Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundame ....Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundamental physics, and throw important new light on the mysteries of the quantum world.Read moreRead less
Probability and necessity in the physical sciences. This is a philosophical study of concepts that are vital to the conduct of science: namely, dispositional concepts such as force in physics, solubility in chemistry, biological fitness, and psychological traits. By offering a radical and novel interpretation of such concepts, this project has the potential to influence the future development of Australian science. Moreover, dispositions are crucial to understanding our distinctively human persp ....Probability and necessity in the physical sciences. This is a philosophical study of concepts that are vital to the conduct of science: namely, dispositional concepts such as force in physics, solubility in chemistry, biological fitness, and psychological traits. By offering a radical and novel interpretation of such concepts, this project has the potential to influence the future development of Australian science. Moreover, dispositions are crucial to understanding our distinctively human perspective on the world. The abilities to predict, reason, communicate meanings, and to act intentionally all involve dispositional states. This project addresses the fundamental nature of such states, and will thus be of significance to anyone who hopes to understand these distinctively human phenomena.Read moreRead less
Paraconsistent Foundations of Mathematics. In the English-speaking world, Australia is already the most prominent centre for paraconsistent research, known for development of radical new ideas advanced here in the last few decades. The program is ready to mature into its next phase, making important and lasting contributions to logic, philosophy, and mathematics. The Australian academy will derive international recognition for impressive new mathematics, and innovative philosophical explanations ....Paraconsistent Foundations of Mathematics. In the English-speaking world, Australia is already the most prominent centre for paraconsistent research, known for development of radical new ideas advanced here in the last few decades. The program is ready to mature into its next phase, making important and lasting contributions to logic, philosophy, and mathematics. The Australian academy will derive international recognition for impressive new mathematics, and innovative philosophical explanations of truth and proof. Read moreRead less
The Objects of Probabilities. Probabilities impact almost every aspect of our lives. Actuaries calculate probabilities of property loss due to bushfires, while climatologists warn that such probabilities will increase alarmingly. Probabilities abound in engineering, medicine, the law, the sciences and social sciences, and much philosophy. Yet we lack a proper understanding of the kinds of things that receive probabilities: the objects of probabilities. This project will provide such understandin ....The Objects of Probabilities. Probabilities impact almost every aspect of our lives. Actuaries calculate probabilities of property loss due to bushfires, while climatologists warn that such probabilities will increase alarmingly. Probabilities abound in engineering, medicine, the law, the sciences and social sciences, and much philosophy. Yet we lack a proper understanding of the kinds of things that receive probabilities: the objects of probabilities. This project will provide such understanding. It will rethink the foundations of probability and decision theory, with potential ramifications for the philosophy, science, and public policy that are based on these theories. It thus aims to strengthen Australia's research profile and international standing in these areas.Read moreRead less
Time-asymmetry and the Bohmian view of the quantum world. Australia is among the world leaders in research on decoherence and time asymmetry. This research will make significant and innovative contributions to a unified understanding of these two areas by determining their connections and mutual implications. It will thus play an important role in further expanding Australia's role in fundamental research on the boundary between philosophy and physics. Results from this research will also be rel ....Time-asymmetry and the Bohmian view of the quantum world. Australia is among the world leaders in research on decoherence and time asymmetry. This research will make significant and innovative contributions to a unified understanding of these two areas by determining their connections and mutual implications. It will thus play an important role in further expanding Australia's role in fundamental research on the boundary between philosophy and physics. Results from this research will also be relevant to the theoretical and conceptual basis of next-generation quantum technologies.
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Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate ....Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate mental states that have a phenomenology within the naturalist's picture. This will yield new perspectives on the mental lives of machines.Read moreRead less
Conscious Experience and the Hegemony of Representation. Many things make humans special but three stand out: the possession of a moral sense, rationality, and consciousness. This project aims to explain consciousness in a way fully comppatible with the aspirations of cognitive science to see humans as a natural part of the physical world.
Belief singular versus beliefs plural. Research on the brain and how it represents the environment has the potential to reconfigure our ordinary conceptions of belief and rationality. This project explores the impact of the changes and their implications.
Logic, Abstraction and Construction. This is unashamedly a pure research project in logic. It aims to enhance our understanding of core issues in the nature of the world and how we can appropriately reason about it. Nevertheless, the techniques developed in logic inevitably find a home in applications in computer science, linguistics, mathematics and related fields. This project, in particular, will develop tools for realistically reasoning about the kinds of abstract or constructed objects on ....Logic, Abstraction and Construction. This is unashamedly a pure research project in logic. It aims to enhance our understanding of core issues in the nature of the world and how we can appropriately reason about it. Nevertheless, the techniques developed in logic inevitably find a home in applications in computer science, linguistics, mathematics and related fields. This project, in particular, will develop tools for realistically reasoning about the kinds of abstract or constructed objects one finds in mathematics, and with the vague or contradictory concepts we use in everyday discourse. In addition, the project will provide research training for postgraduate students, and it will strengthen an already internationally recognised research centre in philosophical logic.Read moreRead less
Mathematics, the science of real structure: an Australian realist philosophy of mathematics. The project will strengthen the already strong Australian philosophical tradition of realism, extending it into philosophy of mathematics. It will develop a robust alternative to the nominalism, Platonism and idealism that dominate northern-hemisphere philosophizing about mathematics, an alternative that is in tune with how mathematicians really apply mathematics. Australian philosophy will thus be stren ....Mathematics, the science of real structure: an Australian realist philosophy of mathematics. The project will strengthen the already strong Australian philosophical tradition of realism, extending it into philosophy of mathematics. It will develop a robust alternative to the nominalism, Platonism and idealism that dominate northern-hemisphere philosophizing about mathematics, an alternative that is in tune with how mathematicians really apply mathematics. Australian philosophy will thus be strengthened in general, giving it a greater attractiveness to the many overseas visitors and students who already appreciate its unique strengths. The nature of the project will also lead to closer ties and interdisciplinary work between philosophers and mathematicians.
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