Research interests

2. Virtue Epistemology

I am currently researching a cluster of topics at the intersection of ethics, epistemology and the philosophies of medicine, religion, and science. Within the philosophy of science, my interests include contingency, pluralism, scientism, values, the cognitive and cultural authority of the sciences, and the life and work of Paul Feyerabend. Within epistemology, I am mainly interested in social and virtue epistemology, especially ‘applied virtue epistemology’, responsibilist virtue epistemology, and the epistemic vices. Within the philosophy of medicine, I have worked on the moral and cognitive value of illness and the cognitive value of alternative medicine. Within the philosophy of religion, I work on the nature of religious belief, and the role that phenomenology can play in informing debates about science and religion.

Current Projects

1. The Later Feyerabend

Publications

· Reappraising Feyerabend (co-edited with Matthew Brown, UT Dallas), special issue of Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (2013: in preparation).

· ‘“What’s So Great About Science?” Feyerabend on the Ideological Use and Abuse of Science’, in Eleana Aronova and Simone Turchetti (eds.), The Politics of Science Studies (anticipated 2014).

· ‘Feyerabend on Science and Education’, Journal of Philosophy of Education, forthcoming.

· ‘A Pluralist Challenge to ‘Integrative Medicine’: Feyerabend and Popper on the Cognitive Value of Alternative Medicine’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, forthcoming.

· ‘Feyerabend on the Ineffability of Reality’, Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities, Asa Kasher and Jeanne Diller (eds.) (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2012).

· ‘Essay Review of Paul Feyerabend, Against Method (London: Verso, 2010) and The Tyranny of Science (London: Polity, 2011)’, Philosophical Investigations (2012): 92-94.

· ‘Feyerabend, Pseudo-Dionysius, and the Ineffability of Reality’, Philosophia 40/2 (2012): 365-377.

· ‘Rethinking Feyerabend: The ‘Worst Enemy of Science’?’, PLoS Biology 9(10) (2012): e1001166. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001166 (invited paper for the highest-rated biological science journal, c. 8000 views).

· ‘Objectivity, Abstraction and the Individual: The Influence of Søren Kierkegaard on Paul Feyerabend’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 42 (2011): pp.125-134.

· ‘Method in the Madness: Feyerabend’s Philosophical Pluralism’, Metascience vol. 17 (2008): pp.469-473.

Conference papers

· ‘Science, Choice, and Hegemony: Making Sense of Feyerabend’s Political Philosophy’. Reassessing Feyerabend’s Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, 8-12 September 2012, invited.

· ‘Wittgenstein, Feyerabend, and Scientism’. Wittgenstein on Scientism, Durham University, 3 July 2012.

· ‘Feyerabend, Kuhn, and Virtue Epistemology’. British Society for the Philosophy of Science, University of Sussex, 7-8 July, 2011.

· ‘Pluralism and the Ineffability of Reality in the Later Philosophy of Paul Feyerabend’. Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London, 24 March.

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2. Virtue Epistemology

Publications

· ‘Epistemic Vices in Public Debate: The Case of New Atheism’, in Christopher Cotter and Philip Quadrio (eds.), New Atheism’s Legacy: Critical Perspectives from Philosophy and the Social Sciences (Dordrecht: Springer, 2013).

· ‘Pierre Duhem’s Epistemic Aims and the Intellectual Virtue of Humility’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 42 (2011): pp.185-189.

Conference papers

· ‘Epistemic Humility’. Cambridge Philosophy of Science (CAMPoS). University of Cambridge, 22 May 2013.

· ‘Are There Scholarly Virtues?’, Castle Scholars Seminar Series, University of Durham, 1 May 2013.

· ‘Integrated HPS Is Necessary To Understand The Role Of Epistemic Virtues in Science: The Case of Crookes' Spooks’. Eighth UK Integrated History and Philosophy of Science Workshop: Convincing the Sceptics, University of Aberdeen, 11-12 April.

· ‘Was Sir William Crookes Epistemically Virtuous?’, Psychical Research in the History of Medicine and the Sciences, University College London, 25-29 January.

· ‘Happy Marriage or Ménage A Trois? Integrated History and Philosophy of Science, Third-Party Mediators, and Virtue Epistemology’, Seventh UK Integrated History and Philosophy of the Sciences: The Many Ways of Integrating HPS, UCL, 28-29 June 2012.

