Episode # 40

Running Time: 43:27

Podcast Relevance: Professionals

In this episode R. Trent Codd, III, Ed.S. interviews Massimo Pigliucci, PhD about various Philosophy of Science matters including:

Whether Philosophy of Science matters for the practice of science, including psychological science

Objections raised by various scientists regarding the importance of Philosophy of Science, and Dr. Pigliucci's responses to those objections

Whether Philosophy of Science makes progress

What the demarcation problem is and the current status of the literature on demarcation

How scientists and philosophers of science might optimize collaboration

Massimo Pigliucci, PhD Biography

Prof. Pigliucci has a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Ferrara (Italy), a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has done post-doctoral research in evolutionary ecology at Brown University and is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, and the nature of pseudoscience.

Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack.”

In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national outlets such as the New York Times, Philosophy Now and The Philosopher’s Magazine among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. Dr. Pigliucci publishes two blogs: Plato’s Footnote (platofootnote.org), on general philosophy, and How to Be a Stoic (howtobeastoic.org), on his personal exploration of Stoicism as practical

philosophy.

At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 144 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 10 technical and public outreach books, most recently of Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem (University of Chicago Press), co-edited with Maarten Boudry. Other books include Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press).

Episode-Related Links

Books:

Philosophy of Pseudoscience: Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem

What is this thing called Science?

Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy can lead us to a more meaningful life

Dr. Pigliucci's websites:

Plato's Footnote

How to Be a Stoic