UM Directory

I am the Associate Dean for the College including the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Director of the Pre-Law Program, and a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Montana. I am an Agrégée in Philosophy and a former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure.

Courses Taught

Teaching: Philosophy of Science, Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Animals

I have taught classes in Modern philosophy, philosophy of science, the foundations of ecology, philosophy of law, and philosophy of animals. I employ active learning strategies in my teaching. I also focus on engaged philosophy in my courses. I am the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award and the William Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching Across the Curriculum. I have also won a Promoting Intellectual Excellence Award from the DHC 5 years in a row.

PHL 110E Introduction to Engaged Ethics (online, service component) 

PHL 262Y Modern Philosophy

PHL 317E Law and Morality

PHL 319E Law and Discrimination

HONR 391 Pre-Law Seminar 

PHL 448/548 Philosophy and Animals

PHL 506 Philosophy of Law

PHL510 Philosophy Colloquium 

Projects

Main Project: Dr. Armond Duwell and I are working on a book on scientific understanding. 

An incredibly heteregenous set of practices make up what we call science. Astronomers search the vastness of our galaxy for planets which may support life as we know it. Physicists work tirelessly to develop a theory unifying quantum mechanics and the general theory of relativity. Material scientists seek to develop efficient batteries to help transition to carbon-free energy production systems. Biologists investigate which conditions promote outbreaks of zoonophile viruses. Physicians scramble to develop treatments for the millions of people suffering from Long Covid.  What unifies such diverse practices? Can we say something general enough to cover both the vast array of scientific domains, from physics to medicine, and the  manifold scientific practices, from the most theoretical to the most applied? We think we can. What unifies all of science is that it generates scientific understanding. In Problems and Possibilities, we provide an account of scientific understanding that demonstrates not only the unity of scientific understanding, but the unity of science.  

The common view takes scientific understanding to consist in grasping explanations of phenomena. While explanatory understanding of phenomena is certainly one kind of scientific understanding, this view is far from comprehensive. Many common scientific practices simply do not fit that mold. For example, state ecologists in Western states have to provide estimates of wolf-abundance, which serve as essential input to management decisions, e.g., to determine appropriate numbers of hunting or trapping permits allowed in a given year.  This is a challenging task because wolves are scarce, elusive, and have large territories that are difficult to access.  A comprehensive census is practically impossible. Beyond this, the state agencies in charge of managing wolf populations have limited budgets. So, ecologists are tasked with solving a problem: provide a reasonably precise and accurate estimate of wolf abundances yearly while minimizing financial expenditures.  This involves finding methods to generate data, developing models compatible with various data-generation methods, and evaluating which methods and models provide the best estimates at the lowest cost.  Ecologists competently tackling this problem have some scientific understanding, but it isn't explanatory understanding.  Instead, they understand how to generate data on wolf abundance, how to generate representations of it, how to evaluate various possible options to approach the problem. They have understanding about how to solve the problem at hand. We need a comprehensive theory of understanding that focuses on how scientists competently solve problems rather on a single type of solution -- explanations. Problems and Possibilities provides such a theory. 

Field of Study

• Philosophy of science
• Philosophy of physics
• Philosophy of ecology
• Philosophy of law

Publications

I have been conducting research in the philosophy of science for more than 15 years. I have published articles on the interpretation of quantum mechanics, scientific modeling, dissent in science, science and values, and edited a public-facing volume providing a survey of issues in philosophy of physics (in French). I am currently working on a book with Armond Duwell on scientific understanding, in which we explain how the great diversity of scientific practices provides understanding as they contribute possible solutions to relevant problems.

