Prof. Dr. R. van Woudenberg

Spreekuur

Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m.

Research

Currently I am working on the following projects:
1. Responsible Belief. This project aims to solve what I call 'the doxastic paradox'. This paradox consists of three theses that individually seem eminently plausible but jointly entail a contradiction. (1) Humans can rightly be held responsible for what they believe; (2) One can only be rightly held responsible for what one has a choice about; (3) Humans have no choice as to what they believe.
2. Chance and Design. This project analyzes these notions, investigates the interplay between chance and design, and finally deals with the question how claims to the effect that something is due to chance or design (or both) can be justified.
3. The Philosophy of Thomas Reid. This project deals with various aspects of both Reid's epistemology and metaphysics.
4. Philosophy, Science, Christianity. This project deals with various issues having to do with the intellectual respectability of Christian belief.

Teaching practices

This academic year (2009-2010) I teach the following courses:
• intro course Metaphysics (semester I, period 3)
• intro course Epistemology (semester II, period 6)
• upper level Ba course on the Epistemology of Belief; with dr. Martijn Blaauw (semester I, period 2)
• an upper level Ba course ‘classical texts in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science and logic’; with prof. Hans Radder, prof. Wim de Jong, and dr. Lieven Decock (semester I, periods 2 and 3)

Recent Publications

Project 1: Responsible Belief
“Ignorance and Force. Two Excusing Conditions for False Belief”.  American Philosophical Quarterly (46) 2009, pp. 373-386.
“Responsible Belief and our Social Institutions”, Philosophy 84 (2009), pp. 47-73.

Project 2: Chance and Design
“Toeval: een semantisch-ontologische analyse”. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 97 (2005), pp. 173-187.
“Darwinian and Teleological Explanations: Are they Incompatible?”. In Philip Clayton & Jeffrey Schloss (eds.), Evolution and Ethics. Human Morality in Biological & Religious Perspective. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004, pp. 171-187.

Project 3: The Philosophy of Thomas Reid
“Thomas Reid on Determinism”. In Sabine Roeser (ed.),  Reid on Ethics. New York: Macmillan, 2009, pp. 129-148
“Conceivability and Modal Knowledge”, Metaphilosophy 37 (2006), pp. 210-221
The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Reid. Edited by Terence Cuneo and René van Woudenberg. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 369 pp.

Project 4: Philosophy, Science, Christianity
“Reformed Epistemology”, in Paul Copan & Chad Meister (eds.), Philosophy of Religion. Classic and Contemporary Issues. Oxford: Blackwell, 2008, pp. 37-50.|
“Grenzen der Wissenschaft – Platz für den Glauben”. Peter Koslowski & Anna Maria Hauk (hrsg.) Die Vernunft des Glaubens und der Glaube der Vernunft. München: Wilhelm Fink, 2007, pp. 149-170.
Omhoog kijken in platland. Over geloven in de wetenschap. Redactie Cees Dekker, René van Woudenberg & Gijsbert van den Brink. Kampen: Ten Have, 2007.

Click here for an overview of more publications.
Click here for on line papers.

CV

Click here for my CV.

Links

Click here for info about:  
• my research group
• conferences organized by my research group
• my PhD students
• my upcoming public talks & lectures
• my research affiliations
• responses to my work