–16.45 break
• 16.45–17.45 Emma Tobin "Are Natural Kinds and Natural Properties Distinct?"

Wednesday 31 March

• 09.30–10.30 James Ladyman “Part and Whole in Physics and Metaphysics”
• 10.30–11.00 break
• 11.00–12.00 Johannes Persson “Metaphysics of Science and Scientific Ontologies”