David Boersema is retired emeritus professor with specializations in philosophy of science, philosophy of art, American philosophy, rights and peace studies.
He was the founding director of the Center for Peace and Spirituality. He is a Distinguished University Professor of philosophy and also the Douglas C. Strain Chair of Natural Philosophy. He served as chair of the Peace and Conflict Studies program from 1996 to 2004. Under Dr. Boersema's leadership, the university community developed a mission for the center and Dr. Boersema recruited nationally known speakers on peace and civil rights to visit campus.
Campus Address
Department of Philosophy
91爆料 University
Forest Grove, OR 97116
Degrees
PhD, Philosophy, Michigan State University, 1985
MA, Philosophy, Michigan State University, 1978
BA, Philosophy/Economics, Hope College, 1973
Teaching experience
Professor, 91爆料 University, 1997-2016
Associate Professor, 91爆料 University, 1991-1997
Assistant Professor, 91爆料 University, 1985-1991
Instructor, Delta College, 1982-1984
Instructor, Michigan State University, 1979-1982
Instructor, Jackson Community College, 1977-1978
Related experience
Director, Center for Peace & Spirituality, 91爆料 University, 2012-2014
Faculty Senate, 91爆料 University, 2007-2014
Member, 91爆料 University Board of Trustees, 2003-2006
Chair, University Honors & Awards Committee, 91爆料 University, 1999-2000, 2006-2009
Chair, University Personnel Committee, 91爆料 University, 1996-1997
Chair, Department of Philosophy, 91爆料 University, 1987-1995, 2000-2004, 2009-2013
Chair, Peace and Conflict Studies program, 91爆料 University, 1996-2005
Chair, Division of Humanities, 91爆料 University, 1991-1994, 2004-2005
Chair, University Budget Advisory Committee, 91爆料 University, 1991-1992
Chair, Standards & Advising Committee, 91爆料 University, 1987-1989
Director, University Honors Program, 91爆料 University, 1986-1989
Member, Ad Hoc Search Committee for APA Executive Director, 2000, 2002
Member, APA Committee on Status and Future of the Profession, 2001-04
Member, APA Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy, 2006-2009
Scholarships, Grants & Awards
Faculty Development Grant, 91爆料 University, 2014 (topic: Peirce and Virtue Epistemology)
Faculty Development Grant, 91爆料 University, 2008 (topic: Philosophy of Rights)
Distinguished University Professor, 91爆料 University, 2003
Faculty Development Grant, 91爆料 University, 2001 (topic: Pragmatism and Reference)
President of the Northwest Conference on Philosophy, 2000-2001
Hewlett Fellowship for course development ("History of Science: A Cross-cultural Approach"), 1999
Faculty Development Grant, 91爆料 University, 1997 (topic: Mass Extinctions and Phil. of Science)
Recognition for teaching excellence, American Philosophical Association, 1995
S.S. Johnson Award (for excellence in undergraduate teaching; selected by 91爆料 U. faculty), 1994
Arthur & Lois Graves Award (for teaching, research in the humanities), 1994
J. J. Malone Faculty Fellowship (for research in Middle East studies), 1992
First recipient of endowed chair: Douglas C. Strain Chair of Natural Philosophy, 1990
Charles Trombley Award (student-awarded teacher of the year), 91爆料 University, 1987
General College Scholarship (in philosophy), Michigan State University, 1982-1983
George F. Baker Scholarship (in economics), Hope College, 1972-1973
Courses taught
Introduction to Philosophy Seminar in Philosophy of Math
Ethics and Values Seminar in Semiotics
Critical Thinking Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
Logic Seminar in Philosophy of Language
Existentialism Seminar on Nietzsche
Classical and Medieval Philosophy Honors: Meaning of Modern Physics
Philosophy and the Modern World, 1500-1900 Honors: Cosmology
Twentieth Century Philosophy History of Science
Ethics, Medicine and Health Care The Middle East
Philosophy of Science Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies
Philosophy of Biology Philosophical and Theological Bases of Peace
Philosophy of Law Culture and Civilization
Philosophy of Art School and Society
American Philosophy First-Year Seminar
Human Rights Introduction to Linguistics
Publications (Books)
- What Can I Do with a Degree in Philosophy? (ed.) Forest Grove: Bee Tree Books, 2019
- Northern Exposure and Philosophy, Kindle Direct Publishing, 2018
- Dimensions of Moral Agency, (ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2014
- Philosophy of Art: Aesthetic Theory and Practice, Boulder: Westview Press, 2013
- Facts on File Guide to Philosophy: History of Western Philosophy, New York: Facts on File, 2012
- Facts on File Guide to Philosophy: Knowledge, Logic, and Science, New York: Facts on File, 2012
- Facts on File Guide to Philosophy: Reality, Religion, and the Mind, New York: Facts on File, 2012
- Facts on File Guide to Philosophy: Values and the Good Life, New York: Facts on File, 2012
- Philosophy of Human Rights: Theory and Practice, Boulder: Westview Press, 2011
- Pragmatism and Reference, Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2009
- Philosophy of Science, New York: Pearson Prentice-Hall, 2008
- Spiritual and Political Dimensions of Nonviolence and Peace, co-editor with Katy Gray Brown, New York: Rodopi, 2006
Publications (Articles, encyclopedia entries, book chapters):
-鈥淧ragmatism and Language鈥 In The Routledge Companion to Pragmatism, edited by Scott Aiken and Robert B. Talisse. Routledge: New York, 2022. Pages 217-225.
