Edward Slowik
Winona State University, USA
Academic Year 2007-08
Alternative approaches to the ontology of space and spacetime

October 2007

Edward Slowik is a Professor in the Philosophy Department at Winona State University in Minnesota. His main research interests lie in the philosophy of space, time, matter and motion, from the Early Modern period to the present, with special emphasis on the ontology of space. While at the Center, he will investigate alternative ontological and epistemological approaches to space that eschew the traditional substantivalist and relationist categories (i.e., space as either a substance or a mere relation among substances). Among these alternative approaches, the most important is the structuralist conception, although the property theory and the Positivist-influenced definitional approach will also figure prominently in the investigation, as well as the contribution provided by twentieth century phenomenology and the contemporary lived-space movement. After a brief aviation career, Ed went on to receive his B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Ohio State University. His previous works include, Cartesian Spacetime (Kluwer, 2002), and articles in various philosophy journals. Besides the history and philosophy of the natural sciences, other interests include the realism/anti-realism debate, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of logic and mathematics, and Analytic philosophy. Ed is a big classical music fan, often frequents bookstores and coffee shops (too often, in fact), and follows Chicago sports teams (but only when they’re winning, which obviously isn’t often enough).

June 2008

Paper: "Newton, Substances and Accidents, and Third-Way Theories of Space", at the New York/New Jersey Reading Group in Early Modern Philosophy, 3/3/08

Award: The American Philosophical Society Sabbatical Award