· ‘Can An Epistemically Virtuous Archaeologist Repatriate Human Remains?’ Durham University Archaeology Society Conference, 28 April, invited 2012.

· ‘Phenomenology, Naturalism, and Epistemic Virtues’. Phenomenology and Naturalism, Royal Institute of Philosophy conference 2011, University of the West of England, 31 August-2 September 2011.

· ‘Feyerabend, Kuhn, and Virtue Epistemology’. British Society for the Philosophy of Science, University of Sussex, 7-8 July 2011.

· ‘A Role for Epistemic Virtues in Archaeological Practice? The Case Of ‘Epistemic Beneficence’’. Third Biennial Conference of the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice, University of Exeter, 22-24 June 2011.

· ‘The Moral Historiography of Epistemic Humility as a Problem for Integrated History and Philosophy of Science’. Sixth Annual Integrated History and Philosophy of Science Workshop. University of Cambridge, 18-19 April 2011.

· ‘Is It Intellectually Virtuous To Be An Epistemic Pluralist?’ Fifth Annual Integrated History and Philosophy of Science Workshop. University of Exeter, 27-28 June 2010.

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3. General Philosophy of Science

Publications

· Historiography and the Philosophy of the Sciences (co-edited with Robin Hendry) (in preparation), special section of Studies in History and Philosophy of Science.

· ‘Historical Contingency and the Impact of Scientific Imperialism’, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, forthcoming (with a reply from Steve Clarke and Adrian Walsh).

· ‘Science and the Making of Modernity’, Annals of Science, DOI:10.1080/00033790.2012.659209, forthcoming.

· ‘Science, Truth and Virtues: In Defence of Nietzsche’s Perspectivism’, Philosophical Writings 41, forthcoming.

· ‘The Contingency of Science and the Future of Philosophy’, Philosophy’s Future, Eric Dietrich and Zach Weber (eds.), special issue of Essays in Philosophy vol. 12, no. 12 (2011), pp. 312-328.

Conference papers

· ‘Unconceived Alternatives and Epistemic Humility’. Unconceived Alternatives and Scientific Realism. University of Durham. 1-2 July 2013.

· ‘Epistemic Humility’. Cambridge Philosophy of Science (CAMPoS). University of Cambridge, 22 May 2013.

· ‘We Should Reject Inevitabilism’. Historiography and the Philosophy of the Sciences, University of Durham, 25 June 2012.

· ‘There Is No Such Thing as Scientific Perspectivism’. History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine Workshop, University of Durham, 19 June 2012.

· ‘What Can The History Of Science Tell Us About Its Future?’ British Society for the History of Science Annual Conference, University of Exeter, 14-17 July 2011.

· ‘Pluralism, Humility, and the Radical Contingency of Science’. Science, Contingency, and Pluralism, University of Durham, 30 November 2010.

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4. Scientism

Publications

· ‘Wittgenstein, World-Pictures, and Loss of Wonder’, in Jonathan Beale and Ian James Kidd (eds.), Wittgenstein on Scientism (anticipated 2014).

· ‘Doing Science An Injustice: Midgley on Scientism’, in Ian James Kidd and Elizabeth McKinnell (eds.), Science and the Self: Essays in Honour of Mary Midgley (anticipated 2013).

· Science and the Self: Essays in Honour of Mary Midgley (co-edited with Elizabeth McKinnell, UEA), anticipated 2013.

· ‘Historical Contingency and the Impact of Scientific Imperialism’, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, forthcoming 2013 (with a reply from Steve Clarke and Adrian Walsh).

· ‘Humane Philosophy and the Question of Progress’, Ratio XXV, no. 3 (September 2012).

· ‘Three Cheers for Science and Philosophy: Reflections on Hawking’s The Grand Design’, Think (Royal Institute of Philosophy) vol. 10 (2011): pp. 37-41.

Conference papers

· ‘Wittgenstein, Feyerabend, and Scientism’. Wittgenstein on Scientism, Durham University, 3 July 2012.

· ‘What Is Scientism?’ History and Philosophy of Science Seminar, University of Leeds, 2 May, invited 2012.