-鈥淎merican Idealism鈥 In The Routledge Handbook of Idealism and Immaterialism, edited by Joshua Ferris and Benedickt Paul G枚cke. New York: Routledge, 2022. Pages 79-90.
-鈥淯sing Real and Imaginary Cases to Communicate Aspects of Nature of Science鈥 In Nature of Science in Science Instruction, edited by William McComas. New York: Springer, 2020. Pages 283-294.
-鈥淭he Virtues of Art鈥 In Mister Rogers and Philosophy, edited by Eric J. Mohr and Holly K. Mohr. Chicago: Open Court, 2019. Pages 67-74.
-鈥淟etters from the Messiah: Arts and Peace Building鈥 In Pacifism, Politics, and Feminism: Intersections and Innovations, edited by Jennifer Kling. Leiden: Brill, 2019. Pages 155-164.
-鈥淧eace: Negative and Positive鈥 In The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence, edited by Andrew Fiala. New York: Routledge, 2018. Pages 116-124.
-鈥淣egotiation and Regulation: Eco on Knowing鈥 In Library of Living Philosophers: Umberto Eco. Ed. Sara G. Beardsworth and Randall E. Auxier. Chicago: Open Court, 2017. Pages 133-150.
-鈥溾榃e Are Not Going to Kill Today鈥: Star Trek and the Philosophy of Peace鈥 In The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy: The Search for Socrates, edited by Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2016. Pages 59-68.
-鈥淓ditorial: Philosophy of Humor鈥 Philosophy Now #111 (Dec. 2015/Jan. 2016): 4.
-鈥淪equoyah and Seattle: Chief World Systems.鈥 In The Peace of Nature and the Nature of Peace, edited by Andrew Fiala. New York: Brill, 2015. Pages 128-139.
-鈥淧hilosophy in the 1970s鈥 In Historical Essays in 20th-Century American Philosophy (Vol. 11 of The American Philosophical Association Centennial Series, edited by Richard Hull and John Shook), Tallahassee, FL: RTH Pub., 2015. Pages 175-197.
-鈥淓ditorial: Philosophy of Peace鈥 Philosophy Now #105 (Nov./Dec. 2014): 4.
-鈥淗uman Rights鈥 Reprinted in Global Studies Encyclopedic Dictionary. Eds. Alexander N. Chumakov, Ivan I. Mazour, and William C. Gay. New York: Rodopi, 2014. Pages 257-259.
-鈥淧ragmatism v. Originalism: A Mistrial?鈥 Contemporary Pragmatism, 10 #2 (2013): 79-96.
-鈥淭he Animal Used for Science and Human Medicine鈥 In Etre L鈥橦omme et L鈥橝nimal: Le Rituel de Circe. Ed. Andr茅 Buatois. Paris: Editions Gallimard, 2013. Pages 48-53.
-鈥淧hilosophy and Philosophers in the 1920s鈥 In The Twenties in America. Ed. Carl Rollyson. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2012. Pages 823-825.
