Stephen Yablo

Department of Linguistics & Philosophy, MIT
Cambridge, MA 02139

email: yablo@mit.edu
phone: 617-258-0740

EDUCATION

Ph. D                          1986 UC, Berkeley (Philosophy)
½ MA                         1980 University of Pune, India (Philosophy)
B.Sc.                           1979 University of Toronto (Math & Philosophy)

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

2005-2008                Chair, Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT    

2004-2005                Head of Philosophy Section, MIT

2001-20XX                Full Professor, Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT
1998-2001                Assoc. Professor, Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT
1992-1998                Assoc. Professsor, Philosophy, U of Michigan
1991-1992                Visiting Asst Professor, Philosophy, U of Toronto
1986-1992                Asst Professor, Philosophy, U of Michigan

 

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophical Logic

AREAS OF COMPETENCE

Epistemology, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mathematics

COURSES TAUGHT

 

Lower Division

Introduction to Philosophy

Symbolic Logic

Paradox & Infinity

Relativism, Reason, & Reality

 

Upper Division

Metaphysics

Philosophy of Logic

Knowledge & Reality

Mathematical Logic

Realism & Nominalism

Metaphor & Ontology

Modal Logic

Topics in the Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Mathematics

 

Graduate Level

Response-Dependent Concepts

Causation

De Re Modality

Metaphysics of Mind

Objects & Objectivity

Truth, Being, & All That

Things, Properties, & All That
Fiction & Presupposition

Aboutness

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

 IN PRINT

• “Soames on Kripke,”  Philosophical Studies (2007)
• "Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure," in A. Byrne and J. Thomson, Content and Modality (Oxford, 2006)
• "No Fool's Cold: Notes on Illusions of Possibility," in M. Garcia-Carpintero and J. Macia, ed. Two Dimensional Semantics (Oxford, 2006)
• "Circularity and Paradox," in T. Bolander, V. F. Hendricks, and S. A. Pedersen, ed. Self-Reference (CSLI Press, 2006)
• "The Myth of the Seven," in M. Kalderon, ed. Fictionalism in Metaphysics (Oxford, 2005)
• "Advertisement for a Sketch of an Outline of a Proto-Theory of Causation," in John Collins, Ned Hall, and L.A. Paul (eds.)  Causation and Counterfactuals (MIT Press, 2004)
• “Almog on Descartes’s Mind and Body,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research (2005), p.  70
• "New Grounds for Naive Truth Theory," in J.C. Beall (ed.), Liars and Heaps (OUP, 2004)
• "Causal Relevance," in Philosophical Issues 13 (2003)
• "Tables Shmables," review of D. Wiggins, Sameness and Substance Renewed , in Times Literary Supplement (2003)
• " De Facto Dependence," Journal of Philosophy 99 (2002), pp. 130-148
• "Abstract Objects: A Case Study," in Andrea Bottani,  Massimiliano Carrara, and Pierdaniele Giaretta (ed.) Individuals, essence and identity: Themes of analytic metaphysics (Kluwer,  2002)
• "Go Figure: A Path Through Fictionalism," Midwest Studies in Philosophy 25 (2002)
• "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda," T. Gendler and J. Hawthorne, ed. Conceivability and Possibility (OUP, 2001)
• (with Agustin Rayo) "Nominalism Through De-Nominalization," Nous (2000)
• "A Paradox of Existence," in T. Hofweber, ed. Empty Names, Fiction and the Puzzle of Existence (CSLI,  2000)
• "Apriority & Existence," in P. Boghossian and C. Peacocke, ed. New Essays on the A Priori (OUP, 2000)
• "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Thinkers," Proceedings of the 20th World Congress of Philosophy , vol. 11 (2000)
• "Superproportionality & Mind-Body Relations," Theoria (2000)
• "A Reply to New Zeno," in Analysis 60 (2000), pp. 148-151
• "Red, Bitter, Best," critical notice of F. Jackson, From Metaphysics to Ethics, in Philosophical Books 41 (2000)
• "Textbook Kripkeanism & the Open Texture of Concepts," in Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 81 (2000), pp. 98-122
• "Intrinsicness," Philosophical Topics 26 (officially 1998, really 2000), pp. 479-504
• "Self-Knowledge & Semantic Luck: Comments on Boghossian," in Philosophical Issues (1999)
• "Concepts & Consciousness: Comments on Chalmers, The Conscious Mind," in Philosophy & Phenomenological Research (1999)
• "The Strange Thing About the Figure in the Bathhouse" (not my title!!), review of A. Thomasson, Fiction & Metaphysics , Times Literary Supplement (1999)
• "Essentialism," in the Encyclopedia of Philosophy (1998)
• "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?" Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supp. Volume 72 (1998), pp. 229-261
• "Wide Causation," Philosophical Perspectives 11 (1997), pp. 251-281
• "How in the World?" Philosophical Topics 24 (1996), pp. 255-286
• "Singling out Properties," Philosophical Perspectives 9 (1995), pp. 477-502
• "Definitions, Consistent and Inconsistent," Philosophical Studies 72 (1993), Special Issue on Definition, pp. 147-175
• "Hop, Skip and Jump: The Agonistic Conception of Truth," Philosophical Perspectives 7 (1993), pp. 371-396
• "Paradox without Self-Reference," Analysis 53 (1993), pp. 251-2
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?" Philosophy & Phenomenological Research 53 (1993), pp. 1-42
• "Review of Alan Sidelle, Necessity, Essence, and Individuation ," Philosophical Review 101 (1992), pp. 878-881
• "Mental Causation," Philosophical Review 101 (1992), pp. 245-280, reprinted in Philosopher's Annual XV (1992) and David Chalmers, ed. Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings (Oxford 2002)
• "Cause and Essence," Synthese 93 (1992), pp. 403-449
• "The Real Distinction Between Mind and Body," Canadian Journal of Philosophy, supp. vol. 16 (1990), pp. 149-201
• "Truth, Definite Truth, and Paradox" (abstract of comments on Vann McGee), Journal of Philosophy 86 (1989), pp. 539-541
• "Review of Graeme Forbes, The Metaphysics of Modality ," Journal of Philosophy 85 (1988), pp. 329-337
• "Identity, Essence, and Indiscernibility," Journal of Philosophy 84 (1987), pp. 293-314, reprinted in Philosopher's Annual X (1987), and Jaegwon Kim & Ernie Sosa, ed., Metaphysics: An Anthology (Blackwell, 1999)
• "Truth and Reflection," Journal of Philosophical Logic 14 (1985), pp. 297-349
• "Grounding, Dependence, and Paradox," Journal of Philosophical Logic 11 (1982), pp. 117-137

TO APPEAR

• (with Gideon Rosen) "Solving Caesar, with Metaphysics" in a collection of papers on the work of Crispin Wright edited by Alexander Miller
• "Content Carving," in a volume for Hans Herzberger edited by Achille Varzi
• "Must Existence-Questions Have Answers?," in an Oxford volume on metaontology edited by David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan Wasserman
• “A Problem about Permission & Possibility,” in a volume on epistemic modals ed. by Andy Egan

WORK IN PROGRESS

• “Unimaginability”
• “What is Left Over?”
• “Partial Truth”
• "Aboutness"
• "Beyond Rigidification" 
• “Parts of Contents”
• "Causation As A Disposition To Lose E On Losing C”

 

TALKS

• ???, Metaontology Conference, Barcelona (June 2008)
• ???, NYU (April 2008)
• ???, Princeton University, Hempel Lectures (March 2008)
• ???, U of Alberta, Edmonton (November  2007)
• ???, U of Alberta, Calgary (November  2007)
• ???, University of Michigan, Nelson Visitor (September 2007)
• “Make Believe & Presupposition,”  Mimesis, MB, & Metaphysics Conference, Leeds (June 2007)
• "Truth & Aboutness,” Logica Conference, Hejnice, Czech Republic (June 2007)
• "Unexplained Modal Illusions," Pacific APA Session on Materialism after Kripke (April 2007)
• “Unimaginability,” John Dewey Memorial Lecture, U of Vermont (March 2007)
• "Objective Mootness: A Metaontological Dialogue,"  University of Saskatchewan (March 2007)
• "Objective Mootness: A Metaontological Dialogue,"  Syracuse University (February 2007)
• "Objective Mootness: A Metaontological Dialogue," Auburn (February 2007)
• "What is Left Over," U of Virginia (October 2006)
• "That May Be,"  Arche Conference on Modality (June 2006)
• "Semantic Arithmetic,"  UCSB Conference on Advances in the Theory of Meaning (February 2006)
• "Limits to Imagination," University of Houston (February 2006)
• "Causation As A Disposition To Lose E On Losing C,"  Bristol Conference on Causation and Dispositions (December 2005)
• "Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure," Brown (September 2005)
• "Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure," AAUP Meetings (July 2005)
• "No Fool's Cold," ANU Conference on Philosophical Methodology (July 2005)
• "Must Existence-Questions Have Answers?,"  ANU Conference on Metaontology (July 2005)
• "Must Existence-Questions Have Answers?,"  U of London (Jacobsen Lecture) (June 2, 2005)
• "Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure," Oxford (Evans Memorial Lecture) (May 31, 2005)
• "Failsafe Presuppositions & the Project of Ontology," U Mass Amherst (April 29, 2005)
• "Existential Presupposition," Cornell (March 11, 2005)
• "Metaontology," APA Session on Metaontology, with Eli Hirsch, Karen Bennett (December 30, 2004)
• "Existential Presupposition,"  UCSD (November 17-22, 2004)
• "Existential Presupposition," Brown (November 5, 2004)
• "Existential Presupposition", U of Pennsylvania (October 29, 2004)
• "Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure," Chapel Hill Colloquium (October 1, 2004)
• "Illusions of Possibility," Jean Nicod Institute (May 17, 2004)
• "Existential Presupposition," Oxford (May 14, 2004)
• "How to Win Friends...," Pitt/CMU Graduate Student Conference (March 20, 2004)
• "How to Win Friends...," Rocky Mountain Philosophy Conference (February 20, 2004)
• "How to Win Friends...," Indiana (December 5, 2003)
• "How to Win Friends...," UC Davis (November 21, 2003)
• "How to Win Friends...," UC Berkeley (November 20, 2003)
• "How to Win Friends...," U Kentucky  (October 24, 2003)
• "How to Win Friends & Influence Truth-Value Without Really Being,"  Yale (October 2, 2003)
• "Beyond Rigidification," Barcelona Conference on Predicate Reference (2003)
• "Beyond Rigidification," Ohio State (2003)
• Comments on Williamson, Knowledge and Its Limits, Rutgers Epistemology Conference (2003)
• "Why I Am Not a Nominalist," NYU Seminar on Factually Defective Discourse (2003)
• "Beyond Rigidification," Brown University (2003)
• "Content Carving for Fun and Profit," UC Irvine Logic Group (2003)
• Comments on Field, "Semantic Paradoxes & Paradoxes of Vagueness," Liars & Heaps Conference, UConn (2002)
• "Content Carving: Some Ways,"  Arche Conference in Foundations of Mathematics, St Andrews (2002)
• "Content Carving for Fun and Profit," UC Irvine Logic Group (2002)
• "What's Circularity Got To Do With It?" Roskilde Conference on Self-Reference (2002)
• "Illusions of Possibility," Glasgow University (2002)
• "De Facto Dependence," Edinburgh University (2002)
• "Illusions of Possibility," Greensboro Conference on Conceivability (2002)
• "De Facto Dependence," Stanford University (2002)
• "De Facto Dependence,"Princeton University (2001)
• "De Facto Dependence,"University of Vermont (2001)
• "De Facto Dependence," UCLA (2001)
• "Grokking Pain," UCLA (2001)
