Philosophy
This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Philosophy .
Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).
Waterloo faculty, students, and staff can contact us or visit the UWSpace guide to learn more about depositing their research.
Recent deposits
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The Free Self: What Separates Us From Machines
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-29)Could a machine ever achieve consciousness? Will it ever make sense to hold a machine morally responsible? In this thesis, I argue that the architecture of SPAUN - the largest WIP functioning brain model currently in ... -
Toward the Interested Investigator: Examining the Epistemic Dimensions of Relational Theory in Zoology
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-28)I argue in this thesis that a research approach that is based on a meaningful relationship between a zoologist and their study subject holds unique epistemic value. It has been well established by feminist and social ... -
A Misleading Tendency
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-28)Communication is a powerful tool. We use it to share information, express how we feel, coordinate in cooperative endeavors, and so much more. However, we regularly use standard communicative devices like speech and gesture ... -
Too Many Logoi: The Role of Logoi Within Proclus' System
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-25)The purpose of the present study is to understand the role of logoi within Proclus’ metaphysical system. Much of the scholarship on Proclus has largely left the topic of logoi to the side, leaving the understanding of the ... -
A Social-Pluralistic View of Science Advising
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-30)In this dissertation, I bring together two disciplines: Science, Technology, and Society studies and the Philosophy of Science, to develop a social-pluralistic account of science advising. I use three prominent theorists ... -
Towards a Cyber Jus ad Bellum: Bridging Legal Gaps within Cyberwar Governance
(University of Waterloo, 2022-11-24)While the capabilities of cyberweapons surge forward, our ability to effectively evaluate and govern their deployment has lagged behind. There are presently no internationally binding laws of cyberwar. In their absence, ... -
Learning More and Knowing Less: Big Data, Spurious Correlations, and the Problem of Ignorance
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-28)There are few things we can name that surpass big data’s boon for our empirical endeavours. Big data promises an ever-growing source of data that could be readily accessed by researchers in virtually any field of study. ... -
Mathematical Actualism: An Alternative Realist Philosophy of Mathematics
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-23)The present thesis argues for a philosophy of mathematics, herein dubbed Actualism, which is contrasted with several existing views on the philosophy of mathematics. It begins with a brief introduction to the classical ... -
Beyond Considering Surrogates’ Reports at ‘Face Value’: Theorizing and Contextualizing the Autonomy-Related Threats of Surrogacy Arrangements
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-08)As research on surrogacy in Canada is only emerging, this thesis seeks to incite discussion relating to the autonomy of surrogates by analyzing recent studies which capture the experiences of surrogates through surveys and ... -
Deception in Data Visualization
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-30)In recent years, there has been a great deal of public discussion of misleading graphs and statistics, but this phenomenon seems to have fallen outside the scope of philosophical analysis. The philosophy of language has ... -
Speaking of 'Violence'
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-18)In this project, I engineer a new concept, which I call a “violence figleaf”, in order to make sense of the many instances of gendered violence which are dismissed or characterized as some other kind of thing: a misunderstanding, ... -
The Techno-Inclusive Model of Disability: Motivations, Influences, and Applications
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-03)In this thesis, I advance a techno-inclusive model of disability. I motivate the need for a techno-inclusive model by looking at the current state of affairs for both assistive technology and disability theory respectively. ... -
From the Standpoint of The Reasonable Person: Epistemic Ignorance, Culpable Dispositions, and the Objective Standard
(University of Waterloo, 2022-05-16)The concept of reasonableness is both vital to the law and frustratingly vague. Efforts to articulate the concept often rely on “common sense” community-based notions of what counts as reasonable. While using common sense ... -
Pathways of Influence: Understanding the Impacts of Philosophy of Science in Scientific Domains
(Springer, 2021-03-22)Philosophy of science has the potential to improve scientific practice, science policy, and science education; moreover, recent research indicates that many philosophers of science think we ought to increase the broader ... -
A Framework for Analyzing Broadly Engaged Philosophy of Science
(Cambridge University Press, 2022-01-01)Philosophers of science are increasingly interested in engaging with scientific communities, policy makers, and members of the public; however, the nature of this engagement has not been systematically examined. Instead ... -
Utilitarian Cops: Jeremy Bentham and The Rise of Modern Policing
(University of Waterloo, 2021-10-29)It is widely accepted that modern policing first came into existence with a bill passed in 1829, establishing the Metropolitan London Police under British Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel. It is Peel after all, who has been ... -
Mature Minor Eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): An Ethical Analysis
(University of Waterloo, 2021-08-24)Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada on June 17, 2016, following a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision, Carter v. Canada (2015). Currently, the law controversially denies three groups access to ... -
Controlling Cyberwarfare: International Laws of Armed Conflict and Human Rights in the Cyber Realm
(University of Waterloo, 2021-06-04)Cyberwarfare, military activities in cyberspace conducted by a state against another state and intended to disrupt or destroy computing or communication systems or data, is a recent addition to the warfaring arsenal. The ... -
Broadening the Scope of Engaged Philosophy of Science: An Empirical Analysis of Context-Dependent Barriers
(University of Waterloo, 2021-01-07)Philosophers of science have increasingly been discussing the social and scientific relevance of philosophy over the last decade. These discussions have included philosophy’s role in addressing scientific problems, clarifying ... -
All the World's a Stage: Fictionalism, Metaphysics, and Truth
(University of Waterloo, 2020-12-22)Fictionalism has been an appealing position for many philosophers seeking to avoid controversial ontological commitments implicit in certain kinds of discourses, while also trying to account for the usefulness of those ...
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