Profiles
Richard Corry
Richard Corry
Lecturer, Philosophy
Room 359 , Humanities Building
Richard Corry is Lecturer in Philosophy in the School of Humanities. His main area of research is in the metaphysics of causal powers, and the metaphysics of science, particularly the place of time and causation in modern physics. He is also interested in exploring what philosophy of science can contribute to real-world issues, such as the public debate around climate change.
Biography
Richard has been at the University of Tasmania since 2004. In 2003 he held teaching positions at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales. Between 1996 and 2002 Richard was a tutor and lecturer at Indiana University, Bloomington whilst studying his PhD there. Richard has also had positions as visiting researcher at the Centre for Time, University of Sydney, in 2003 and 2007, and Indiana University, Bloomington in 2007.
Career summary
Qualifications
| Degree | Title of Thesis | University | Country | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | A Causal-Structural Theory of Empirical Knowledge | Indiana University, Bloomington | United States | 2002 |
| BA(Hons) | Minds, Machines and Consistency: A Discussion of Human Reasoning Inspired by the Works of Gödel, Lucas and Penrose | Australian National University | Australia | 1996 |
| BSc(Hons) | Cosmic Strings | Australian National University | Australia | 1995 |
| GradCert | University Teaching and Learning | University of Tasmania | Australia | 2006 |
Memberships
Professional practice
Australasian Association of Philosophy
Administrative expertise
Richard was lead Graduate Research Coordinator for the School of Humanities 2016-2019, and GRC for Philosophy and Gender Studies 2008-2015. He was Honours Coordinator for Philosophy and Gender Studies 2010-2013, and was Deputy Head of the School of Philosophy and Gender Studies 2011-2012.
Teaching
Philosophy of Science, Logic, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Critical Thinking, Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Biology
Teaching expertise
Richard's teaching covers all stages from first year through to postgraduate. He has designed and taught classes in philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, philosophy of biology, metaphysics and epistemology, logic, and critical thinking.
Teaching responsibility
- Good Thinking: reasoning skills for life (XBR105)
- Introduction to Logic (HPH203)
- Philosophy of Science (HPH206)
- Philosophy of Science (HPH306)
Research Invitations
‘Power, Influence, and the Interaction Gap’, presented to the 'Mereology of Potentiality' project, hosted by Oxford and Durham Universities. 2020
‘Attributing Responsibility for Extreme Weather Events’ presented to Imagining a Different Future: Overcoming Barriers to Climate Justice, Hobart 2018
‘Hidden Variables, Retrocausation, and Fine Tuning’, presented to the Australian National University, 2017
View more on Dr Richard Corry in WARP
Expertise
Richard looks for assumptions that are built into our frameworks for understanding the world, and he investigates what these assumptions tell us about the world and our relation to it. In particular, he is interested in assumptions surrounding the concepts of cause and effect, time and space, and the concept of properties in general. Once we recognise these assumptions we can question their legitimacy: what is their relation to reality? What are the ethical or epistemic implications of these assumptions? Should we be changing our conceptual frameworks?
- The concepts of cause and effect
- The arrow of time
- The philosophy of the climate change debate
- The metaphysics of properties
- The philosophy of physics
Current projects
Power and Influence.
This project argues that reductive explanations---which we find across the sciences---presuppose a metaphysics of causal influence: component causes that are vector-like in that they have a strength and direction, and work together to produce an effect. This project investigates the nature of these influences and their relation to causal powers on the one hand, and laws of nature on the other.
Temporal and Causal Asymmetries.
Our everyday experience of the world includes a marked difference between the past and the future, and between cause and effect. However, the equations of fundamental physics do not distinguish between past and future directions of time, nor do they include asymmetric relations of causal dependence. This project investigates the nature and origin of these asymmetries.
Philosophy of Climate Change (With David Coady)
Public policy debates on how we should understand and respond to climate change turn, in part, on philosophical issues from across many fields of philosophy. To date, however, there has been little philosophical engagement with climate change beyond the fields of ethics and political philosophy. This project investigates epistemic and metaphysical raised by climate change.