-鈥淧ositive Peace in the Middle East鈥 CommonKnowledge ()
-鈥淐airo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam鈥 in Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Ed. Deen Chatterjee, Springer Pub., 2011. Pages 99-100.
-鈥淟egal Rights鈥 in Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Ed. Deen Chatterjee, Springer Pub., 2011. Pages 640-642.
-鈥淥PEC鈥 in Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Ed. Deen Chatterjee, Springer Pub., 2011. Pages 785-786.
-鈥淩etributive Justice鈥 in Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Ed. Deen Chatterjee, Springer Pub., 2011. Pages 952-954.
-鈥淪pecial Rights鈥 in Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Ed. Deen Chatterjee, Springer Pub., 2011. Pages 1032-1033.
-鈥淎ristotle鈥 In World History Encyclopedia, Era 3: Classical Traditions, 1000BCE-300CE. Ed. Kevin M. McGeough and William E. Mierse, ABC-CLIO Publishers, 2011. Pages 560-562.
-鈥淪ocrates鈥 In World History Encyclopedia, Era 3: Classical Traditions, 1000BCE-300CE. Ed. Kevin M. McGeough and William E. Mierse, ABC-CLIO Publishers, 2011. Pages 557-558.
-鈥淓ditorial: Philosophy for Children鈥 Philosophy Now #84 (May/June 2011): 4.
-鈥淧hilosophy and Philosophers in the 1930s鈥 In The Thirties in America. Ed. Thomas Tandy Lewis. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2011. Pages 775-778.
-鈥淲hat鈥檚 Wrong with Victims鈥 Rights?鈥 In Remembrance and Reconciliation. Eds. Rob Gildert and Dennis Rothermel. New York: Rodopi, 2011. Pages 73-81.
-鈥淎esthetic Reference鈥 CommonKnowledge ()
-鈥淯niversal Declaration on Human Rights鈥 In The Forties in America. Ed. Thomas Tandy Lewis.
Pasadena: Salem Press, 2010. Pages 996-997.
-鈥淢iddle East and North America鈥 In The Nineties in America. Ed. Milton Berman. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2009. Pages 568-571.
-鈥淕each on Proper Names鈥 In The Proceedings of the Twenty-First World Congress of Philosophy: Volume 6, Epistemology. Eds. Stephen Voss and Dermot Moran. Ankara: Philosophical Society of Turkey, 2008. Pages 37-42.
-鈥淩amsey Sentence鈥 In American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia. Eds. John Lachs and Robert Talisse. New York: Routledge, 2008. Page 645.
-鈥淢etaphysics鈥 In American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia. Eds. John Lachs and Robert Talisse. New York: Routledge, 2008. Pages 503-506.
-鈥淚nference鈥 In American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia. Eds. John Lachs and Robert Talisse. New York: Routledge, 2008. Pages 394-395.
-鈥淟ogic: Deduction鈥 In American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia. Eds. John Lachs and Robert Talisse. New York: Routledge, 2008. Pages 471-472.
-鈥淓pistemology鈥 In American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia. Eds. John Lachs and Robert Talisse. New York: Routledge, 2008. Pages 239-242.
-鈥淩eaders vs. Breeders鈥 The Pantaneto Forum October 2007 (on-line journal; )
-鈥淭aking Compromise Seriously鈥 in Spiritual and Political Dimensions of Nonviolence and Peace (above), pages 161-167
-鈥淢oral Explanation鈥 Bridges 13 (2006): 1-29
-鈥淓co on Names and Reference鈥 Contemporary Pragmatism 2 (2005): 167-184.
-鈥淭he Phenomenon of Evidence鈥 The Pantaneto Forum January 2005 (on-line journal; )
-鈥淢ind, Metaphysics, and the Unity of Science鈥 Behavioral & Brain Sciences 27 (2004): 627-628.
-鈥淰ictims鈥 Rights鈥 In Ethics, Revised Edition. Ed. John K. Roth. Salem Press, 2005. Pages 1547-9.
- 鈥淧eirce and Sartre on Consciousness and the Ego鈥 Philosophy Now #43 (Oct/Nov 2003): 12-15.
-鈥淎merican Philosophy鈥 Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (), April 2004
-鈥淗uman Rights鈥 in Global Studies Encyclopedia, Moscow: Raduga Press, 2003. Pages 240-245.
