Matthew Slater

Matthew Slater

John Howard Harris Chair in Philosophy and Professor of Philosophy
Cross Icon

Educational Background

  • A.B., Dartmouth College
  • Ph.D., Columbia University

Teaching and Scholarly Interests

  • Philosophy of science
  • Social epistemology & science communication
  • Philosophy of biology
  • Logic
  • Metaphysics

Books

The Nature of Biological Kinds (Oxford University Press, forthcoming)

Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science: New Essays (Oxford University Press, 2017; co-edited with Zanja Yudell)

Are Species Real?: An Essay on the Metaphysics of Species (Palgrave–Macmillan, 2013)

Recent & Forthcoming Articles

“Trust of Science as a Public Collective Good,” with Emily Scholfield (BU ’22) (forthcoming) Philosophy of Science

“Public Conceptions of Scientific Consensus,” with Joanna K. Huxster & Emily Scholfield (BU ’22) (forthcoming) Erkenntnis

“Reporting on Science as an Ongoing Process (or Not),” with Emily Scholfield (BU ’22) & J. Conor Moore (BU ’20) (2021) Frontiers in Communication

“Open Questions in Scientific Consensus Messaging Research,” with Asheley Landrum (2020) Environmental Communication

“Understanding and Trusting Science,” with Joanna K. Huxster & Julia E. Bresticker (BU ’18) (2019) Journal for General Philosophy of Science

“A Pragmatic Approach to the Possibility of De-Extinction,” with Hayley Clatterbuck (2018) Biology & Philosophy

“Natural Kindness” (2015) British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (winner of the 2015 Karl Popper Prize)

Recent Grants

Professor Slater wins Scholar's Award from the National Science Foundation to study scientific literacy and the public understanding of science.

Professors Slater and Leddington to develop a theory of public understanding and devise better means for producing public understanding of science (learn more).

Links

Location

221 Vaughan Literature

Contact