James Kirkpatrick
Tutor in Philosophy
My research focuses mainly on philosophy of language. I am particularly interested in the meaning of generic sentences, definite descriptions, proper names, and pronouns, as well as foundational issues in formal semantics. I also work on related issues in epistemology and ethics, and, more recently, the philosophy of AI.
I read for my DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Prof Paul Elbourne and Prof Timothy Williamson. Before that, I read for a BPhil in Philosophy at Oxford, an MLitt in Philosophy at the Universities of St Andrews and Stirling (SASP), and a BA in Philosophy at the University of Reading.
In addition to philosophy, I enjoy art, photography, and ashtanga yoga.
Publications
‘Generic Conjunctivitis’, Linguistics & Philosophy 46, pp. 379–428 (2023).
‘Indicative Conditionals and Epistemic Luminosity’, Mind 131(521), pp. 231–258. (2022) (with Matthew Hewson)
‘Contextualism Preserved’, Philosophical Perspectives. 35, pp. 320-339 (2021).
‘Permissibility and the Aggregation of Risks’, Utilitas 30(1), pp. 107–119 (2018).
‘Broome’s Theory of Fairness and the Problem of Quantifying Strengths of Claims’, Utilitas 27(1), pp. 82–91 (2015). (with Nick Eastwood)