RESEARCH INTERESTS
 

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• Metaphysics: causation; free will and determinism; natural kinds and sortal identity.
• Philosophy of Science:  laws of nature, causal powers and dispositions; scientific models and idealisation; reductionism in science; interpretation of probability; causal asymmetry, backwards causation, and time travel.
• Philosophy of Mind: mental causation; the status of folk pyschology; first- vs third-person perspectives.
• Epistemology: rationality; realism vs anti-realism.
• Philosophy of Language and Logic: conditionals; modality.

More recently, I've become very interested in issues in the philosophy of mind to do with folk psychology, mental causation and freedom of the will.  I'm hoping to turn my attention to these issues in more concentrated way at the end of 2002.

Although these subjects have been my main concerns, I've written a wide range of other topics, including secondary qualities and response-dependent concepts, consequentialism in ethics, the two-envelope paradox, and modal fictionalism.

I'm always keen to take on good Honours and Postgraduate students.  I've supervised over 25 Honours or Postgraduate theses on a wide range of topics from philosophy of language to philosophy of biology.  Please get in touch with me if you think that we've interests in common and you're looking for supervision.
 

Postal Address:
                Department of Philosophy                                            Telephone:  61+ 02+ 98508876
                Macquarie University                                                    Fax:  61+ 02+ 98508892
                North Ryde, Sydney
                NSW  2109  Australia
 

Email & Web:
                pmenzies@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au or Peter.Menzies@mq.edu.au
                http://www.phil.mq.edu.au/staff/pmenzies