• "The Myth of the Seven," Hendrix College (2001)
• "De Facto Dependence,"University of Toronto (2000)
• "The Myth of the Seven," Pacific Division APA Meetings (2000)
• "Causal Relevance: Mental, Moral, and Epistemic," Veracruz, SOFIA Conference on Metaphysics of Mind (2001)
• "Causal Relevance: Mental, Moral, and Epistemic,"  University College, London (2001)
• "The Myth of the Seven," Bergamo Conference on Analytic Metaphysics (2000)
• "The Myth of the Seven," Eastern Division APA Meetings (2000)
• "Go Figure: A Path Through Fictionalism," E astern Division APA Meetings (2000)
• "Abstract Objects: A Case Study," Oaxaca, SOFIA Conference on Realism and Relativism (2000)
• "Truth and Being," 3 lectures at University of Padua (2000)
• "Causation and Consciousness," 3 lectures at University of Bologna (2000)
• "Grokking Pain," University of Barcelona (2000)
• "Modal Rationalism and Logical Empiricism: Some Similarities,"  NYU Consciousness Seminar (2000)
• "Modal Rationalism and Logical Empiricism: Some Similarities,"  SUNY Buffalo Conference on Consciousness (1999)
• "The Myth of the Seven," Tufts University Seminar on Realism (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Central Division APA Meetings (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Southern Methodist University (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," University of Colorado (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Brandeis University (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Harvard University (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Brown University Graduate Student Conference (1999)
• "A Paradox of Existence," University of Connecticut (1998)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Syracuse University (1998)
• "A Paradox of Existence," CSLI (1998)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Columbia University (1998)
• "A Paradox of Existence," Mighty Metaphysical Mayhem, Notre Dame University (1998)
• "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?" Aristotelian Society Meetings (1998)
• "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Thinkers,"  World Congress of Philosophy (1998)
• "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?" Kansas State University (1997)
• "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?" Johns Hopkins University (1997)
• "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?"Western Michigan University (1997)
• "Textbook Kripkeanism & the Open Texture of Concepts,"  Conference on the A Priori, USC (1997)
• "Self-Knowledge & Semantic Luck: Comments on Boghossian,"  SOFIA Meetings, Barcelona (1997)
• "How in the World?" Kripke Conference, San Marino (1996)
• "How in the World?" Arizona State University (1996)
• "How in the World?" UNC Chapel Hill (1996)
• "How in the World?" Duke University (1996)
• "How in the World?" North Carolina State University (1996)
• "How in the World?" East Carolina University (1996)
• "How in the World?" York University (1995)
• "How in the World?"New York University (1995)
• "Singling out Properties" UC San Diego (1994)
• "Singling out Properties" UC Riverside (1994)
• "Singling out Properties" University of Queensland (1993)
• "Singling out Properties" Australian National University (1993)
• "Singling out Properties" Monash University (1993)
• "Definitions, Consistent and Inconsistent,"  University of Queensland (1993)
• Comments on Kit Fine, "Essence and Modality,"  APA Pacific Division Meetings (1993)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Princeton University (1993)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Harvard University (1993)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  University of Rochester (1991)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Queen's University (1991)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  University of Notre Dame (1991)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Davidson College (1991)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Wayne State University (1990)
• "Is Conceivability a Guide to Possibility?"  Ohio State University (1990)
• "Mental Causation," University of Western Ontario (1991)
• "Mental Causation," UNC Chapel Hill (1991)
• "Mental Causation," Chicago Circle (1990)
• "The Real Distinction Between Mind and Body,"  University of Arizona (1989)
• "The Real Distinction Between Mind and Body," George Myro Memorial Conference, UC Berkeley (1989)
• Comments on Vann McGee, "Kripke's Theory of Truth,"  APA Eastern Division Meetings (1989)
• "Rules for Truth," Conference on the Semantics of Self-Reference, CSLI (1987)
• "Contingent Identity," UCLA (1986)
• "Contingent Identity," Brown University (1986)
• "Contingent Identity," Cornell University (1986)
• "Contingent Identity," University of Michigan (1986)
• "Contingent Identity," USC (1985)