• (work in progress) Problems and Possibilities: A Pragmatic View of Scientific Understanding
• (work in progress)  A Fiduciary Model of Public Trust in Value-Laden Science
• (2024) Multiple goals, multiple solutions, plenty of second-guessing and revising − here’s how science really works. The Conversation. 
• (2023) How to Not Secure Public Trust in Science; Representative Values v. Polarization and Marginalization, Philosophy of Science. 
• (2019) Partial truth versus felicitous falsehoods. Synthese. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02413-4
• (2017) Epistemically Detrimental Dissent: Contingent Enabling Factors vs Stable Different Makers. Philosophy of Science (with Iheanyi Amadi).
• (2017) Enlightening Falsehood: A modal view of scientific understanding. In Explaining Understanding: Perspectives From Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, ed. by Grimm, Stephen R., Christoph Baumberger, and Sabine Ammon, Routledge. 
• (2014), How Understanding Matters – Or not. in Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics: Physical, Philosophical, Mathematical, and Logical Perspectives, ed. by C. de Ronde, S. Aerts, D. Aerts, World Scientific. pp. 127-42
• (2013) Précis de Philosophie de la Physique, Vuibert.
• (2011) "Defending the Semantic View: What it Takes," European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 2(3) (2011): 249-274.
• (2009) "Fine's Ways to Fail to Secure Local Realism," Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 40(2) (2009): 142-150.

Honors / Awards

• 2024. William Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching Across the Curriculum
• 2024. Distinguished Teaching Award.
• 2024. Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, finalist. 
• 2024. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2023. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2022. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2021. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2021. Sustainability Award 
• 2020. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2019. Davidson Honors College Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award.
• 2017. Outstanding Faculty Advising Award.
• 2016. Merit Increase. University of Montana.
• 2016. Invited Professor, LabeX TransferS, Equippe république des savoirs, Ecole normale supérieure, Paris.
• 2014. Merit Increase. University of Montana.
• 2013. International Activity Grant. University of Montana.
• 2012. Student Affairs Faculty Award. University of Montana.
• 2011. Visiting Fellow: Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh
• 2011. Faculty Professional Enhancement Grant. University of Montana.
• 2011. Merit Increase. University of Montana.
• 2006-2008. Sawyier Predoctoral Fellowship. Illinois Institute of Technology.
• 2005. DAAD Fellowship.
• 2005. Fellowship Université Franco-Allemande.
• 2004-2005. Graduate Fellowship. Bielefeld University.
• 2004. Huguette Delavault Fellowship. Association des Femmes Françaises Diplomées de l’Université.
• 2004. Conference Expenses Graduate Fellowship. 13th UK Meeting on the Foundations of Physics, York.
• 2003. Travel Grant. Comité National de Philosophie et d’Histoire des Sciences, LMPS, Congress, Oviedo.
• 2002-2005. Mobility Graduate Fellowship “co-tutelle de thèse”. European Union.
• 2001-2002. Jane Eliza Procter Visiting Fellowship. Princeton University.

Hobbies

Public Philosophy

I believe public philosophy is critical even if challenging. Check out my public outreach page if you are interested.

University of Montana Pre-Law Program

I am also the Director of the Pre-Law Program at the University of Montana, which I founded and built. I get to help and mentor some of the most wonderful human beings I have known doing so. Please go to the UM Pre-Law Program website for more information.

Diversity and Inclusion

I believe it is my responsibility as a person with tremendous privilege and in a position of relative power to be an ally and amplify the voices of historically marginalized populations. I have worked on the Underrepresented Scholars in Philosophy of Science initiative from its inception to December 2024. I currently serve as the Senior Co-Chair of the Philosophy of Science Association D.E.I. Caucus.

Environmental Advocacy

I am committed to do my part to mitigate some of the effects of the climate crisis. I have served on the Philosophy of Science Association's Sustainability Committee since its inception. I also serve as the co-director of our Master's Program in Environmental Philosophy at the University of Montana. I was the recipient of the University of Montana Sustainability Award at the University of Montana in 2021. I am currently organizing the ISEE conference in Missoula. I am also a member of Philosophers for Sustainability and I serve on the Program Committee for the 2025 Central APA conference, which will take place fully online to mitigate some of the philosophy community's carbon footprint. Finally, I volunteer and serve as vice-chair of the Board of Directors for Animal Wonders. 

Finally, if you would like a little bit of background, feel free to check out my personal story.