On the 3rd of June 2016 the conference “Does the philosophy of psychiatry need metaphysics” took place in Lancaster town centre at the Story Institute.
Much recent work in the philosophy of psychiatry has presupposed some metaphysical framework or other (eg pragmatism, realism, a McDowellian or Wittgensteinian approach). This conference brings together the authors of a number of influential recent books to consider the extent to which work in the philosophy of psychiatry requires the assumption of a metaphysical framework. The following papers were presented.
Peter Zachar (University of Auburn at Montgomery) ‘Empiricism, pragmatist metaphysics and philosophy of psychiatry’
Rachel Cooper (University of Lancaster) ‘Classification: Realism versus pragmatism’
Derek Bolton (Kings College London & Institute for Psychiatry)’ Localising metaphysics: continuities with science and culture’
Tim Thornton (University of Central Lancashire) ‘The manifest metaphysics of Essential Philosophy of Psychiatry
John O’Neill (Manchester University) ‘Commentary’
Audio files of the first four presentations can be found in the Materials section of this website.
This conference was funded by the British Society for the Philosophy of Science, and by the department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University