Department of Philosophy
department-of-philosophy
Myers
Robert
rmyers
false
yes
Robert Myers
department-of-philosophy
Professor
University Professor
Office: Ross Building, S423
Phone: 416-736-2100 Ext: 77556
Email: rmyers@yorku.ca
Primary website: http://www.yorku.ca/professor/rmyers/
Accepting New Graduate Students
My early work was mainly concerned to develop a theory that would reveal impartial beneficence, prerogatives and restrictions to be equally fundamental components of morality.
More recently, I have been working on metaethical questions concerning the possible objectivity of value, and especially on the question whether philosophers have been hindered in their thinking here by inadequate conceptions of what desires are.
More...
Degrees
Ph.D., University of California, BerkeleyB.A., Queen's University
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesResearch Interests
Theoretical Ethics, Related issues in Philosophy of Action and Epistemology, Political Philosophy
Books
Publication
Year
Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value, S. C. Yang and R. H. Myers, eds. Singapore: Springer, 2021.
2021
Donald Davidson's Triangulation Argument (with Claudine Verheggen). New York: Routledge, 2016. (Paperback edition, 2018.)
2016
Self-Governance and Cooperation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. (Paperback edition, 2003.)
1999
Book Chapters
Publication
Year
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism and the Rationality Requirement" in S. C. Yang and R. H. Myers, eds., Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value. Singapore: Springer, 2021.
2021
"Holism in Action", in C. Verheggen, ed., Witgenstein and Davidson on Language, Thought, and Action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2017
"Interpretation and Value", in A Companion to Davidson, E. Lepore and K. Ludwig, eds., Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
2013
Book Reviews
Publication
Year
Paul Hurley, Beyond Consequentialism, reviewed in Ethics 121 (Jan. 2011), pp. 444-449.
2011
Robert Nozick, Invariances: The Structure of the Objective World, reviewed in Philosophy of the Social Sciences 33 (December 2003), pp. 514-518.
2003
Robert Adams, Finite and Infinite Goods, reviewed in Ethics 112 (January 2002), pp. 351-354.
2002
Peter Rijpkema, State Perfectionism and Personal Freedom, reviewed in Ethics 107 (Oct. 1996), p. 178.
1996
David Cooper, Value Pluralism and Ethical Choice, reviewed in Ethics 105 (Jan. 1995), p. 447.
1995
Journal Articles
Publication
Year
“Replies to Kirk Ludwig and Paul Hurley,” Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review 59 (June 2020), pp. 255-69.
2020
“Davidson’s Meta-Normative Naturalism,” Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 7 (April 2019), pp. 48-58.
2019
"Desires and Normative Truths: A Holist's Response to the Sceptics." Mind 121 (April 2012), pp. 375-406.
2012
“Cooperating to Promote the Good,” Analyse und Kritik (2011), pp. 123-139.
2011
“Reply to Anton Leist: Keeping Constructivism in Its Place,” Analyse und Kritik (2011), pp. 149-153.
2011
“Finding Value in Davidson,” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 34 (March 2004), pp. 107-136.
2004
“The Inescapability of Moral Reasons,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59 (June 1999), pp. 281-307.
1999
“On the Explanation, the Justification and the Interpretation of Action,” Nous 29 (June 1995), pp. 212-231.
1995
“Prerogatives and Restrictions from the Cooperative Point of View,” Ethics 105 (Oct. 1994), pp. 128-152.
1994
Conference Proceedings
Publication
Year
“Davidson on Desire and Value,” in Language and World, V. Munz, K. Puhl, J. Wang, eds., Proceedings of the 32nd International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Austria, 2009.
2009
“Radical Interpretation and Moral Theory,” in The Role of Pragmatics in Contemporary Philosophy, P. Weingartner, G. Schurz and G. Dorn, eds., Proceedings of the 20th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Austria, 1997, pp. 661-665.
1997
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2025 | GS/PHIL6420 3.0 | A | Topics in Moral Psychology | SEMR |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | AP/PHIL4802 3.0 | A | Core Practical Philosophy I | SEMR |
| Winter 2026 | AP/PHIL3020 3.0 | M | Ethics | LECT |
| Fall 2025 | GS/PHIL5802 3.0 | A | Core Practical Philosophy I | SEMR |
| Fall/Winter 2025 | GS/PHIL6860 6.0 | A | PhD Research Seminar II | SEMR |
My early work was mainly concerned to develop a theory that would reveal impartial beneficence, prerogatives and restrictions to be equally fundamental components of morality.
