Work Address:
S423 Ross Building
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M3J 1P3
Phone: 416-736-2100 x77556
E-mail: rmyers@yorku.ca
Current Position:
University Professor, Department of Philosophy, York University
Areas of Specialization:
Theoretical Ethics (normative theory and metaethics), Philosophy of Action
Areas of Competence:
Epistemology, 18th Century Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Applied Ethics
Education:
Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1989
B.A., Queen's University at Kingston, 1980
Employment:
| York University, Department of Philosophy | |
| 2020- | University Professor |
| 2014-2020 | Professor |
| 2002-2014 | Associate Professor |
| 2001-2002 | Assistant Professor |
| Barnard College, Columbia University, Department of Philosophy | |
| 1992-2001 | Assistant Professor |
| 1989-1992 | Visiting Assistant Professor |
| New York University, Department of Philosophy | |
| 1988-1989 | Visiting Assistant Professor |
Publications: Books
Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value, co-editor with Syraya Chin-Mu Yang. Singapore: Springer, 2021.
Donald Davidson's Triangulation Argument: A Philosophical Inquiry, with Claudine Verheggen. New York: Routledge, 2016. (Paperback edition, 2018.)
Self-Governance and Cooperation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. (Paperback edition, 2003.)
Publications: Journal Articles
"Replies to Kirk Ludwig and Paul Hurley," Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review 59 (June 2020), pp. 255-269.
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism," Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 7 (April 2019), pp. 48-58.
"Desires and Normative Truths: A Holist's Response to the Sceptics," Mind 121 (April 2012), pp. 375-406.
"Reply to Anton Leist: Keeping Constructivism in Its Place," Analyse und Kritik 33 (June 2011), pp. 149-153.
"Cooperating to Promote the Good," Analyse und Kritik 33 (June 2011), pp. 123-139.
"Finding Value in Davidson," Canadian Journal of Philosophy 34 (March 2004), pp. 107-136.
"The Inescapability of Moral Reasons," Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59 (June 1999), pp. 281-307.
"On the Explanation, the Justification and the Interpretation of Action," Nous 29 (June 1995), pp. 212-231.
"Prerogatives and Restrictions from the Cooperative Point of View," Ethics 105 (Oct. 1994), pp. 128-152.
Publications: Book Chapters
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism and the Rationality Requirement," in S. C. M. Yang and R. H. Myers, eds., Donald Davidson on Action, Mind and Value, Singapore: Springer, 2021.
"Holism in Action," in C. Verheggen, ed., Wittgenstein and Davidson on Thought, Language and Action, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
"Interpretation and Value," in E. Lepore and K. Ludwig, eds., A Companion to Donald Davidson, New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
Publications: Conference Proceedings
"Reasons, Motives, and Desires," in Ethics, Konstantinos Boudouris, ed., Proceedings of the 23rd World Congress of Philosophy, vol. 12, Philosophy Documentation Center. 2018.
"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.
"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.
Publications: Longer Book Reviews (> 2500 words)
Paul Hurley, Beyond Consequentialism, reviewed in Ethics 121 (January 2011), pp. 444-449.
Robert Nozick, Invariances: The Structure of the Objective World, reviewed in Philosophy of the Social Sciences 33 (December 2003), pp. 514-518.
Robert Adams, Finite and Infinite Goods, reviewed in Ethics 112 (January 2002), pp. 351-354.
Publications: Shorter Book Reviews (< 2500 words)
Peter Rijpkema, State Perfectionism and Personal Freedom, reviewed in Ethics 107 (Oct. 1996), p. 178.
David Cooper, Value Pluralism and Ethical Choice, reviewed in Ethics 105 (Jan. 1995), p. 447.