-鈥淢etaphysics鈥 in Global Studies Encyclopedia, Moscow: Raduga Press, 2003. Pages 342-346.
-鈥淧eirce on Explanation鈥 Journal of Speculative Philosophy 17 (2003): 224-236
-鈥淧eirce on Names and Reference鈥 Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society, 37 (2002): 351-362
- 鈥淭he Internet, Epistemology and Ontology鈥 in Journal of Education, Community, and Values, Vol. 2, #8 (August 2002) (on-line journal; bcis.pacificu.edu)
- 鈥淚ntroduction鈥 in Essays in Philosophy v. 3 #2 (June 2002) ()
-鈥淲ittgenstein on Names鈥 in Essays in Philosophy v. 1, #2 (June 2000)
-鈥淒onald Davidson鈥 in World Philosophers and Their Works, ed. by John K. Roth, Salem Press, 2000. Pages 435-441.
-鈥淪aul Kripke鈥 in World Philosophers and Their Works, ed. by John K. Roth, Salem Press, 2000. Pages 1025-1031.
-鈥淭homas Kuhn鈥 in American National Biography, ed. by John Garraty, Oxford University Press, 1999 (on-line, no page numbers)
-鈥淎lonzo Church鈥 in American National Biography, ed. by John Garraty, Oxford University Press, 1999. Pages 863-864.
-鈥淚nductivism, Naturalism, and Metascientific Theories鈥 In The Philosophy of Science: Proceedings of the IPS Spring Conference, 1997, ed. by Thomas A. F. Kelly, Irish Philosophical Society (pub.), 1998. Pages 55-73.
-鈥淭he Use of Real and Imaginary Cases in Communicating the Nature of Science鈥 In The Nature of Science in Science Education: Rationales and Strategies, ed. by W. McComas, Kluwer Publishing Co., 1998. Pages 255-266. (Updated version in 2nd edition of this book, 2006.)
-鈥淧ragmatism, Rights, Community鈥 Contemporary Philosophy 19 (1997): 3-8.
-鈥淢ass Extinctions and the Teaching of Philosophy of Science鈥 Teaching Philosophy 19 (1996): 263-274
-鈥淩ights and Moral Compromise鈥 Contemporary Philosophy 17(1995): 2-5 (Reprinted in Law, Justice, and Culture, ed. by P. Koller and A-J. Arnaud. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998. Pages 24-29.)
-鈥淲hat's Wrong With Rights?鈥 In Law, Justice and the State. Aleksander Peczenik & Mikael M. Karlsson (eds.). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1995. Pages 149-155.
-鈥淣emesis and Theory Evaluation鈥 Methodology & Science 27 (1994): 209-220
-鈥淚s the Descriptivist/Cluster Theory of Reference 鈥榃rong From the Fundamentals鈥?鈥 Philosophy Research Archives 14(1988/89): 517-538
-鈥淭he Irrelevance of the Realism/Nonrealism Debate鈥 Methodology & Science 21(1988): 88-96
-Essay review of R.J. Ackermann's Data, Instruments, and Theory, Methodology & Science 20(1987): 63-70
-鈥淪ocial Control in a Second Grade Classroom鈥 In Toward a Theory of Teachers' Practical Ways of Seeing and Making Sense, Frederick Erickson, et al. Pages 1-62. Institute for Research on Teaching, 1986.
-鈥淓pistemological Commitments of Information Theory鈥 Methodology & Science 18 (1985): 1-11.
-鈥淭eacher Determination of Student Identity鈥 In Toward a Theory of Student Status as Socially Constructed. Frederick Erickson, et al. Pages 9-17. Institute for Research on Teaching, Occasional Paper No. 88, 1985.
-鈥淧eirce on Man as Language鈥 Kinesis 13 (1984): 65-76.
Publications (Reviews)
-Review of Hilary Putnam and Ruth Anna Putnam鈥檚 Pragmatism as a Way of Life: The Lasting Legacy of William James and John Dewey, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (November 2017)
-Review of Lars-G枚ran Johansson鈥檚 Philosophy of Science for Scientists and Kevin McCain鈥檚 The Nature of Scientific Knowledge: An Explanatory Approach, Teaching Philosophy vol. 40:3 (2017): 385-389
-Review of Phillip McReynolds鈥 The American Philosopher: Interviews on the Meaning of Life and Truth, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (January 2016)
-Review of David N. Stamos鈥, The Myth of Universal Human Rights: Its Origin, History, and Explanation, Along with a More Humane Way, Australasian Journal of Philosophy (online)
-Review of The Pragmatic Maxim: Essays on Peirce and Pragmatism, by Christopher Hookway, The Philosophical Quarterly 64 (2014): 328-330.