· ‘Is Scientism Epistemically Vicious?’ (New) Atheism, Scientism and Open-mindedness, University of Lancaster, 2-3 April 2012.

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5. Philosophy of Medicine

Publications

· ‘Can Illness be Edifying?’, Inquiry 55.5 (2012): 496-520.

· ‘Biopiracy and the Ethics of Medical Heritage: The Case of India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library’, Journal of Medical Humanities 33/3(2012): 175-83.

· ‘Can Illness Make Me A Better Person?’, invited entry for the Durham University Centre for Medical Humanities blog, February 2012, http://wp.me/p14fUh-Iv.

Conference papers

· ‘Silencing the Sick’ (co-authored with Havi Carel). Centre for Medical Humanities seminar, University of Durham, 24 June.

· ‘Can Experiences of Illness Be Morally Improving?’ Understanding Human Flourishing, University of Durham, 16-17 May.

· ‘Silencing the Sick’ (co-authored with Havi Carel) Department of Philosophy Research Seminar. University of Hull, 5 March.

· ‘Experiences of Illness and Narratives of Moral Growth’. Narrating Time seminar series, University of Durham, 21 February.

· ‘Epistemic Injustice and Illness’. Department of Philosophy Research Seminar, University of Lancaster, 6 February 2013.

· ‘Recovering Edification as a Source of Value’. Understanding Value, University of Sheffield, 11-13 July 2012.

· ‘Can Illness Be Edifying?’, Department of Philosophy Research Seminar, University of Durham, 23 February 2012,

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6. Philosophy of Religion

Publications

· ‘Emotion, Religious Practice, and Cosmopolitan Secularism’, Religious Studies, forthcoming.

· ‘A Phenomenological Challenge to “Enlightened Secularism”’, Religious Studies, forthcoming.

· ‘Is Naturalism Bleak?’, Environmental Values, forthcoming.

· ‘Receptivity to Mystery’, European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 4/3 (2012): 51-68.

· Mystery and Humility (co-edited with Guy Bennett-Hunter, Edinburgh), special section of the European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 4/3 (2012). Based on the workshop ‘Mystery, Humility and Religious Practice’. Contributors: David E. Cooper, John Cottingham, Ian James Kidd, Michael McGhee, Graham Parkes and Mark Wynn.

Conference papers

· ‘Spiritual Praxis and Religious Education’. Religion, Education, and Critical Realism: Inter-disciplinary Dialogue about Reality, Knowledge and the Pursuit of Truth, Oxford Brookes University, 7–8 September 2012.

· ‘Is a Religious Life One Of Embodied Virtue?’ Embodied Religion: The 19^th Conference of the European Society for the Philosophy of Religion, Soesterberg, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 30 August-2 September 2012.

· ‘Can Theological Virtues Be Secularised?’ Religion and Catastrophes interdisciplinary workshop, Institute for Hazard, Risk and Resilience, University of Durham, 15 December 2010.

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7. Continental Philosophy

Publications

· ‘Wittgenstein, World-Pictures, and Loss of Wonder’, in Jonathan Beale and Ian James Kidd (eds.), Wittgenstein on Scientism (anticipated 2014).

· ‘Oswald Spengler’, in Gregory Claey (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Modern Political Thought (Washington DC: CQ Press, 2013).

· ‘Science, Truth and Virtues: In Defence of Nietzsche’s Perspectivism’, Philosophical Writings 41, forthcoming.

· ‘Oswald Spengler, Technology and Human Nature: Man and Technics as Philosophical Anthropology’, The European Legacy 17/1 (2012): pp. 19-31.

· ‘Objectivity, Abstraction and the Individual: The Influence of Søren Kierkegaard on Paul Feyerabend’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 42 (2011): pp.125-134.

· ‘Education, Virtues and Authenticity: The Case of Ernst Jünger, ‘total mobilisation’, and academic philosophy’, Discourse 10 (2011), pp.25-38.

· Wittgenstein on Scientism, co-edited volume in progress.

Conference papers

· Wittgenstein, Feyerabend, and Scientism’. Wittgenstein on Scientism, Durham University, 3 July 2012.

Email: i.j.kidd@durham.ac.uk

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