Education

BA: 1977-1982 Department of Physics, East China Normal University

MA, PhD: 1984-1991 Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, USA,

Work Experience

1991–2017 Department of Philosophy, University of Florida, USA, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor

2017–Present Distinguished Professor, School of Philosophy, Fudan University 

Academic Services

Chair of the Department of Philosophy of Science and Logic, School of Philosophy

Director of the Research Center for Intelligence Science and Philosophy of Fudan University

Academic Director of the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASIP)

President of the Asian Philosophy of Science Association (APSA)

Member of the International Relations Committee, Philosophy of Science Association (USA) 

Philosophy of Science (The Journal), Editorial Board Member

Philosophy of Physics (The Journal), Editorial Board Member

Foundations of Physics (The Journal), Editorial Board Member 

Notre Dame Philosophical Review, Editorial Board Member

Journal of Dialectics of Nature, Editorial Board Member 

Frontier of Philosophy in China, Editorial Board Member 

Chinese Journal of Philosophy, Editorial Board Member

Cognitive Science, Academic Committee

Representative works

2016. Substance and Method: Studies in Philosophy of Science World Scientific

2013. Scientific Explanation and Methodology of Science World Scientific(edited with G. C. Guo)

2002. The Logic of Thermo-Statistical Physics Springer-Verlag (with G. Emch)

Representative articles

·       2025. 极值原理：目的因果解释之新探。《自然辩证法通讯》47（4）26-39。

·       2024. （与张泽华）预测加工与证言不公。《自然辩证法通讯》46(3)64-72。

·       2024.（与苏无忌）马尔可夫毯：工具还是实体？《哲学分析》 87（5）137-147。

·       2024. 伦理与演化博弈：道德起源与本质的哲学研究。《哲学动态》（3）91-101。

·       2023. 自然理性内化与心智因果起源的哲学探究. 2023 (11),《中国社会科学》，124-207。

·       2023. 自由能与演化博弈：自组织系统基本原理的哲学探究, 2023-10-25《哲学分析》

·       2023. 在科学解释中，为何不能抛弃目的因，2023-09-22《中国科学报》

·       2023. 认知困境与能动推理：认知外在主义研究，2023-06-05《科学技术哲学研究》

·       2023. 认知鸿沟之上的自然之桥 《新文科教育研究》2023第1期，62-80

·       2023. 何为现代科学？从库恩到《知识机器》《哲学分析》14（1）：172-184

·       2023. 时空、引力与量子纠缠 《自然辩证法研究》39（1）：9-52

·       2022．（with苏无忌）超级任务：现代的芝诺悖论 《自然辩证法通讯》44（12）：32-40

·       2021.  与博弈何干？——再议演化博弈论《自然辩证法通讯》43(12): 22-32

·       2021.  国际哲学与科学交叉学科研究进展评述《中国科学院院刊》36(01): 17-27, (与朱科夫)

·       2021.  Perception & Epistemic Entitlement. Frontiers of Philosophy in China, 16(1): 121-150

·       2021.  Perception and Fine Art: From Art History to Science《艺术史与艺术哲学》（第二辑），沈语冰主编，37-75 

2020. “A Tale of Two Equations: Ludi Vitae or Motus Vita?”, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(3), 337-355.

2020. “Existence and Infinity”, Dialectics of Nature Newsletter Vol.42.7:24-40.

2019. “Infinite Idealization and Contextual Realism”, Synthese 196:1885-1918.

2016. “Against a New Fictionalism: A Hybrid View of Scientific Models”, International Studies in the  Philosophy of Science 30: 1-16.

2015. “Symbolic vs. Modelistic Elements in Scientific Modeling”, Theoria 30: 287-300.

2012. “Variations on Duhem's proposition”，Science and Culture Review 9(5): 5-32.

2005. (with G. Emch) “Explaining Quantum Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking”, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 36: 137-163.

2004. “Approximations, Idealizations, and Models in Statistical Mechanics”, Erkenntnis 60: 235-263.

2004. “Laws and Models in a Theory of Idealization”, Synthese 138: 363-385.

2003. “Classical Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking”, Philosophy of Science 70(S): S1219-S1232.

