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Professional Curriculum Vitae

Jobs

  • September 2011 - present: Universitair docent (Assistant professor), Universiteit Leiden, Institute for Philosophy
  • September 2008 - August 2011: Docent (Lecturer), Universiteit Leiden, Institute for Philosophy
  • September 2004 - August 2008: Promovendus (PhD student / research assistant), Universiteit Leiden, Institute for Philosophy

Postal Address:
Victor Gijsbers
Institute for Philosophy
PO Box 9515
2300 RA Leiden
The Netherlands
V.Gijsbers@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Published articles

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  • "Why Unification Is Neither Necessary Nor Sufficient for Explanation", Philosophy of Science, 74 (October 2007), pp. 481–500.
  • "Understanding, explanation, and unification", Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, forthcoming.
  • "How Agency Can Solve Interventionism's Problem of Circularity", Victor Gijsbers & Leon de Bruin, Synthese, forthcoming.

PhD thesis

Reviews

  • "Begrijpen in de wetenschap", Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, Volume 98, Issue 1, 2006. (Review of the Philosophical Perspectives on Scientific Understanding Conference, Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, August 2005.)
  • "Depth: An Account of Scientific Explanation", International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Volume 23, Issue 2, July 2009, pp. 225-228. (Review of the book of the same title by Michael Strevens.)

Popular articles

Translations

  • "Naar een open dialoog tussen de wetenschap en de wetenschapsstudies" by Sabina Leonelli (from the English), Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, Volume 99, Issue 3, 2007, pp. 237-240.

Presentations

Professional

  • "Contingentie, informatie en het duiveltje van Maxwell", Afstudeer-colloquium, Universiteit Utrecht, November 4, 2004.
  • "Is unification necessary for explanation?", Philosophy of Science Conference, Dubrovnik, April 13, 2005.
  • "Information-theoretic exorcisms of Maxwell's Demon", CASA-colloquium, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, May 11, 2005.
  • "Does unification yield understanding?". Philosophical Perspectives on Scientific Understanding Conference, Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, August 25, 2005.
  • "Maxwell's Demon, Scales and Temperature", Philosophy of Science Conference, Dubrovnik, April 2006.
  • "Verklaren: Determinatie en/of unificatie?", stafcolloquium Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, Januari 19, 2007.
  • "Explanation as Determination", 13th International Conference on Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Beijing, Augustus 13, 2007
  • "IBE: Arguments against the Guiding Thesis", British Society for the Philosophy of Science Conference 2008, July 10-11, 2008, St Andrews.
  • "Indeterministic Explanations Of Determined Events", Philosophy of Science in a Forest (Vijfde Vlaams-Nederlands Congres voor Algemene en Speciale Wetenschapsfilosofie), May 15, 2010
  • "Unification and Understanding", Understanding and the Aims of Science conference, Leiden University, June 2, 2010
  • "Mathematical Explanation", Causality and Explanation in the Sciences, Ghent University, September 21, 2011
  • "Unification and Causation: Two Different Kinds of Understanding?", Explanation, Causality and Unification, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, November 12, 2011
  • Discussion presentation on Jody Azzouni's Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, January 23, 2013.