More recently, I have been working on metaethical questions concerning the possible objectivity of value, and especially on the question whether philosophers have been hindered in their thinking here by inadequate conceptions of what desires are.
Degrees
Ph.D., University of California, BerkeleyB.A., Queen's University
Appointments
Faculty of Graduate StudiesResearch Interests
Theoretical Ethics, Related issues in Philosophy of Action and Epistemology, Political Philosophy
All Publications
Book Chapters
Publication
Year
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism and the Rationality Requirement" in S. C. Yang and R. H. Myers, eds., Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value. Singapore: Springer, 2021.
2021
"Holism in Action", in C. Verheggen, ed., Witgenstein and Davidson on Language, Thought, and Action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2017
"Interpretation and Value", in A Companion to Davidson, E. Lepore and K. Ludwig, eds., Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
2013
Book Reviews
Publication
Year
Paul Hurley, Beyond Consequentialism, reviewed in Ethics 121 (Jan. 2011), pp. 444-449.
2011
Robert Nozick, Invariances: The Structure of the Objective World, reviewed in Philosophy of the Social Sciences 33 (December 2003), pp. 514-518.
2003
Robert Adams, Finite and Infinite Goods, reviewed in Ethics 112 (January 2002), pp. 351-354.
2002
Peter Rijpkema, State Perfectionism and Personal Freedom, reviewed in Ethics 107 (Oct. 1996), p. 178.
1996
David Cooper, Value Pluralism and Ethical Choice, reviewed in Ethics 105 (Jan. 1995), p. 447.
1995
Books
Publication
Year
Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value, S. C. Yang and R. H. Myers, eds. Singapore: Springer, 2021.
2021
Donald Davidson's Triangulation Argument (with Claudine Verheggen). New York: Routledge, 2016. (Paperback edition, 2018.)
2016
Self-Governance and Cooperation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. (Paperback edition, 2003.)
1999
Journal Articles
Publication
Year
“Replies to Kirk Ludwig and Paul Hurley,” Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review 59 (June 2020), pp. 255-69.
2020
“Davidson’s Meta-Normative Naturalism,” Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 7 (April 2019), pp. 48-58.
2019
"Desires and Normative Truths: A Holist's Response to the Sceptics." Mind 121 (April 2012), pp. 375-406.
2012
“Cooperating to Promote the Good,” Analyse und Kritik (2011), pp. 123-139.
2011
“Reply to Anton Leist: Keeping Constructivism in Its Place,” Analyse und Kritik (2011), pp. 149-153.
2011
“Finding Value in Davidson,” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 34 (March 2004), pp. 107-136.
2004
“The Inescapability of Moral Reasons,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59 (June 1999), pp. 281-307.
1999
“On the Explanation, the Justification and the Interpretation of Action,” Nous 29 (June 1995), pp. 212-231.
1995
“Prerogatives and Restrictions from the Cooperative Point of View,” Ethics 105 (Oct. 1994), pp. 128-152.
1994
Conference Proceedings
Publication
Year
“Davidson on Desire and Value,” in Language and World, V. Munz, K. Puhl, J. Wang, eds., Proceedings of the 32nd International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Austria, 2009.
2009
“Radical Interpretation and Moral Theory,” in The Role of Pragmatics in Contemporary Philosophy, P. Weingartner, G. Schurz and G. Dorn, eds., Proceedings of the 20th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Austria, 1997, pp. 661-665.
1997
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2025 | GS/PHIL6420 3.0 | A | Topics in Moral Psychology | SEMR |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | AP/PHIL4802 3.0 | A | Core Practical Philosophy I | SEMR |
| Winter 2026 | AP/PHIL3020 3.0 | M | Ethics | LECT |
| Fall 2025 | GS/PHIL5802 3.0 | A | Core Practical Philosophy I | SEMR |
| Fall/Winter 2025 | GS/PHIL6860 6.0 | A | PhD Research Seminar II | SEMR |
