Alexander Bird is the Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge, and a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. He teaches and researches in philosophy of science, epistemology, metaphysics, and history and philosophy of medicine. He is currently engaged on a project “Creativity Across the Arts and Sciences” with Alison Hills. Alexander was previously Peter Sowerby Professor of Philosophy and Medicine at King’s College London and before that the Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bristol. He also taught at the University of Edinburgh, Dartmouth College, St Louis University, and the University of Bergamo. His published works include Knowing Science (2022), Nature’s Metaphysics (2007), Thomas Kuhn (2000), and Philosophy of Science (1998). He is a Correspondant de l’Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, Institut de France.
I examine the motivations for being an empiricist in the philosophy of science and find them wanting. Either the motivations are inherently weak. Or they fail to provide a rationale for the practices of science.
Our meetings usually take place in Senate House, University of London, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU. See top of page for specific location.
The Society’s philosophy talks take place every fortnight on Mondays throughout the academic year. Each talk starts at 18.15 and lasts for 45 minutes. The remainder of the time is dedicated to discussion, which ends at 19.45
All of the Society’s philosophy talks are catered with fairtrade teas, coffees, and biscuits.
In line with the Society’s mission to make philosophy readily available to the general public, all talks are free and membership is not required.
Following over a century of tradition, draft papers for all the talks are available in advance. Please note that draft papers can only be cited with the authors permission (see below for final publication and subscription details). The draft paper for a talk is available approximately one week prior to its schedule delivery.
For the past 146 years, the Proceedings has featured widely respected papers delivered by a range of prominent philosophers, such as Alfred North Whitehead, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Bertrand Russell, A.J. Ayer, P.F. Strawson, Karl Popper, Elizabeth Anscombe, Bernard Williams, Hubert Dreyfus, Alexander Nehamas, and Onora O’Neill. Final drafts of the papers – including discussion notes and exemplary graduate papers – are published in the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society.
The venue at Senate House is wheelchair accessible and there are disabled toilet facilities on the ground floor. If you require a disabled parking space, or a hearing loop, please contact anna.stelle@aristoteliansociety.org.uk in advance, so that we can reserve these for you. Service animals are also welcome.