Popular

  • "Theorie als Paradox", Pallas debat-middag, Universiteit Leiden, April 26, 2005.
  • "Feyerabend en de metafysica van de tijd", for Student Society 'Symposion', 2005.
  • "Filosofie als opvoeding", at the weekend for freshman students of the Faculty of Philosophy of Leiden University, 2006.
  • "Autonomie in de 21e eeuw", (28th Flemish-Dutch Day of Philosophy, theme 'Humanisme(n)', Vrije Universiteit Brussel, November 25, 2006.
  • "Het Ware en het Ene", at the weekend for freshman students of the Institute of Philosophy of Leiden University, 2009.
  • "Unificatie en verklaring", Pindaconcert, Utrecht, September 19, 2009.
  • "Overleven in roleplaying games", Discovery 2009 in Nemo, Amsterdam, September 25, 2009.
  • "Een kleine geschiedenis van de geest", Pindaconcert, Utrecht, January 30, 2010.
  • "Weg met de oorsprong?", A.S.V. Prometheus, Leiden, May 26, 2010.
  • "Filosofie van de tijd", Studium Generale Utrecht, March 9, 2011.
  • "Pynchons paranoia", summer symposium "Wetenschapsfilosofie & Litteratuur" of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Wetenschapsfilosofie, August 15, 2011.
  • "Tijdasymmetrie", Symposium "Tijd, heeft u even?", organised by studievereniging Complex, Tilburg University, October 6, 2011.
  • "Tijdasymmetrie", KNSM Sociëteit, Amsterdam, October 21, 2011.
  • "Het essentiële kenmerk van de moderne wetenschap", Pindaconcert, Utrecht, October 29, 2011.
  • "Asymmetrie van de tijd", Studium Generale Wageningen, Wageningen, November 24, 2011.
  • "Delen of gehelen", Studium Generale Utrecht, February 22, 2012.
  • "Concepten van causaliteit in de hedendaagse wijsbegeerte", Studium Generale Leiden, February 27, 2012.
  • "Wetenschap en zelfinzicht", A.S.V. Prometheus, Leiden, November 21, 2012.
  • "De aard van contrastieve verklaringen", Symposium De filosofie van wetenschappelijke verklaring en begrip, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Wetenschapsfilosofie, December 17, 2012.
  • "Wat was er cool aan Copernicus? Psychologie van het heliocentrisme", Pindaconcert, Utrecht, January 19, 2013.
  • "Entropie en tijdsasymmetrie", Studentenvereniging Symposion, Leiden, February 7, 2013.
  • Philosophical introduction to the movie La cinquième saison, Filmtheater 't Hoogt, Utrecht, February 22, 2013.
  • "Reduction", Leiden Honours Community, Leiden, March 1, 2013.
  • "Een spel met de dood", Filosofisch café Den Bosch, March 11, 2013.
  • Interview about "Walging", including a declamation of Wordsworth's 12th Sonnet upon the Punishment of Death, Raamsteeg2, Leiden, March 22, 2013.

Relevant Diplomas

  • Master's degree in Foundations of Physics, cum laude (highest distinction), Department of Physics & Astronomy, Universiteit Utrecht, 2004.
  • Master's degree in Philosophy of the Exact Sciences, Department of Philosophy, Universiteit Utrecht, 2004.
  • "Certificate of Proficiency in English" (CPE), University of Cambridge.
  • Certificate for "Activerend hoorcolleges geven" ("giving activating lectures"), ICLON, Universiteit Leiden, 2005.
  • "Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs" (BKO, "Basic Qualification Education"), Universiteit Leiden, 2008.
  • Doctorate in Philosophy, Universiteit Leiden, September 28, 2011; cum laude (highest distinction). The thesis was called Explanation and Determination. The committee consisted of prof. dr. B. G Sundholm (Universiteit Leiden, promotor); dr. J. W. McAllister (Universiteit Leiden, co-promotor); prof. dr. C. R. Hitchcock (California Institute of Technology); prof. dr. A. J. M. Peijnenburg (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen); prof. dr. S. Psillos (University of Athens); dr. H. W. de Regt (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam); prof. dr. M. Strevens (New York University).

Courses taught

  • "Epistemology and Philosophy of Science II" (1st year students), 2005-2006, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden.
  • "Epistemology and Philosophy of Science II" (1st year students), 2006-2007, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Remko van der Geest.
  • "Richard Rorty on Philosophy without Mirrors" (3rd year / master students), 2006-2007, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Leon de Bruin.
  • "Philosophy of Science in Context" (bachelor students), 2007-2008, 2nd semster, Universiteit Utrecht; with Rob van Gerwen.
  • "Epistemology and Philosophy of Science II" (2nd year students), 2008-2009, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2008-2009, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Epistemology and Philosophy of Science I" (1st year students), 2008-2009, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2008-2009, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2009-2010, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Rorty over kennis en waarheid" (3rd year students), 2009-2010, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden.
  • "Academische vaardigheden" (1st year students), 2009-2010, 2nd semester, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2009-2010, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2010-2011, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Philosophy of Science" (2nd year students), 2010-2011, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2010-2011, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Epistemology" (1st year students), 2010-2011, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2011-2012, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden; with Egbert Fortuin.
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2011-2012, 2nd semester, Universiteit Leiden.
  • "Wetenschapsfilosofie" (2nd year students), 2012-2013, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden
  • "Philosophy of Science for the Humanities" (1st-3rd year students), 2012-2013, 1st semester, Universiteit Leiden.

Visits

  • Visiting PhD student at the Department for History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge University, Michaelmas Term 2007-2008. Supervisor: Peter Lipton.

Peer reviews

  • For Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Perspectives on Science, and Theoria.

Committees

  • Science Committee of the Faculty of Philosophy, Universiteit Leiden (2004-2006)
  • Recruitment & Advertising Committee of the Faculty/Institute of Philosphy, Universiteit Leiden (2006-2012)
  • Education Committee of the Institute of Philosophy, Universiteit Leiden (2012-present)