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 philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, philosophy of mathematics, logic, and the foundations of probability. In the general philosophy of science he is particularly interested in the nature of theoretical commitments, and in the philosophy of physics he is interested in the nature of space and time. In the philosophy of mathematics, he is currently engaged in a close study of Euclid’s geometry, examining the light it sheds on both the origin of mathematics and our contemporary understanding of the notion of proof. 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. In the foundations of probability, he is particularly interested in trying to understand the limits Bayesian epistemology. He is also currently Director of Graduate Studies.
Selected Publications
'The Justification of Probability Measures in Statistical Mechanics', Philosophy of Science 75 (January 2008) pp. 28–44. (PDF)
'What is Gibbs' Canonical Distribution?', Philosophy of Science, forthcoming. (PDF)
Debating Design (review) (PDF)
Aristotle, Zeno and the Stadium Paradox (PDF)
Is Mathematical Rigour Necessary in Physics?
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 2003 54(3):439-463 (Link)
Insufficient reason in the ‘new cosmological argument’
Religious Studies (2001), 37: 485-490 Cambridge University Press (Link)
Obligation and the Conditional in Stit Theory
Studia Logica Volume 72, Number 3 / December, 2002 (Link)
Closed systems, explanations, and the cosmological argument
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion Volume 62, Number 2 / October, 2007 (Link)
For full list of Kevin Davey's courses back to the 2012-13 academic year, see our searchable course database.