Conference Presentations:
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism"
--Society for the Study of the History of Analytical Philosophy, Boston, June 2019
"Davidson's Non-Reductive -- and Non-Revisionary -- Naturalism"
--Société de Philosophie Analytique, Louvain la Neuve, July 2018
"The Explanatory Dimension to the Normative Question"
--European Congress of Analytic Philosophy, Munich, August 2017
"Davidson's Account of Normative Properties"
--Philosophy of Social Sciences Roundtable, Vancouver, May 2017
"Smith's Practicality Requirement: A Friendly Amendment, Then a Problem"
--American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, April 2014
"Reasons, Motives and Desires"
--World Congress of Philosophy, Athens, August 2013
"Smith's Practicality Requirement: A Friendly Amendment, Then a Problem"
--Societe de Philosophie Analytique, Paris, May 2012
"Davidson on Desire and Value"
--32nd International Wittgenstein Symposium, Austria, August 2009
"Value Realism and the Holism of Desire"
--European Congress of Analytic Philosophy, August 2008
"Practical Reason and the Holism of Desire"
--Canadian Philosophical Association, June 2006
"Holism and the Interpretation of Desire"
--The Levels of Interpretation, The 5th Prague Interpretation Colloquium, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2005
"Davidson’s Case for Objective Value"
--Objectivity and Meaning: Themes from Davidson, University of Oslo, Norway, April 2004
"The Objectivity of Value: Reflections on Stroud’s Differences with Davidson"
--11th Seminar on Philosophy and Cognitive Science: Aspects of the Philosophy of Barry Stroud, Oviedo, Spain, June 2000
"Radical Interpretation and Moral Theory"
--20th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Austria, August 1997
"Cooperating to Promote the Good"
--Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, April 1995
"Self-Governance and Integrity"
--American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, March 1995
--Florida Philosophical Association, October 1994
Invited Lectures:
"Actions, Normative Reasons, and Causes"
--Workshop: Anscombe's Legacy, York University, May 2019
"Replies to Ludwig, MacIntosh, and Hurley"
--Authors-Meet-Critics Session, Canadian Philosophical Association on Donald Davidson's Triangulation Argument, June 2018
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism"
--Workshop: Reason, Action, and Mind, Ryerson University, Toronto, April 2019
--Workshop: Discussing Davidson, New University of Lisbon, January 2018
--Taiwan Metaphysics Colloquium, November 2017
"Holism in Action"
--National University of Singapore, November 2017
--Lingnan University, Hong Kong, November 2017
"Davidson's Meta-Normative Naturalism"
--University of Athens, October 2017
"Holism in Action"
--York University Graduate Conference (faculty keynote), April 2017
"Normative Realism and the Practicality Requirement"
--5ièmes Journées de Métaethiques, University of Lausanne, February 2017
"Davidson's Case for Normative Realism"
--University of Athens, June 2016
--University of Barcelona, May 2014
--Société de Philosophie du Quebec, May 2014
--University of Kansas, December 2013
"Value and Desire: What Davidson Should Have Said to Mackie"
--University of Calgary, October 2007
--Queen’s University, September 2007
--York University, November 2006
"Practical Reason and Desire: Reconsidering Hume’s Legacy"
--York University, October 2004
--University of Stockholm, April 2004
"Finding Value in Davidson"
--Graduate Center, City University of New York, February 2003
"Remaining True to One’s Convictions: Ethical Theory Without Ethical Distortion"
--City College, November 2002
--York University, January 2001
--University of Toronto, February 2001
"Rights as Guarantors of Freedoms"
--Unilever Centre for Comparative and Applied Ethics, South Africa, June 1999
"Has Smith Solved the Moral Problem?"
--University of Natal at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, June 1999
"The Inescapability of Moral Reasons"
--University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, June 1999
--University of Natal at Durban, South Africa, June 1999
--University of Cape Town, South Africa, June 1999
"Externalism, Self-Governance and Morality"
--University of Miami, March 1996
"Cooperating to Promote the Good"
--University of Stockholm, Sweden, November 1995
--University of Turku, Finland, November 1995
--University of Miami, April 1995
"On the Explanation, the Justification and the Interpretation of Action"
--University of Florida, December 1994
"Prerogatives and Restrictions from the Cooperative Point of View"
--Simon Fraser University, February 1992
"Accounting for the Prominence of Our Reasons to Act Morally"
--McGill University, January 1992
"Reasons for Action and the Orders of Desire"
--Queen's University at Kingston, February 1990
--The University of Toronto, January 1990
--Columbia University, March 1989
--The University of Ottawa, December 1988
"Self-Interested Reasons to Act Morally"
--The University of Calgary, April 1988
--Reed College, March 1988
--The California Institute of Technology, February 1988
--The University of Pennsylvania, January 1988
External Examinations:
Lori Kantymir, Varieties of Objectivity: What's Worth Keeping? University of Western Ontario, November 2017. Supervisor: Anthony Skelton.
Ryan Robb, Rights, Interests, Choices and Autonomy, University of Western Ontario, December 2007. Supervisor: Denis Klimchuk
Rachel Sheffrin, Thinking Beyond the Bounds of Sense: Reflections on the Possibility of Transcendental Reflection, Queen’s University, May 2007. Supervisor: David Bakhurst.
Rachel Fern, Interpretation and the Written Word: The Intentional Fallacy, Queen’s University, June 2006. Supervisor: David Bakhurst.