2003. “Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Chance in Classical World”, Philosophy of Science 70: 590-608.

2001. “Infinite Systems in SM Explanations: Thermodynamic Limit, Renormalization (semi-) Groups, and Irreversibility”, Philosophy of Science 68(S): S325-344.

1999. “Explaining the Emergence of Cooperative Phenomena”, Philosophy of Science 66(S): S92-S106.

1999. “Approximation, Idealization, and the Laws of Nature”, Synthese 118: 229-256.

1996. “Gauge Invariance, Cauchy Problem, Indeterminism, and Symmetry Breaking”, Philosophy of Science 63(S): S71-S80.

1996. “Potential, Propensity and Categorical Realism”, Erkenntnis 45: 45-68.

1994. “The Aharonov-Bohm Effect and the Reality of Wave Packets”, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 45: 977-1000.

1992. “Einstein and Relativistic Thermodynamics in 1952”, British Journal for the History of Science 25: 185-206.

Conferences

2016. “Fictionalism on Models and Fictional Models in Science”, at the Pacific APA, March 30-April 3, San Francisco, CA.

2011. “Anti-Deflationism in Scientific Representation”, at the 3rd Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association, Athens, October 5-8.

2002. “Chance and Spontaneous Symmetry-Breaking”, at the Eastern APA, Philadelphia, December 29.

2002. “Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking: Its Meaning from a Simple Mechanical Model”, at PSA, Milwaukee, November 7-10.

2000. “Infinite Systems in SM Explanations: Thermodynamic Limit, Renormalization (semi-) Groups, and Irreversibility”, at PSA, Vancouver, BC, November 2-5.

1998. “Explaining the Emergence of Cooperative Phenomena”, at PSA, Kansas City, October 22-25.

1998. “Approximate Enough and Idealization”, at the Pacific APA, Los Angeles, March.

1997. “Decoherence and Quantum Probability”, at the Central APA, Pittsburgh, April.

1996. “Gauge Invariance, Cauchy Problem, Indeterminism, and Symmetry Breaking”, at PSA, Cleveland, October.

1995. “Propensity and Quantum Reality”, at the Eastern APA, New York City, Dec. 27.

1995. “Gauge Invariance and its Metaphysical Nature”, at the 10th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Florence, Italy, August.

1995. “The Necessary A Posteriori Truth in Ethical Naturalism”, at the Central APA, Chicago, April.

1994. “Realism and Substantivalism: Of Arguments against Metaphysical Realism and Manifold Substantivalism”, at the Eastern APA, Boston, December.

Lectures

2015. “Foundations of Quantum Physics”, Pitt-Tsinghua Lecture Series (five-lectures), Beijing, China, July 11-13, 15-16.

2013. “Models, Fiction, and Duhem”, a talk given at Department of Philosophy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, May 18.

2010. “Confirming Idealized Theory and Scientific Realism”, a talk given in Philosophy Department, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, March 15.

2007. “The emergence of the classical world at the thermodynamic limit”, invited lecture at Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science: Explanation in Physics, Boston University, April 16.

2007. “Confirming idealized theories and scientific realism”, invited talk at the LSE - Pittsburgh Joint Conference ‘Confirmation, Induction and Science,’ London School of Economic, March 8-10.

2006. “Idealization and Laws of Nature”, Lecture at Department of Philosophy, the University of Caldas, Manizales, Colombia, June 8, 2006.

2004. “Approximation and Its Measures”, invited talk at Séminaire du REHSEIS: histoire et philosophie de la physique (2004-2005): Les raisons de l'à-peu-prés, Université de Paris 7-Denis Diderot, November 9.

1999. “Approximation, Idealization and Carving Nature at Its Joints”, the Popper Seminar Lecture at the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Sciences, London School of Economics, London, November 16.

Honors and Awards

1992—1993    National Endowment for Humanities, Summer Seminar Award，USA

1999—2000     National Science Foundation, Fellowship Award，USA

2006—2007    National Science Foundation, Fellowship Award，USA

2020     The Eighth China University Humanities and Social Sciences Research Outstanding Achievements Award of the Ministry of Education, First Prize

Taught courses

Philosophy of Intelligence, Philosophy of Science and Technology, Research on Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, Thinking and Cognition