CV

Joshua T. Spencer
Curriculum Vitae

Department of Philosophy
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627-0078
jspence8 at mail dot rochester dot edu

Education:
    Ph.D. University of Rochester                  Expected 2008

    M.A. University of Rochester                    October 2007

    B.A. Western Washington University         December 2002
        Major: Philosophy
        Major: English

Areas of Specialization:
    Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language

Areas of Competence:
    Epistemology, Philosophical logic, Ethics

Dissertation:
    Material Objects in Tile Space-Time
    Comittee: David Braun (Director), Earl Conee, Edward Wierenga

Publications:
    "Holes as Regions of Space-Time" (Co-authored with Andrew Wake and Greg Fowler) The Monist 90:3 (July 2007).

    "Two Mereological Arguments against the Possibility of an Omniscient Being" Philo Vol. 9:1 (Spring/Summer 2006): 62-71.

Paper Presentations:
    "A Tale of Two Simples", Pacific APA, San Francisco, California (April 2007)

    "A Tale of Two Simples", The Creighton Club, Geneva, NY (November 2006)

    "Contextualism about 'Can' and Moral Obligations", Western Canadian Philosophical Association, Winnipeg, Manitoba (October 2005)

    “A Simple Paper”, The 1st Annual Northwest Student Philosophy Conference, Western Washington University (June 2003)

Comments:
    Comments on Samuel Henry's "Causal Chains and Reference to God", Rutgers Philosophy of Religion Conference, Rutgers University (January 2007)

    Comments on Sam Cowling's "Hypergunk and Inaccessible Fictionalism", Western Canadian Philosophical Association, Winnipeg, Manitoba (October 2005)

Comments on Ben Caplan and David Sanson's "The Way Things Were", Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference, Washington State University/University of Idaho (April 2005)

    Comments on Stephan Torre's "De Se Knowledge and the Possibility of Omniscience", University of Rochester Graduate Student Epistemology Conference, University of Rochester (September 2004)

    Comments on Reza Mahmoodshahi's "Kant's Proof of a Universal Principle of Causality: A Transcendental Idealist's Reply to Hume", The 2nd Annual Northwest Student Philosophy Conference, Western Washington University (June 2004)

Awards:
    Best Essay of the Year Award, University of Rochester (2007)

    Best Essay of the Year Award, University of Rochester (2005)

    University Fellowship, University of Rochester (2005-2008)

    Dean’s Fellowship, University of Rochester (2003-2005)

    Outstanding Graduate Award for Excellence in Philosophy, Western Washington University (2003)

    Paul and Rebecca Olscamp Philosophy Scholarship, Western Washington University (2001/2002)

    Paul and Rebecca Olscamp Philosophy Scholarship, Western Washington University (2000/2001)

Courses Taught (University of Rochester):
    Puzzles about God (Fall 2007)
    Physics and Philosophy (Fall 2006, Spring 2007)
    Introductory Logic (Spring 2006)

Teaching Assistantships (University of Rochester):
    Introduction to Ethics (Fall 2006)
    Reason and Argument (Spring 2005)
    Ethics: Contemporary Moral Problems (Fall 2004)

Teaching Assistantships (Western Washington University):
    Intermediate Logic (Fall 2000, 2001, 2002)
    Introductory Logic (Fall 1999-Fall 2002)
    Logical Thinking (Fall 2001-Spring 2002)

Graduate Level Courses Taken and Audited (marked with '*'):

    Metaphysics:
            Free Will and Determinism    (Feldman)
            Fictionalism and Ontological Commitment    (Uzquiano)
            Mereology    (Uzquiano)
            Necessity and Essence    (Gallois)
            The Metaphysics of Modality*    (Wierenga)
          Meta-Ontology*    (Heller)
          Parts and Wholes*   (McDaniel)
          Qualia and Representation*    (Braun, Ney)

    Philosophy of Language:
             Belief and Belief Ascription    (Braun)
             Indexicals and Demonstratives    (Braun)
             Knowing That, Knowing Who, and Context    (Braun)
             Fiction, Myth and General Terms*   (Braun)

    Epistemology:
             Theory of Knowledge   (Conee)
             Internalism and Externalism   (Feldman)
             Knowledge and Lotteries   (Feldman)

    Philosophical Logic:
             Logical Methods in Philosophy   (Uzquiano)
             Mathematical Logic    (Uzquiano)
             Universal Quantification   (Uzquiano)
             Plural Quantification*   (McKay)

    Ethics:
          Issues at the Margins of Life    (Conee)
            Moral Realism     (Conee)

    History of Philosophy:
             Ancient Philosophy   (Modrak)
             Rationalism   (Meerbote)
             Midieval Philosophy   (Wierenga)

Reading and Discussion Group Participation (not for credit):
    Weekly Analysis Reading Group
    Transient Truths: An Essay in the Metaphysics of Propositions
    Physics and Philosophy Interdepartment Discussion Group
    Quantum Non-Locality and Relativity
    Philosophy of Time
    Summer Epistemology
    Holes and Other Superficialities
    Reference and Essence

Services:
    Assistant Organizer of the 8th Bellingham Summer Philosophy Conference (2007)

    Graduate Student Admissions Committee for the University of Rochester Philosophy Department (2007)

    Organizer of the 4th biennial Rochester Graduate Student Epistemology Conference (2006)

    Assistant Organizer of the 7th Bellingham Summer Philosophy Conference (2006)

    Content Review Committee, 3rd Biennial University of Rochester Graduate Student Epistemology Conference (2004)

    Organizer of The1st Annual Northwest Student Philosophy Conference, with Christian Lee, (2003)

    Indexed Divine Hiddeness for Daniel Howard-Snyder (2001)

Professional Affiliations:
    American Philosophical Association

    Creighton Club