Spencer Paulson

I received my PhD from the Philosophy Department at Northwestern University (Chair: Sandy Goldberg) in August of 2024. I am now a post-doctoral fellow at the Cogito Research Centre, University of Glasgow.   

 

My research focuses on Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, and Philosophy of Cognitive Science. My project is building a system around an account of the self-monitoring faculty. I believe that different forms of self-monitoring correspond to different forms of agency and put different normative pressures on the subjects with those forms of agency. These normative pressures shape the normative standards applicable to these agents. Sometimes self-monitoring works by interiorizing (by way of simulated criticism) the demands of social cooperation. I believe this has significant implications for debates about knowledge and its value, the theory of justification, the relation between the first- and third-personal perspectives in Epistemology, the significance of epistemic reflection, social epistemology, cognitive architecture, the metaphysics of reasons, and moral psychology. 

 

I also have an interest in Political Philosophy and the History of Philosophy (especially early modern). 

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When I’m not doing Philosophy, I play old jazz standards. 

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You can contact me at Spencer[dot]Paulson[at]glasgow[dot]ac[dot]uk