Erik Nelson Department of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, 6135 University Avenue, PO Box 15000 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 4R2 | (902) 789-4403 | erik.nelson@dal.ca Fields of Research Interest AOS: Philosophy of Animal Cognition, Philosophy of Cognitive Science Education 2017 – Present PhD Candidate (ABD), Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Halifax. NS, Canada. Supervisor: Andrew Fenton 2014 – 2017 MA, Philosophy, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada. Thesis: Logic without Regress: Fodor, Heidegger, and Inferences without Rules Supervisor: Gregory Lavers 2011 – 2014 BA Honours, Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. Thesis: Common Sense Knowledge: A Defence of G.E. Moore Supervisor: Duncan MacIntosh 2009 – 2011 General Arts, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada. Publications A. Articles 2020 “What Frege asked Alex the Parrot: Inferentialism, Number Concepts, and Animal Cognition.” Philosophical Psychology, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 206-227. 2016 “Skeptical Symmetry: A Wittgensteinian Approach to Scientific Reasoning.” Gnosis, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 14-19. B. Book Reviews 2019 “Review of Damn Great Empires! William James and the Politics of Pragmatism, by Alexander Livingston.” William James Studies, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 94-101. 2017 “Human Development and the Extended Mind: Review of Becoming Human: The Ontogenesis, Metaphysics, and Expression of Human Emotionality by Jennifer Greenwood.” Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 1092-1093. C. Other Publications 2020 “Animals that can do math understand more language than we think.” The Conversation, May 28. Presentations A. Invited Talks 1 2021 “The Grammar of Bird Cognition: Nonlinguistic Concepts, Holism, and Internal Relations.” Logic and Philosophy of Science Seminar, Eotvos University, February 26. B. Conference Presentations 2021 “Chimpanzees in the Space of Reasons: A Semantic Analysis of Chimpanzee Behaviour.” Normative Animals, York University, June 18. 2021 “Kantian Morality without Reason: Markers for Moral Endowments in Nonhuman Animals.” Canadian Philosophical Association, Congress 2021, University of Alberta, June 1. 2021 “The Grammar of Bird Cognition: Wittgenstein, Corvids, and Nonlinguistic Concepts.” Canadian Society of the History and Philosophy of Science Annual Conference, University of Alberta, May 29. 2020 “Kantian Morality without Reason: Markers for Moral Endowments in Nonhuman Animals.” Canadian Philosophical Association, Congress 2020, University of Western Ontario, Canceled. 2020 “The Grammar of Bird Cognition: Wittgenstein, Corvids, and Nonlinguistic Concepts.” Canadian Society of the History and Philosophy of Science Annual Conference, University of Western Ontario, Canceled. 2019 “What Reason Requires for Morality: A Kantian Approach to Proto-Morality in Nonhuman Animals.” 19th Annual University of Toronto Graduate Philosophy Conference: “Reconstructing Reason: Developing the Concept of Reason through History,” University of Toronto, November 15. 2019 “Explicit Nonlinguistic Mental Content: Inferentialism, Connectionism & Chickens.” The Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, Cape Breton University, October 19. 2019 “The More Speech Objection: Mill, Langton, and Antifa.” Canadian Philosophical Association, Congress 2019, University of British Columbia, June 4. 2019 “The Return of Mind Design: Cognitive Science and the Turing/Ashby Debate” (with Darren Abramson). Canadian Society of the History and Philosophy of Science Annual Conference, University of British Columbia, June 1. 2018 “The Grammar of Bird Cognition: Wittgenstein, Clark’s Nutcrackers, and Nonlinguistic Concepts.” The Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, Saint Francis Xavier University, October 19. 2017 “The Inferences of Tortoises: The Role (or lack thereof) of Logical Rules in Inferential Capabilities.” The Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Conference, Saint Mary’s University, October 14. 