Muhammad Ali Khalidi
Professor
Office: Ross Building, S431
Phone: 416-736-2100 Ext: 77575
Email: khalidi@yorku.ca
Primary website: http://khalidi.org/
My main areas of research are in the philosophy of science (with an emphasis on cognitive science) and the philosophy of mind. I have been particularly focused on analyzing mental phenomena such as: memory, concepts, and innateness, and what role they play in contemporary cognitive science. I am also interested in scientific classification schemes and in the means of distinguishing artificial categories from real ones in both the natural and social sciences.
In both areas of research, I have argued against essentialism and reductionism, while attempting to reconcile the scientific worldview with our commonsense understanding of phenomena. In the history of philosophy, I have researched and written on classical Arab-Islamic philosophy and have published an anthology of texts in translation from this neglected tradition. Recent courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels include: Philosophy of Social Science, Metaphysics, Core Theoretical Philosophy, Honours Seminar in Cognitive Science, Philosophy of Language, and Islamic Philosophy.
Degrees
Ph.D., Philosophy, Columbia UniversityM.A., Philosophy, Columbia University
B.S., Physics, American University of Beirut
Research Interests
Natural Categories and Human Kinds: Taxonomic Practices in the Natural and Social Sciences, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
(Editor and Translator) Medieval Islamic Philosophical Writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005
"Natural Kinds as Nodes in Causal Networks," Synthese 195 (2018), 1379-1396.
“Crosscutting Psycho-Neural Taxonomies: The Case of Episodic Memory,” Philosophical Explorations 20 (2017), 191-208
“Mind-Dependent Kinds,” Journal of Social Ontology 2 (2016), 223-246
“Innateness as a Natural Cognitive Kind,” Philosophical Psychology 29 (2016), 319-333.
“Three Kinds of Social Kinds,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 90 (2015), 96-112.
“The Pitfalls of Microphysical Realism,” Philosophy of Science 78 (2011), 1156-1164
“Interactive Kinds,” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 61 (2010), 335-360.
“How Scientific Is Scientific Essentialism?” Journal for General Philosophy of Science 40 (2009), 85-101
“Should We Eliminate the Innate? Reply to Griffiths and Machery,” Philosophical Psychology 22 (2009), 505-519
"Temporal and Counterfactual Possibility," Sorites 20 (2008), 37-42
“Innate Cognitive Capacities,” Mind & Language 22 (2007), 92-115
“Orientalisms in the Interpretation of Islamic Philosophy,” Radical Philosophy 135 (2006), 25-33
“Against Functional Reductionism in Cognitive Science,” International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 19 (2005), 319-333
“Al-Fârâbî on the Democratic City,” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 11 (2003), 379-394
“Nature and Nurture in Cognition,” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 53 (2002), 251-272
“Innateness and Domain Specificity,” Philosophical Studies 105 (2001), 191-210
"Incommensurability in Cognitive Guise," Philosophical Psychology 11 (1998), 29-43
"Averroes' Method of Re-Interpretation," International Philosophical Quarterly 38 (1998), 175-185",Averroes' Method of Re-Interpretation"
"Natural Kinds and Crosscutting Categories," Journal of Philosophy 95 (1998), 33-50
"Two Concepts of Concept," Mind & Language 10 (1995), 402-422
"Carving Nature at the Joints," Philosophy of Science 60 (1993), 100-113
My main areas of research are in the philosophy of science (with an emphasis on cognitive science) and the philosophy of mind. I have been particularly focused on analyzing mental phenomena such as: memory, concepts, and innateness, and what role they play in contemporary cognitive science. I am also interested in scientific classification schemes and in the means of distinguishing artificial categories from real ones in both the natural and social sciences.
In both areas of research, I have argued against essentialism and reductionism, while attempting to reconcile the scientific worldview with our commonsense understanding of phenomena. In the history of philosophy, I have researched and written on classical Arab-Islamic philosophy and have published an anthology of texts in translation from this neglected tradition. Recent courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels include: Philosophy of Social Science, Metaphysics, Core Theoretical Philosophy, Honours Seminar in Cognitive Science, Philosophy of Language, and Islamic Philosophy.
Degrees
Ph.D., Philosophy, Columbia UniversityM.A., Philosophy, Columbia University
B.S., Physics, American University of Beirut
Research Interests
All Publications
Natural Categories and Human Kinds: Taxonomic Practices in the Natural and Social Sciences, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
(Editor and Translator) Medieval Islamic Philosophical Writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005
"Natural Kinds as Nodes in Causal Networks," Synthese 195 (2018), 1379-1396.
“Crosscutting Psycho-Neural Taxonomies: The Case of Episodic Memory,” Philosophical Explorations 20 (2017), 191-208
“Mind-Dependent Kinds,” Journal of Social Ontology 2 (2016), 223-246
“Innateness as a Natural Cognitive Kind,” Philosophical Psychology 29 (2016), 319-333.
“Three Kinds of Social Kinds,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 90 (2015), 96-112.
“The Pitfalls of Microphysical Realism,” Philosophy of Science 78 (2011), 1156-1164
“Interactive Kinds,” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 61 (2010), 335-360.
“How Scientific Is Scientific Essentialism?” Journal for General Philosophy of Science 40 (2009), 85-101
“Should We Eliminate the Innate? Reply to Griffiths and Machery,” Philosophical Psychology 22 (2009), 505-519
"Temporal and Counterfactual Possibility," Sorites 20 (2008), 37-42
“Innate Cognitive Capacities,” Mind & Language 22 (2007), 92-115
“Orientalisms in the Interpretation of Islamic Philosophy,” Radical Philosophy 135 (2006), 25-33
“Against Functional Reductionism in Cognitive Science,” International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 19 (2005), 319-333
“Al-Fârâbî on the Democratic City,” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 11 (2003), 379-394
“Nature and Nurture in Cognition,” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 53 (2002), 251-272
“Innateness and Domain Specificity,” Philosophical Studies 105 (2001), 191-210
"Incommensurability in Cognitive Guise," Philosophical Psychology 11 (1998), 29-43
"Averroes' Method of Re-Interpretation," International Philosophical Quarterly 38 (1998), 175-185",Averroes' Method of Re-Interpretation"
"Natural Kinds and Crosscutting Categories," Journal of Philosophy 95 (1998), 33-50
"Two Concepts of Concept," Mind & Language 10 (1995), 402-422
"Carving Nature at the Joints," Philosophy of Science 60 (1993), 100-113
