Curriculum Vitae

George Wrisley

 Areas of Specialization                                                                                               Areas of Competence

 Metaphysics and Philosophy of Language                                                                                              Ethics, Epistemology, and Logic

 Education

 Ph.D.  Philosophy, University of Iowa.                    Received:  May 2008

Dissertation: "Realism and Conceptual Relativity" Successfully defended on 12-4-07

The main focus of the dissertation is the evaluation of what Putnam calls "conceptual relativity." Conceptual relativity is supposed to entail: 1) that there is no conceptual scheme independent fact of the matter concerning the number and kinds of objects that exist, and 2) the rejection of realism about truth.  However, these conclusions require the possibility of equally true but (in some sense) incompatible descriptions of the “same” state of affairs.  I argue that this kind of incompatibility cannot be made coherent.  As I am sympathetic to certain aspects of Putnam's views, I go on to argue that realism about truth is not inconsistent with certain core insights of Putnam’s views on conceptual relativity. (Dissertation Director:  Richard Fumerton)

Completed under a Seashore Dissertation Year Fellowship (University-wide competition for the fellowship)

 M.A.   Philosophy, Georgia State University            Received: 2002

2001-02 Semester at Universität Bielefeld, Germany to study German and work on Wittgenstein with Eike von Savigny and Joachim Schulte. 

Master’s Thesis:  “Wittgenstein’s Conception of the Autonomy of Language and its Implications for Natural Kinds.” (Recognized as a Thesis of Distinction)  (Thesis Director:  Grant Luckhardt)

 B.A.    Philosophy, University of Georgia                Received: 1998

 Publications

• “Private Language,” with Stewart Candlish. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. E. N. Zalta. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/private-language/

• “Rules, Language, and Reality.”  Philosophy Now: a magazine of ideas.  Issue 58.  November/December 2006.  15-18.

• “The Island of Ethical Subjectivism:  Not the Paradise of Lost.”  In Lost and Philosophy.  Ed. S. Kaye. The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series.  November 2007.

 Review

• Review of Wittgenstein’s Account of Truth.  By Sarah Ellenbogen.  (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003), Philosophy in Review – Comptes rendus philosophiques, Volume XXIII, No. 6 (2003):  383-385.

 Teaching Experience

• Introduction to Philosophy, (Instructor) 2005-2007.  Full teaching responsibility.  Responsible for syllabus, lectures, test creation, and grading.
• Principles of Reasoning, (Instructor) 2004-2005.  Full teaching responsibility.  Responsible for lectures and shared responsibility for test creation and grading.
• Philosophy and the Just Society, Prof. Fumerton. (Discussion Leader) Spring 2004.  Responsible for facilitating weekly discussion and grading.
• Philosophy and Human Nature, Prof. Williams. (Discussion Leader) Fall 2003.  Responsible for facilitating weekly discussion and grading.

 Research Interests

·         Philosophy of Language:  Theories of meaning and reference, the nature of conceptual schemes, and the possibility of alternative conceptual schemes.

·         Metaphysics:  Realism/antirealism about truth, mind-world relations, properties, and the nature of metaphysical arguments.

·         Ethics:  Metaethical issues concerning cognitivism/noncognitivism, objectivism/subjectivism, and absolutism/relativism.  The relationship between normative ethics and metaphysics.

·         Epistemology:  The nature of our epistemic access to the world—particularly in relation to representational intermediaries.  The nature and possibility of a priori knowledge.

·         Philosophers:  The philosophy of Putnam, Wittgenstein, and Quine.

·         Other Areas:  The nature of philosophical argumentation, philosophy of religion, Nietzsche, and Asian and Buddhist philosophy.

 Presentations

Refereed Conferences

• “Is Putnam’s Notion of Conceptual Relativity an Ontological Godsend?” Iowa Philosophical Society Conference, September 2006.
• “Realism, Putnam, and Multiple Descriptions of the World.”  Midsouth Philosophy Conference, February 2006.

In-House Conferences

University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society Conferences

• “Is the Metaphysical Realist Committed to There Being One True and Complete Description of the World?” November 2006.
• “Realism and Multiple Descriptions of the World,” November 2005.
• “Nietzsche, Two Ideals, and the Meaningfulness of Suffering,” November 2004.
• “The Importance of Being Seemly:  The Role of Decorum in Cicero’s De Officiis,” April 2004.

University of Iowa Jakobson Conferences

• “Realism, Putnam, and Multiple Descriptions of the World,” (revised) March 2006.
• “The Viability of Kuhn’s Later Notion of Local Incommensurability,” April 2005.

Georgia State University Phi Sigma Tau Colloquiums

• “Wittgenstein’s Conception of Grammar,” 2001.
• “Wittgenstein’s Private Language Argument,” 2000.

