Philosophy of Psychology: An Introduction
Philosophy of Psychology: An Introduction is a textbook co-authored with Kengo Miyazono and published by Polity in 2021. It is an introduction to debates in the philosophy of psychology, including those on rationality, free will, self-knowledge, moral conduct and moral responsibility. The book provides an overview of contemporary debates in the philosophy of psychology, exploring the ways in which the interaction and collaboration between psychologists and philosophers contribute to a better understanding of the human mind, cognition and behaviour.
Here is a conversation about the book with Nevia Dolcini (University of Macau) and Jules Holroyd (University of Sheffield) on the themes of rationality, self-knowledge, and implicit bias:
Here is a conversation about the book with Pablo Lopez Silva (University of Valparaiso) and Katrina Sifferd (Elmhurst College) on the themes of delusion, confabulation, autism, and psychopathy:
Reviews:
- David Grčki for European Journal of Analytic Philosophy (January 2022).
Irrationality
In Irrationality (Polity Key Concepts in Philosophy), published in 2014, I discuss different conceptions of irrationality and review contemporary debates in philosophy and psychology that involve those conceptions.
Judgements of irrationality are made constantly and on many occasions they play an important role in our mutual interactions and social practices. This book is an attempt to understand what we take irrationality to be, what grounds our judgements of irrationality, and how irrationality affects human agency. Judgements of irrationality typically express disapproval towards behaviour deviating from a standard or violating a norm. But which standards and which norms?
There is also a Japanese translation of this book: Higōrisei (Irrationality), translated by Kōsuke Bishago and published by Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo (2019). ISBN: 978-4000245364.
Reviews:
- Mason Tattersall, Metapsychology Online, 4th August 2015.
- Kevin Lynch, International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 24 (4), 2015.
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Polity, 2008) is the first introduction to the philosophy of science with an entire chapter on the ethics of scientific research. Examples come from the full range of natural and the social sciences and no background in philosophy is presupposed.The classic philosophical questions about methodology, progress, rationality and reality are all addressed. The book adopts a historically-informed perspective on the evolution of science and includes a thorough discussion of the ethical implications of the relationship between the advancement of science, policy making and public interest. Special attention is paid to the continuity between scientific research and other human activities.
The book is designed to help students think for themselves, and includes information tables and questions for further reflection to support all stages of the teaching and learning experience, from the comprehension of primary and other secondary texts to debate and essay writing. It also includes a thematic bibliography and a glossary of technical terms.
There are also:
- a Portuguese translation, Introdução a Filosofia da Ciência, published by Gradiva, Lisbon, in 2013 (ISBN 978-989-616-557-4);
- a Persian translation, درآمدی بر فلسفه علم, published by Ferdowsi University Press Mashhad (Iran), in 2020 (ISBN 978-977-718-067-2).
Reviews:
- Midwest Book Review: "Filled with classical philosophical questions about science and how human ideas and thoughts concerning science have changed through the years, to the constant raging debates of today, An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science provides as much insight into science as philosophy can bring. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science is a riveting and educational read, highly recommended."
- Times Higher Education (September 2009): "The author presents an introduction to modern issues and debates in the field, paying particular attention to the relationship between the advancement of science, policy making and public interest to the continuity between scientific research and other human activities."
- Science & Education (September 2011): "Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the book is the questions inserted throughout the text to prompt students to think through the issues at a deeper level."