Fields of Research
- Metaphysics (500309)
- History and philosophy of science (500204)
- Ethical theory (500306)
- Environmental philosophy (500304)
- Learning sciences (390409)
- Epistemology (500305)
- Philosophy of cognition (500312)
- Applied ethics (500199)
- History and philosophy of engineering and technology (500201)
- Sociology and social studies of science and technology (441007)
- Philosophy (500399)
- Other physical sciences (519999)
- Human rights and justice issues (excl. law) (500104)
- Philosophy of mind (excl. cognition) (500315)
Research Objectives
- Expanding knowledge in philosophy and religious studies (280119)
- Learner and learning (160199)
- Other education and training (169999)
- Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences (280120)
- Environmental education and awareness (190203)
- Understanding climate change (190599)
- Environmental policy, legislation and standards (190299)
- Expanding knowledge in psychology (280121)
- Social impacts of climate change and variability (190103)
- Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences (280111)
- Expanding knowledge in human society (280123)
Publications
Richard is the author of Power and Influence: The Metaphysics of Reductive Explanation (2019), co-author, with David Coady, of The Climate Change Debate: An Epistemic and Ethical Enquiry (2013), and editor, with Huw Price, of Causation, Physics, and the Constitution of Reality (2007). He has published numerous articles in metaphysics as well as on the philosophy of mind, ESP, and the ethics of consumer responsibility.
Total publications
15
Highlighted publications
(9 outputs)| Year | Type | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Book | Corry R, 'Power and Influence: The Metaphysics of Reductive Explanation', Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 256. ISBN 9780198840718 (2019) [Authored Research Book] | |
| 2017 | Chapter in Book | Corry R, 'Did climate change cause that?', A Companion to Applied Philosophy, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, K Lippert-Rasmussen, K Brownlee, and D Coady (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 469-483. ISBN 9781118869130 (2017) [Research Book Chapter] | |
| 2015 | Journal Article | Corry RL, 'Retrocausal models for EPR', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 49 pp. 1-9. ISSN 1355-2198 (2015) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsb.2014.11.001 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9Web of Science - 9 | |
| 2013 | Book | Coady D, Corry R, 'The Climate Change Debate: An Epistemic and Ethical Enquiry', Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 130. ISBN 9781137326270 (2013) [Authored Research Book] DOI: 10.1057/9781137326287 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 19 Co-authors: Coady D | |
| 2013 | Journal Article | Corry Richard, 'Emerging from the causal drain', Philosophical Studies, 165, (1) pp. 29-47. ISSN 0031-8116 (2013) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1007/s11098-012-9918-3 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9Web of Science - 8 | |
| 2011 | Journal Article | Corry RL, 'Can dispositional essences ground the laws of nature?', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 89, (2) pp. 263-275. ISSN 0004-8402 (2011) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/00048401003660325 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 6Web of Science - 9 | |
| 2009 | Chapter in Book | Corry R, 'How is scientific analysis possible?', Dispositions and Causes, Clarendon Press, T Handfield (ed), Oxford, pp. 158-188. ISBN 9780199558933 (2009) [Research Book Chapter] | |
| 2007 | Book | Corry RL, Price H, 'Causation, physics, and the constitution of reality: Russell's republic revisited', Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 404. ISBN 9780199278183 (2007) [Edited Book] | |
| 2006 | Journal Article | Corry RL, 'Causal Realism and the Laws of Nature', Philosophy of Science, 73, (3) pp. 261-276. ISSN 0031-8248 (2006) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1086/515417 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 8Web of Science - 8 |
Journal Article
(4 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Corry RL, 'Retrocausal models for EPR', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 49 pp. 1-9. ISSN 1355-2198 (2015) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsb.2014.11.001 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9Web of Science - 9 | |
