Kevin Davey received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003, and also has Masters degrees in both physics and mathematics. His main areas of interest are the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, logic, epistemology and the philosophy of physics. In the general philosophy of science and epistemology he is particularly interested in understanding the character of non-deductive inference, both within and outside the context of science. In the philosophy of mathematics, he is currently engaged in a close study of the origin of proof in both the western and non-western mathematical traditions, and the light that sheds on contemporary debates about the nature of mathematics. In logic, he is currently looking at the way we reason about truth, focusing both on philosophical questions about the nature of the truth predicate and technical questions about formal theories of truth.
Selected Publications
"A Note on the Unprovability of Consistency in Formal Theories of Truth" (in progress)
"Inference to the Best Explanation and Norton’s Material Theory of Induction" (forthcoming)
"On Euclid and the Genealogy of Proof" (forthcoming)
"Can Good Science Be Logically Inconsistent?"
Review of Halvorson’s "The Logic in Philosophy of Science"
"Aristotle, Zeno and the Stadium Paradox"
"Is Mathematical Rigour Necessary in Physics?"
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 2003 54(3):439-463
"Obligation and the Conditional in Stit Theory"
Studia Logica Volume 72, Number 3 / December, 2002
Recent Courses
PHIL 22000 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
We will begin by trying to explicate the manner in which science is a rational response to observational facts. This will involve a discussion of inductivism, Popper's deductivism, Lakatos and Kuhn. After this, we will briefly survey some other important topics in the philosophy of science, including underdetermination, theories of evidence, Bayesianism, the problem of induction, explanation, and laws of nature. (B)
PHIL 59950 Job Placement Workshop
Course begins in late Spring quarter and continues in the Autumn quarter.
This workshop is open only to PhD Philosophy graduate students planning to go on the job market in the Autumn of 2024. Approval of dissertation committee is required.
PHIL 22100/32100 Space and Time
This course is an introduction to some traditional philosophical problems about space and time. The course will begin with a discussion of Zeno’s paradoxes. We will then look at the debate between Newton and Leibniz concerning the ontological status of space and time, and will examine reactions to this debate by physicists such as Mach. We will then go on to discuss the question of what sense is to be made of the claim that space is curved, looking at the work of Einstein. Students will be introduced to the basics of the special and general theories of relativity at a qualitative level. If time permits, we will also look at questions about the multiverse, and/or Boltzmann’s conception of the arrow of time. (B) (II)
PHIL 29408/39408 Intuitionistic Logic
This course will be an introductory survey of the philosophical and mathematical foundations of intuitionistic logic, perhaps the most serious rival to classical logic. We will pay attention to its philosophical motivations, especially by examining some of the more philosophical works of Brouwer. The course will also involve a mathematically rigorous presentation of the metatheory of intuitionistic logic, using forcing and Kripke frames. (B) (II)
Students should have completed Elementary Logic, or a similar class in the mathematics department.
PHIL 59950 Job Placement Workshop
Course begins in late Spring quarter and continues in the Autumn quarter.
This workshop is open only to PhD Philosophy graduate students planning to go on the job market in the Autumn of 2023. Approval of dissertation committee is required.
PHIL 59950 Job Placement Workshop
Course begins in late Spring quarter and continues in the Autumn quarter.
This workshop is open only to PhD Philosophy graduate students planning to go on the job market in the Autumn of 2023. Approval of dissertation committee is required.
PHIL 29405/39405 Advanced Logic
This class will explore dependent type theory, with a focus on the identity relation. Different ways of thinking of the identity relation will be examined, culminating in a presentation of the Univalence axiom and a discussion of its role as a potential foundation for mathematics. (B) (II)
Although background material will be discussed in the first lectures, students will be expected to have some familiarity with the lambda calculus and the theory of types. Interested students without this background should contact the instructor in advance to discuss possible material to read to help prepare for the course.
PHIL 23951 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy
This course will be an overview of Eastern philosophy, focusing on the historical development of Buddhist and Confucian ideas from their early Indian origins to the present day. (A)
PHIL 59950 Job Placement Workshop
Course begins in late Spring quarter and continues in the Autumn quarter.
This workshop is open only to PhD Philosophy graduate students planning to go on the job market in the Autumn of 2022. Approval of dissertation committee is required.
PHIL 20405/30405 Further Topics in Logic
One of the most curious ideas in the foundations of logic to emerge over the last several decades is the idea that logic is in some sense reducible to the theory of types and computer programs. This course will introduce students to the technical material needed to understand such claims and tackle the question of whether this new way of thinking of the foundations of logic is plausible. The course will cover such topics as the lambda calculus, intuitionistic logic, the Curry Howard correspondence, and Martin-Lof type theory. Students will be assumed to have a grasp of the basic theory of first order logic. Some exposure to undergraduate level mathematics will also be helpful. (B) (II)
Students will be assumed to have a grasp of the basic theory of first order logic. Some exposure to undergraduate level mathematics will also be helpful.
PHIL 53506 Non-Deductive Inference
This course will examine modern non-Bayesian ways of understanding non-deductive inference. Topics include the problem of induction, Pierce’s theory of abduction, inference to the best explanation, and the general connection between explanation and non-deductive inference. (III)
PHIL 23951 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy
This course will be an overview of Eastern philosophy, focusing on the historical development of Buddhist and Confucian ideas from their early Indian origins to the present day. (A)
For full list of Kevin Davey's courses back to the 2012-13 academic year, see our searchable course database.