-Review of Philosophers: Debates and Dialogues, by Fons Elders, Teaching Philosophy vol. 36:4 (2013): 417-420.
-Review of Michael Polanyi and His Generation: Origins of the Social Construction of Science, by M.J. Nye, Annals of Science (2012): 1-3.
-Review of C. Porter and J. Girsch鈥檚 Make Up Your Mind: A Classroom Guide to 10 Age-Old Debates, Questions: Philosophy for Young People vol. 11, fall 2011: 13
-Review of R. Talisse and S. Aiken鈥檚 The Pragmatism Reader, Essays in Philosophy vol. 12 #2 2011 (online journal; commons.pacificu.edu/eip)
-Review of E.J. Lowe鈥檚 More Kinds of Being: A Further Study of the Individuation, Identity, and the Logic of Sortal Terms, Review of Metaphysics LXIV (2010): 151-152
-Review of M. Sullivan鈥檚 Legal Pragmatism: Community, Rights, and Democracy, Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy Newsletter #108 (Nov. 2009): 49-51
-Review of C. Crittenden鈥檚 Language, Reality, and Mind: A Defense of Everyday Thought, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Dec. 2009 (online journal: ndpr.nd.edu/review.cfm?id=18285)
-Review of M. Hussain and R. Wilkinson鈥檚 The Pursuit of Comparative Aesthetics, Essays in Philosophy vol 9 #2 2008 (online journal; )
-Review of B. Moran鈥檚 Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution, Bridges 14 (2008): 361-365
-Review of A. Dershowitz鈥檚 Rights from Wrongs, Essays in Philosophy vol. 8 #2 2007
-Review of S. Haack鈥檚 Pragmatism: Old and New, Essays in Philosophy vol. 8 #1 2007
-Review of S. Soames鈥檚 Reference and Description, Bridges 13 (2006): 184-189
-Review of J.S. Robert鈥檚 Embryology, Epigenesis, and Evolution, Essays in Philosophy vol. 7 #1 2006
-Review of M. Weber鈥檚 Philosophy of Experimental Biology, Essays in Philosophy vol. 7 #1 2006
-Review of P. C. Bube and J. Geller鈥檚 (eds.) Conversations with Pragmatism: A Multi-Disciplinary Study, Contemporary Pragmatism 1(2004): 179-182
-Review of Blackwell Guide to American Philosophy Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy Newsletter #99 (Oct. 2004): 21-28
-Review of T. Kuhn鈥檚 The Road Since Structure Essays in Philosophy vol. 5, #2, June 2004
-Review of J. Habermas鈥檚 The Liberating Power of Symbols Essays in Philosophy vol. 5, #1 Jan. 2004
-Review of J. Habermas鈥檚 The Postnational Constellation, Essays in Philosophy vol. 5, #1 January 2004
-Review of J. Conant and U. Zeglen鈥檚 (eds.) Hilary Putnam Essays in Philosophy v. 4, no. 1; Jan. 2003
-Review of S. Shapiro's Thinking About Mathematics Teaching Philosophy, 25, No. 3 (2002): 261-265
-Review of J. Brown's Philosophy of Mathematics Teaching Philosophy, 25, No. 3 (2002): 261-265
-Review of K. Baynes鈥 After Philosophy: End or Transformation?, Interface: The Journal of Education, Community, and Values, Vol. 2, No. 8, Oct. 2002
-Review of M. Friedman's Reconsidering Logical Positivism, Essays in Philosophy, Vol. 3, No. 1, Jan. 2002
-Review of J. Garcia's Metaphysics and Its Task, Essays in Philosophy, Vol. 2, No. 1, Jan. 2001
-Review of L. Filius's The Problemata Physica Attributed to Aristotle, Biblioteca Orientalis Vol. LVII, No. 5/6 (2000): 745-747
-Review of B. Singer's Pragmatism, Rights, and Democracy Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy Newsletter, June 2000: 27-29
-Review of K. Sterelny & P. Griffiths's Sex and Death: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology, Essays in Philosophy, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan. 2000
-Review of D. Hull & M. Ruse's The Philosophy of Biology, Essays in Philosophy, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan. 2000
-Review of R. Kearney & M. Rainwater's The Continental Philosophy Reader Teaching Philosophy 20 (1997): 193-196
-Review of W. V. Quine's Selected Logic Papers and From Stimulus to Science Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy Newsletter October 1996: 9-10
-Review of Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World Teaching Philosophy 19 (1996): 83-84
-Review of Toby Huff's The Rise of Early Modern Science Middle East Studies Association Bulletin 29 (1995): 243-244
-Review of David Lightfoot's The Language Lottery American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy June (1988): 17.