| 2013 | Corry Richard, 'Emerging from the causal drain', Philosophical Studies, 165, (1) pp. 29-47. ISSN 0031-8116 (2013) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1007/s11098-012-9918-3 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9Web of Science - 8 | |
| 2011 | Corry RL, 'Can dispositional essences ground the laws of nature?', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 89, (2) pp. 263-275. ISSN 0004-8402 (2011) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/00048401003660325 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 6Web of Science - 9 | |
| 2006 | Corry RL, 'Causal Realism and the Laws of Nature', Philosophy of Science, 73, (3) pp. 261-276. ISSN 0031-8248 (2006) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1086/515417 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 8Web of Science - 8 |
Book
(3 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Corry R, 'Power and Influence: The Metaphysics of Reductive Explanation', Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 256. ISBN 9780198840718 (2019) [Authored Research Book] | |
| 2013 | Coady D, Corry R, 'The Climate Change Debate: An Epistemic and Ethical Enquiry', Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 130. ISBN 9781137326270 (2013) [Authored Research Book] DOI: 10.1057/9781137326287 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 19 Co-authors: Coady D | |
| 2007 | Corry RL, Price H, 'Causation, physics, and the constitution of reality: Russell's republic revisited', Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 404. ISBN 9780199278183 (2007) [Edited Book] |
Chapter in Book
(4 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Corry R, 'Did climate change cause that?', A Companion to Applied Philosophy, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, K Lippert-Rasmussen, K Brownlee, and D Coady (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 469-483. ISBN 9781118869130 (2017) [Research Book Chapter] | |
| 2015 | Corry RL, 'ESP, Causation, and the Possibility of Precognition', Extrasensory Perception: Support, Skepticism, and Science, Volume 1: History, Controversy, and Research, Praeger, E May and S Marwaha (ed), United States, pp. 107-128. ISBN 978-1440832871 (2015) [Research Book Chapter] | |
| 2009 | Corry R, 'How is scientific analysis possible?', Dispositions and Causes, Clarendon Press, T Handfield (ed), Oxford, pp. 158-188. ISBN 9780199558933 (2009) [Research Book Chapter] | |
| 2007 | Corry RL, Price H, 'A Case for Causal Republicanism ', in Causation, Physics and The Constitution of Reality: Russells Republic Revisited, Clarendon Press, Huw Price and Richard Corry (ed), Oxford, pp. 1-10. ISBN 9780199278190 (2007) [Research Book Chapter] |
Review
(1 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Corry RL, 'Earman John, Clark Glymour, and Sandra Mitchell, eds,, Ceteris Paribus Laws', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 83, (2) pp. 301. (2005) [Review Single Work] |
Other Public Output
(3 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Corry R, 'Sympathy, hypocrisy, responsibility: Who's to blame for climate change?: interview with Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens', The Minefield, Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Coorperation, Australia, 19 September 2018 (2018) [Media Interview] | |
| 2018 | Corry R, 'Eating meat, possessing child pornography: The dilemma of consumer responsibility', ABC Religion & Ethics, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia, 18 September 2018 (2018) [Magazine Article] | |
| 2014 | Corry RL, 'A Dilemma of Consumer Responsibility', Philosophy Now: a magazine of ideas, Philosophy Now, United Kingdom, 102, May/June, pp. 9-11. (2014) [Magazine Article] |
Grants & Funding
Funding Summary
Number of grants
3
Total funding
Projects
- Description