2015 “Explicating Epistemology: Methodology in Naturalized Epistemology.” The Third Annual Philosopher’s Cocoon Philosophy Conference, University of Tampa, November 7. 2 2015 “Explicating Epistemology: Methodology in Naturalized Epistemology.” The Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, University of New Brunswick, October 31. 2015 “Skeptical Symmetry: A Wittgensteinian Approach to Scientific Reasoning.” Philosophy and Environment, Science and Policy-Making, Annual GPSA Conference, Concordia University, April 17. C. Departmental Talks 2019 “A Kantian Argument for Proto-Morality in Nonhuman Animals.” Philosophy Department Colloquium, Dalhousie University, November 8. 2019 “The Return of Mind Design: Cognitive Science and the Turing/Ashby Debate.” Philosophy Department Colloquium, Dalhousie University, May 24. 2018 “The Grammar of Bird Cognition: Wittgenstein, Corvids, and Nonlinguistic Concepts.” Philosophy Department Colloquium, Dalhousie University, November 2. 2018 “Violence Might Be Necessary: Mill, Langton, and Antifa.” Philosophy Department Colloquium, Dalhousie University, May 4th. 2017 “What Frege Asked Alex the Parrot.” Philosophy Department Colloquium, Dalhousie University, May 12. 2015 “The Ghost of Thrasymachus: Rationality in Ethics and Economics.” Concordia Graduate Philosophy Colloquium, Concordia University, February 20. Fellowships & Awards 2018 Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Scholarship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (105 000 CAD) 2017 Special Provost Alumni Scholarship, Dalhousie University (80 000 CAD) 2016 Vladimir Zeman Award, Concordia University (300 CAD) 2015 Chair Research Fund Grant, Concordia University (6000 CAD). 2015 Rose and Norman Goldberg Graduate Award, Concordia University (1000 CAD). 2014 Concordia Merit Fellowship, Concordia University (10 000 CAD). Teaching Experience Instructor of Record: 2021 Philosophy 1810 Introduction to Philosophy (Winter Semester), Dalhousie University 2018 Philosophy 2560 Introduction to Cognitive Science (Fall Semester), Dalhousie University 2018 Philosophy 2560 Introduction to Cognitive Science (Winter Semester), Dalhousie University 3 Teaching Assistantships: 2020 Philosophy 1820 Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2020 Philosophy 1010Y Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2019 Philosophy 1010X Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2019 Philosophy 1010Y Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2017 Computer Science 3101/Philosophy 2490 Social/Ethical/Professional Issues in Computer Science, Dalhousie University 2017 Philosophy 1010Y Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2016 Philosophy 1010X Introduction to Philosophy, Dalhousie University 2016 Philosophy 210 Critical Thinking, Concordia University 2016 Philosophy 201 Problems of Philosophy, Concordia University 2015 Philosophy 214 Deductive Logic, Concordia University 2015 Philosophy 265 Introduction to Metaphysics, Concordia University 2014 Philosophy 214 Deductive Logic, Concordia University Tutoring Experience: 2017 – Present Writing Assistant at the Dalhousie Writing Centre 2016 Writing Assistant at the Concordia Aboriginal Resource Centre 2015 – 2016 Writing Assistant at the Concordia Writing Centre Comprehensive Exams Completed Ethics Philosophy of Science Philosophy of Mind Early Modern Philosophy Graduate Coursework Université du Québec à Montréal Summer School in Cognitive Sciences: The Other Minds Problem/Animal Sentience and Cognition (Audit) Dalhousie University Philosophy of Race Kantian Ethics Philosophy of Medicine 4 Logical Theory II Work in Critical Animal Philosophy Topics in the Philosophy of Psychology Philosophy of Animal Cognition (Audit) Concordia University Topics in Metaphysics: Concepts Origins of Contemporary Logic Advanced Epistemology: Experimental and Naturalized Epistemology Advanced Political Philosophy: Dignity and Human Rights Virtue Ethics Philosophy of Language Service to the Profession Conference and Colloquia Organization 2016 Organizer of the Revolutions: Scientific and Social Graduate Philosophy Conference, April 1 & 2 at Concordia University. 2015-2016 Organizer of the Concordia Graduate Philosophy Colloquia Series. Refereeing Gnosis 5