-Review of Anthony Gilles's The Evolution of Philosophy American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy June (1988): 18.
-Review of D. VanDeVeer and T. Regan's Health Care Ethics: An Introduction, American Journal of Occupational Therapy 42 (1988) #1: 62.
-Review of C. Hookway's Peirce, Teaching Philosophy 9 (1986): 372-373
-Review of I. Hacking鈥檚 Representing and Intervening, Teaching Philosophy 8 (1985): 177-178
Presentations
-鈥淪cience and Peacemaking,鈥 Presidential Address at annual meeting of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, Raleigh, NC, November 2017
-鈥淟etters from The Messiah: Arts and Peace Building,鈥 Presidential Address at annual meeting of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, St. Bonaventure University, October 2016
-鈥淧eirce and Virtue Epistemology鈥 Charles S. Peirce International Centennial Congress, Boston, July 2014
-鈥淪equoyah and Seattle: Chief World Systems鈥 annual meeting of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, Yosemite National Park, October 2013
- 鈥淧ragmatism v. Originalism: A Mistrial鈥 Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference, University of Idaho, March 2012
-鈥淧ositive Peace in the Middle East鈥 American Philosophical Association 91爆料 meeting, San Diego, April 2011 (Also, at 2011 Concerned Philosophers for Peace conference, Austin, TX)
-鈥淎pel on Names and Reference鈥 Northwest Philosophy Conference, Lewis & Clark College, October 2007 (Also, at Willamette University, March 2009)
-鈥 Readers vs. Breeders鈥 Oregon Academy of Sciences, Western Oregon University, February 2007
-鈥淲eber, Reductionism, and Evolutionary Theory鈥 Oregon Academy of Sciences, University of Oregon, February 2006
-鈥淭he Dimensions of Compromise鈥 Third International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, Cambridge University, August 2005
-鈥淲hat鈥檚 Wrong With Victims鈥 Rights?鈥 Visiting Distinguished Speaker at Nova Southeastern University, October 2004; also presented at 57th annual Northwest Philosophy Conference, Seattle University, October 2005; also at 18th annual meeting of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace, Chico, CA
-鈥淢ass Extinctions: Circulating Knowledge and Circulating Debates鈥 History of Science Society annual meeting, Halifax, August 2004
-鈥淭he Phenomenon of Evidence鈥 Oregon Academy of Sciences, Portland State University, February 2004; also presented at 56th annual Northwest Philosophy Conference, Bellevue Community College, October 2004
-鈥淕each on Proper Names鈥 World Congress on Philosophy, Istanbul, Turkey, August 2003
-鈥淧ragmatism, Individuation, and Reference鈥 American Philosophical Association 91爆料 meeting, San Francisco, March 2003
-鈥淧eirce on Explanation鈥 Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, Denver, March 2003
-鈥淗ypothesis and Regularity鈥 54th Northwest Philosophy Conference, Lewis & Clark College, October 2002; also presented at the Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference, Pullman, WA, May 2003
-鈥淛ames on Names and Reference鈥 Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, University of Southern Maine, March 2002
-鈥淭aking Compromise Seriously鈥 Concerned Philosophers for Peace annual meeting, St. Bonaventure University, October 2001
-鈥淢oral Explanation鈥 President鈥檚 Address to the Northwest Conference on Philosophy, Washington State University, October 2001
-鈥淧eirce on Names and Reference鈥 Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, UNLV, March 2001 (also given at Lewis & Clark College, Nov. 2000)
-鈥淗ow Fully Developed and Informed is Oyama's The Ontogeny of Information?鈥 Oregon Academy of Sciences, University of Portland, February 2001
-鈥淭he Fact and Value of Facts and Values鈥 Oregon Academy of Sciences, George Fox University, February 2000