- The ongoing public debate around anthropogenic climate change makes one thing clear: scientists can have a hard time getting their message across to the public. Various explanations have been given for the lack of public acceptance of the reality of anthropogenic climate change-from individual biases to manipulation of the media by those with vested interests. In this project, we will explore the hypothesis that: scientists have trouble communicating their findings to the public due to many members of the public having overly simplistic understandings of the nature of natural science. In particular, for example, we are interested in the apparently paradoxical idea that such resistance by the public can be the result of Scientism-an excessive or dogmatic belief in the power of scientific knowledge and techniques. Those who view science this way may hold scientific discussion to an unrealistically high standard, and when a theory inevitably falls short of this standard (e.g. when there is seen to be disagreement among experts on climate change), the theory is dismissed as unsettled or a result of bad science. Alternatively, scientific claims may be dismissed as presumptuous or arrogant.In this project a multidisciplinary team will:1.Provide epistemic insights through the exploration of what is knowable in science from a cross-disciplinary perspective.2.Gather baseline data about:(i) the extent to which academic staff teachers, and cohorts of students from across disciplines, understand the nature and process of science;(ii) any correlations between overly simplistic understandings of science and dismissive attitudes towards particular theories, and/or the scientific enterprise in general.This is a pilot for a larger study which will gather a larger data set, and test the effectiveness of one or more interventions that will be designed to aid in the development of a more sophisticated view of science.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania ($10,455)
- Scheme
- Grant - CALE Hothouse Alignment Scheme
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Fraser SP; Chase JK; Coady DA; Corry RL; Parks MC; Konkes C; Wood G; Seen AJ
- Year
- 2018
- Funding
- University of Tasmania ($800)
- Scheme
- Grant-Conference Support Scheme
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Corry RL
- Year
- 2012
- Funding
- University of Tasmania ($1,840)
- Scheme
- Grant-Conference Support Scheme
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Corry RL
- Year
- 2008
Research Supervision
Richard has supervised theses on climate change inaction, causal powers, philosophy of mind, free will, theories of perception, evolutionary epistemology, evolutionary ethics, and Buddhist theories of causation.
Richard would be particularly interested in supervising projects in the following three areas:
- The metaphysics of powers, causation, and laws of nature
- The place of temporal and causal asymmetries in physics
- Metaphysical and epistemic issues raised by climate change
Current
4
Completed
13
Current
| Degree | Title | Commenced |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | Monistic Theories of Consciousness | 2018 |
| PhD | Rethinking Nature: Deleuze and the Anthropocene | 2019 |
| PhD | Dennett versus Nagel: Addressing and potentially resolving the tensions arising from the philosophical works of Daniel C. Dennett and Thomas Nagel | 2020 |
| PhD | Finding the Will: A philosophy of energy and the individual | 2021 |
Completed
| Degree | Title | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Masters | The Neuroethical and Epistemological Examination of Closed-loop Deep Brain Stimulation for Neuropsychiatric Illnesses Candidate: Ian Stevens | 2022 |
| PhD | Back to the Agora! Ancient light on modern failure to address climate change Candidate: David Alexander Clarke | 2021 |
| PhD | Disposition Ascriptions as Suppositions Candidate: Tony John Kerr | 2018 |
| PhD | The Foundations of Flourishing and Our Obligations to Infants Candidate: Gillian Elaine Joiner | 2018 |
| PhD | Masculine Madness: The Normality of Evil in the Western Cultural Imaginary Candidate: Ross Anthony Honeywill | 2014 |
| PhD | Pain is Mechanism Candidate: Simon Peter Van Rysewyk | 2013 |
| PhD | Heidegger's Language Candidate: Adrian James Staples | 2013 |
| PhD | Nourishing the Dhamma: Vegetarianism and Animal Nonviolence in Theravada Buddhism with a special focus on Sinhala Buddhism Candidate: James John Stewart | 2012 |
| Masters | Is Laplacian Determinism Compatible with Reasons-based Freedom? Candidate: Gabrielle Christine Sauvage | 2011 |
| Masters | Homo credulus: Bio-philosophical Reflections on Evolution and Religious Belief Candidate: Delton Laud Hedges | 2010 |
| PhD | Three Mistakes about the Senses Candidate: David Vender | 2010 |
| PhD | Morality on a Leash: Walking the Dogma. A Search for Plausible Connections between Morality and Biology Candidate: Jillian Louise Britton | 2010 |
| Masters | The Prasangika Madhyamika's Dependent Arising and a Critique of Essentialist Causal Theories. the Essentialist Causal Theories Candidate: Tenzin Sangmo | 2008 |