EDITORIAL BOARDS

Philosophical Studies, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Advisory Committee to the APA Eastern Division Program Committee (1997-2000)

REFEREEING

Journal of Philosophical Logic, Journal of Symbolic Logic, Philosophical Review, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Nous, Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Synthese, Manuscrito (Brazil), MIT Press, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press

PH.D. STUDENTS, chair or co-chair (still working on this)

Clare Batty, Lessons in Smelling (2007) [U of Kentucky, 2007]                                                                                Iris Einheuser,  Conventionalism (2003) [Duke, 2005]
Andy Egan, Non-Standard Features (2003) [U of Michigan, 2005]
Carolina Sartorio, The Causal and the Moral (2003)  [U of Wisconsin, Madison, 2005]
James Woodbridge, Truth as a Pretense (2001) [U of Michigan, visiting, 2005]
Matti Eklund, Paradoxes & the Foundations of Semantics & Metaphysics (2000) [Cornell, 2005]
Karen Bennett, Keeping Modality in Mind: A Defense of Token Identity (2000) [Princeton, 2005]
Marc Alspector-Kelly, Carnap's and Quine's Views on Ontology (1998) [Western Michigan, 2005]
John Devlin, Truth, Modality, and Ontology (1998)  [Arizona State. 2005]
Paul Torek, Something to Look Forward To: Personal Identity, Prudence, and Ethics (1995)
Alex Miller, Sublimation, Reason, and Rule-Following (1995)  [Macquarie, 2005]
Leon Porter, Semantic Paradox and the Metaphysics of Truth (1995)

HONORS AND AWARDS

• National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (2003)
• Michigan Humanities Fellowship (1995)
• National Humanities Center (1995)
• Teaching Award, University of Michigan (1992, 1993)
• "Mental Causation" picked for Philosopher's Annual (1992)
• Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences Fellowship (1991)
• Canada Research Fellowship (1990)
• National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (1989)
• "Identity, Essence, & Indiscernibility" picked for Philosopher's Annual (1988)