-鈥淲hat Can Pragmatism Say to Communitarians?鈥 Communitarian Network conference, Washington, DC, February 1999
-鈥淲hat's So Natural About Naturalizing Philosophy?鈥 Northwest Conference on Philosophy, University of Oregon, October 1998
-鈥淚nductivism, Naturalism, and Metascientific Theories鈥 Irish Philosophical Society (annual conference), Dublin, February 1997
-鈥淧ragmatism, Rights, Community鈥 University of Cork, Ireland, February 1997 (also presented at 20th World Congress in Philosophy, Boston, August 1998)
-鈥淢ass Extinctions and Teaching of Philosophy of Science鈥 Third International History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching Conference, Minneapolis, Nov. 1995
-鈥淩ights and Moral Compromise鈥 XVII World Congress of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy, Bologna, June 1995
-鈥淧hilosophical Issues in Theories of Mass Extinction鈥 Geological Society of America Penrose Conference, San Diego, March 1994
-鈥淣emesis and Theory Evaluation (reprise)鈥 Oregon Academy of Science, Corvalis, February 1994
-鈥淲hat's Wrong With Rights?鈥 XVI World Congress of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy, Reykjavik, June 1993
-鈥淧eirce and Sartre on Consciousness and the Ego鈥 Charles S. Peirce Sesquecentennial International Congress, Harvard University, Sept. 1989
-鈥淗ealth Care Ethics and Health Care Education鈥 First World Congress on Allied Health, Copenhagen, June 1988
-鈥淣emesis and Theory Evaluation鈥 American Association for the Advancement of Science, 91爆料 Division, Oregon State University, June 1988
-鈥淭he Webs of Belief鈥 President's Lecture, 91爆料 University, November 1987
-鈥淲ittgenstein, Names, and Reference鈥 Northwest Conference on Philosophy, November 1987
-鈥淭he Irrelevance of the Realism/Nonrealism Debate鈥 VIII International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Moscow USSR, August 1987
-鈥淭he Construct of a Scientific Model鈥 Joint Conference of Theoretical and Clinical Optometry, 91爆料 University, August 1987
-鈥淩ealism and Antirealism in Science鈥 Lewis & Clark College Philosophy Colloquium, May 1987
-鈥淓thical Theories and Health Care Professionals鈥 Occupational Therapy Association of Oregon annual conference, April 1987
-鈥淚ndividuals and Individuation鈥 Western Regional Honors Conference, April 1987
-鈥淎 Problem With the Causal Theory of Reference鈥 Northwest Conference on Philosophy, November 1986
-鈥淯se, Mention, and Causal Reference鈥 Michigan State University Philosophy Department Colloquium, May 1985
-鈥淭eacher Determination of Student Identity鈥 American Education Research Association, April 1985
-鈥淧hilosophy of Science and Science Education鈥 Michigan Academy of Science, Arts & Letters, March 1985
-鈥淭he Epistemological Commitments of Communication-Theoretic Models for Philosophy of Science鈥 Michigan Academy for Science, Arts & Letters, March 1983
Additional Professional Work
- President, Concerned Philosophers for Peace (2016-2017)
-General editor of Essays in Philosophy (2010-2016)
-Area editor for American Philosophy for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2007-2015)
-Member of Board of Directors, Teaching Philosophy Association (20016-2020)
-Book review editor for the journal, Teaching Philosophy (2008-2016)
-Guest editor for Essays in Philosophy, vol. 3, no. 2 (June 2002); the issue was devoted to 鈥淧ragmatism and Neopragmatism鈥 (web site: )
-Issue editor for Philosophy Now #84 (May/June 2011); the issue was devoted to Philosophy for Children, as well as issue editor for #105 (Nov./Dec. 2014); the issue was devoted to Philosophy of Peace; also issue editor for #111 (Dec. 2015/Jan. 2016); the issue was devoted to Philosophy of Humor
-Executive director of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace (2007-2013)
-Book reviewer for Choice, the American Library Association鈥檚 book review journal