Staff profile

About Me

My research is primarily on topics in metaphysics and formal ontology, the philosophy of language and linguistics, and metaphilosophy. I am also interested in the history of analytic philosophy, in particular the work of Rudolf Carnap, and have written a number of pieces outlining and examining the philosophy of EJ Lowe.

At the moment, I'm working on some issues in the metaphysics of language (especially the ontology of words), and in metametaphysics. I have recently published a monograph on metaphysical realism and anti-realism as part of the Cambridge Elements in Metaphysics series.

I have also edited two books: The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics (2020, Routledge), and The Language of Ontology (2021, Oxford University Press).

Previously, I worked at Nottingham University and Trinity College Dublin in teaching-focused roles.

Research Supervision

I would welcome enquiries from students wanting to carry out research on topics in metaphysics and/or ontology (including metametaphysics), philosophy of language (including the metaphysics/ontology of language), and philosophy of linguistics.

• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Linguistics
• History of Analytic Philosophy

Authored book

• Miller, J.T.M. (2022). Metaphysical Realism and Anti-realism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Chapter in book

• Miller, J.T.M. (2023). Who’s Afraid of Conceptual Analysis? In Thomasson on Ontology. Garcia-Godinez, M. Springer.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2022). Does Linguistics Need (Weak) Emergence? In From Electrons to Elephants and Elections. Wuppuluri, S. & Steward, I. Cham: Springer. 23-38.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2022). Whose Afraid of Conceptual Analysis? In Amie Thomasson on Ontology. Miguel Garcia-Godinez Palgrave.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2021). What Counts as a 'Good Metaphysical Language'? In The Language of Ontology. Miller, J. T. M. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 102-118.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2020). Metaphysics as the Science of the Possible. In The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics. Bliss, Ricki & Miller, J. T. M. London: Routledge. 480-491.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2012). The Unavoidable Dream Problem. In Inception and Philosophy: Because It's Never Just a Dream. Johnson, D. & Irwin, W. Wiley-Blackwell.

Edited book

• Miller, J. T. M (2021). The Language of Ontology. Oxford University Press.
• Bliss, R. & Miller, J. T. M. (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics. Routledge.

Journal Article

• Miller, J. T. M. (2023). Merely Verbal Disputes and Common Ground. Theoria 89(1): 114-123.
• Miller, J.T.M. (2022). Sameness of Word. European Journal of Analytic Philosophy 18(2): A2.
• Miller, J.T.M. (2022). Hyperintensionality and Ontological Categories. Erkenntnis
• Miller, J.T.M. (2022). There Are No Uninstantiated Words. Inquiry
• Miller, J. T. M. (2021). Words, Species, and Kinds. Metaphysics 4(1): 18-31.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2021). Easy Ontology, Regress, and Holism. Erkenntnis
• Miller, J. T. M. (2020). The ontology of words: Realism, nominalism, and eliminativism. Philosophy Compass 15(7): e12691.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2020). On the individuation of words. Inquiry 63(8): 875-884.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2019). A bundle theory of words. Synthese 198: 5731–5748.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2019). Natural Name Theory and Linguistic Kinds. The Journal of Philosophy 116(9): 494-508.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2018). Are All Primitives Created Equal? The Southern Journal of Philosophy 56(2): 273-292.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2017). Language and ontological emergence. Philosophica 91: 105-143.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2016). The Non-existence of Ontological Categories: A defence of Lowe. Metaphysica 17(2): 163-176.
• Miller, J. T. M. (2016). Can an Ontological Pluralist Really be a Realist? Metaphilosophy 47(3): 425-430.
• Hughes, Thomas J. & Miller, J. T. M. (2014). Lexicalisation and the Origin of the Human Mind. Biosemiotics 7(1): 11-27.