Commentary

• Commentator on:  “How Not to Read Quine on Underdetermination” by Rogerio Severo.  University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society, Spring Conference 2006.
• Commentator on:  “Depicting Reality:  Pictures and Isomorphism” by Todd Kukla.  Midsouth Philosophy Conference, February 2006.
• Commentator on:  “An ‘Understanding of PI §43 Aided by a Genetic Analysis of the Philosophical Investigations” by Craig Fox.  University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society, Spring Conference 2005.

 Scholarly Activities

• Research Assistant to David Stern, 2003-2004.  Journal research and proof reading for Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction.  (Cambridge University Press, 2004.)
• Responsible for the original English translation from the German of “Taking

avowals seriously: The soul a public affair.” By Eike von Savigny. In Working Papers from the Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Bergen. Eds. Alois Pichler and Simo Säätelä., No. 17, 2005.

• Edited English translation, “Private Language – Private Rules – Private Sensations:  A Draw Position?”  By Eike von Savigny.  In Wittgenstein and the Future of Philosophy:  A reassessment after 50 years. (Wien) 2002, 389-398

 Honors and Awards

University of Iowa

·         Seashore Dissertation Year Fellowship 2007-2008.

·         Summer Research Fellowship, 2006.

·         Teaching Assistantship 2003-2007.

·         Fellowship 2002-2003.

Georgia State University

·         Phi Sigma Tau, National Honor Society for Philosophy. Recognized for exceptional academic achievement and scholarship, 2000 and 2001.

  Service

To the Department and Colleagues

·         Webmaster, University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society, 2005-2008.

·         Vice President, University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society, 2004-2005.

·         Cofounder and Vice President of the University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical

Society, Spring 2004.

·         Co-organizer of four University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society

conferences Spring 2004- Spring 2005.

To Fellow Students

·         Senator for Graduate and Professional Student Senate, 2004-2005.

 Languages

• Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking German

Technical and Specialized Skills

• Proficiency with Dreamweaver and MS Office Frontpage, and the creation and management of websites.

 Professional Affiliations

·         American Philosophical Association, 2005-present.

·         University of Iowa Graduate Philosophical Society, 2004-present.

 References

·         Richard Fumerton.  University of Iowa.  (Dissertation Director)

Email: richard-fumerton@uiowa.edu Phone: (319) 335-0022

·         David Stern.  University of Iowa.

Email: david-stern@uiowa.edu         Phone: (319) 335-0029

·         Gregory Landini.  University of Iowa.

      Email: gregory-landini@uiowa.edu   Phone: (319) 335-0024

  Graduate Courses Taken

Metaphysics and Philosophy of Language

·         Metaphysics, Prof. Butchvarov—University of Iowa.

·         Kant, Prof. Stern—University of Iowa.

·         Quine, Prof. Landini—University of Iowa.

·         Research in Metaphysics and Epistemology—Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations, Prof. Stern—University of Iowa.

·         Wittgenstein, Prof. Stern—University of Iowa.

·         Wittgenstein, Prof. Arrington—GA State University.

·         Philosophy of Language (audit), Prof. Rieber—GA State University

Epistemology

·         Seminar in Epistemology, Prof. Fumerton—University of Iowa.

·         Seminar in Epistemology, Prof. Jacobson—GA State University.

·         Wittgenstein:  Moore, and Wittgenstein’s On Certainty, Profs. Arrington and Luckhardt—GA State University.

Ethics

·         History of (Analytic) Ethics, Prof. Jeske—University of Iowa.

·         History of Ethics I, Prof. Williams—University of Iowa.

·         Research in Value Theory:  Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals and Beyond Good and Evil, Prof. Addis—University of Iowa.

·         Philosophy of Law, Prof. Rainbolt—GA State University.

Philosophy of Science and Logic

·         Seminar in Philosophical Analysis, Prof. Stern—University of Iowa.

·         Symbolic Logic, Prof. Rieber—GA State University.

·         Philosophy of Science, Prof. Almeder—GA State University.

History of Philosophy

·         Seminar in Ancient Philosophy, Prof. Williams—University of Iowa.

·         Aristotle, Prof. Vasiliou—GA State University

Eastern Philosophy

·         Research in the History of Philosophy— Buddhist Philosophy, Prof. Duerlinger—University of Iowa.

·         Issues in Religious Thought:  The ‘Hundred Schools’ of Classical China, Prof. Herman—GA State University.

Existentialism and Postmodernism

·         Research in the History of Philosophy—Existentialism, Prof. Butchvarov—University of Iowa.

·         Seminar in Continental Philosophy (Postmodernism) Prof. Weberman—GA State University.