Ph.D. supervisions:
Alex Leferman, on group agency (in progress)
Samuel Steadman, on normative realism (in progress)
Jamie Robertson, Defending the Coherence and Practicability of Autonomy Through a Multi-Level Analytical Approach, defended November 2018. (Co-supervised with Alice MacLachlan.)
David Rocheleau-Houle, Normative Non-Naturalism and the Metaphysics of Normative Properties, defended August 2018.
Michelle Ciurria, Situationism and Moral Responsibility: An Externalist Account, defended June 2014.
Adam Rawlings, How Reasons Explain Actions, defended April 2011.
James Pratt, From an Ethics of Virtue to an Ethics of Character: Character and Moral Psychology, defended December 2007.
Shyam Ranganathan, Translating Evaluative Discourse: The Semantics of Thick and Thin Concepts, defended September 2007.
Kevin Buzinski, The Hinges of Morality, defended May 2007.
Darren Domsky, Extending Beyond Ethical Extensionism: A Search for the Most Plausible Theoretical Basis for any Non-Anthropocentric, Non-Sentientist Environmental Ethic, defended June 2006.
Ramsey McNabb, Induction and Moral Particularism, defended May 2006.
Ph.D. committees:
Imola Ilyes, on sentimentalism (in progress). Supervisor: Alice MacLachlan.
Stephane Savoie, on constructivism (in progress). Supervisor: Alice MacLachlan.
Matt Schaeffer,Thomistic Personalism: Clarifying and Advancing the Project, defended winter 2016. Supervisor: Michael Giudice.
William Woof, A Kantian Program for Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics, defended winter 2016. Supervisor: Wesley Cragg.
Brandon Fenton, Autonomy, Automaticity, and Attention: Why Empirical Research on Consciousness Matters to Autonomous Agency, defended fall 2014. Supervisor: Susan Dimock.
Dale Matthew, Racial Discrimination and the Site of Distributive Justice, defended summer 2012. Supervisor: Esteve Morera.
Ryan Tonkens, The Virtues and Vices of Rigging the Natural Lottery: A Character-Based Evaluation of Prenatal Genetic Alteration, defended summer 2012. Supervisor: Duff Waring.
Susan Dieleman, Revisiting Rorty: A Pragmatist Feminist Solution to the Problem of Epistemic Exclusion, defended fall 2010. Supervisor: Lorraine Code.
James Connelly, Wittgenstein and Early Analytic Semantics: Towards a Phenomenology of Truth, defended fall 2007. Supervisor: Henry Jackman.
Alex Smith, The Possibility of Stability in Nationally Diverse States, defended September 2002. (Dean’s Representative) Supervisor: Lesley Jacobs.
Richard Allen, Columbia University, defended fall 2000. Supervisor: Bernard Berofsky.
University Service:
At York University:
2020-2021
Deputy Chair, Department of Philosophy
Chair, Philosophy Search Committee
2019-2020
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2018-2019
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2017-2018
Sabbatical Leave
2016-2017
Deputy Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, Glendon Philosophy Search Committee
2015-2016
Deputy Chair, Department of Philosophy
Chair, Philosophy CRC Search Committee
2014-2015
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2013-2014
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2012-2013
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2011-2012
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2010-2011
Sabbatical Leave
2009-2010
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2008-2009
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2007-2008
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Member, University Senate
2006-2007
Director, Philosophy Graduate Programme
Member, Philosophy Executive Committee
Member, Philosophy Hiring Committee
2005-2006
Faculty of Arts Fellowship (full teaching and administrative leave)
Member, Philosophy Hiring Committee
2004-2005
Interim Director, Philosophy Graduate Programme
Philosophy Placement Officer
Member, Philosophy Executive Committee
Member, Philosophy Hiring Committee
2003-2004
Sabbatical Leave
2002-2003
Chair, Arts Faculty Committee on Research, Grants and Scholarships
Member, Arts Faculty Merit Committee
Member, Philosophy Graduate Programme Admissions and Scholarships Committee
Chair, Departmental Speakers and Research Committee
Member, Departmental Curriculum Committee
Member, Departmental Students and Schools Committee
2001-2002
Member, Arts Faculty Committee on Research, Grants and Scholarships
Member, Departmental Curriculum Committee
Member, Departmental Students and Schools Committee
At Barnard College, Columbia University:
Acting Chair, Barnard Department of Philosophy (1997-98)
Chair, Departmental Search Committee (1997-98)
Member, Departmental Search Committee (1993-94)
Member, Departmental Search Committee (1992-93)
Member, College Committee on Honors (1998-2000)
First-year and sophomore adviser (1996-2001)
Member, College Library Committee (1994-96)