Background
I
am an Assistant Professor of
Philosophy at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (since Autumn
2007). In my spare time, I run, referee the
occasional high
school soccer game, and laugh at bad jokes.
I hail from a former coal mining town in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania and lived the first decade of my life in Baltimore, Maryland.
Prior to becoming a philosopher, the most interesting jobs I had were being a proofreader for a medical transcription company, being a desk clerk/night auditor at a hotel, and coaching a high school soccer team.
Research
Read "Civility,
Sincerity, and Ambiguity," the essay that won the 2011
Whetstone-Seaman
Faculty Development Award
I am active with research in general philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, and Asian philosophy.
My current work in general philosophy of science focuses on understanding the difference between the apparent and actual content of scientific hypotheses, and how to use this difference to best accommodate attitudes prominent among practicing scientists concerning the confirmation status and explanatory power of those hypotheses.
My current work in philosophy of biology, collaborating with Olaf Wolkenhauer at the University of Rostock, focuses on understanding metaphysical issues surrounding theories of carcinogenesis (specifically, the Tissue Organization Field Theory) and the role of diagrams in explanation and model discovery within cell biology.
My current work in Asian philosophy focuses on interpreting and reconstructing the metaphysics of Huayan Buddhism, and in particular the philosopher Fazang's theses concerning mutual interdependence and identity (as illustrated, for example, with the Jeweled Net of Indra analogy.)
I am also a Leaf Editor for at philpapers.org.
I am active with research in general philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, and Asian philosophy.
My current work in general philosophy of science focuses on understanding the difference between the apparent and actual content of scientific hypotheses, and how to use this difference to best accommodate attitudes prominent among practicing scientists concerning the confirmation status and explanatory power of those hypotheses.
My current work in philosophy of biology, collaborating with Olaf Wolkenhauer at the University of Rostock, focuses on understanding metaphysical issues surrounding theories of carcinogenesis (specifically, the Tissue Organization Field Theory) and the role of diagrams in explanation and model discovery within cell biology.
My current work in Asian philosophy focuses on interpreting and reconstructing the metaphysics of Huayan Buddhism, and in particular the philosopher Fazang's theses concerning mutual interdependence and identity (as illustrated, for example, with the Jeweled Net of Indra analogy.)
I am also a Leaf Editor for at philpapers.org.
Teaching
Office Hours (Spring 2012): MW 2:30-4:00, TR 12:30-2:00, & by appointment
For the Spring 2012 semester, I will teach Intro to Logic, Intro to Ethics, and Modern Philosophy.I might, at some point, lecture on Confucianism and Human Rights for the Global Studies Seminar.
Contact
332B
Morton Hall
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu