PhD thesis
In my PhD thesis, I propose a pragmatist approach to the incoherence and vagueness in the scientific representations used in neuroscience. By analysing case studies from research projects on rhythmic motor pattern generation, I argue that incoherent representations resulting from the use of vague concepts can sometimes be conducive to explanatory progress in neuroscience. Hence, I challenge the traditional view that coherence and precision are always desirable features for scientific theories and models. This thesis also contributes to the ‘new mechanist’ philosophy by addressing topics including the explanatory power of models, mechanism boundaries, constitutive relevance, etc.
Publications
“How to explain degenerate mechanisms”. Synthese 206, 222 (2025). https://doi-org.eux.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11229-025-05302-1
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A paper on reconciling different accounts of constitutive relevance (under review).
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A paper on phenomenon reconstitution in mechanistic explanations (in preparation for submission).
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A paper on non-causal explanations (in preparation for submission).
Presentations
“Phenomenon Reconstitution as a Tool for Explanatory Progress”, Webconference of the International Society for the Philosophy of the Sciences of the Mind (ISPSM), 2025.
“How to Explain Degenerate Mechanisms”, The 20th Annual Conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Sciences, 2024.
“How to Explain Degenerate Mechanisms”, Webconference of the International Society for the Philosophy of the Sciences of the Mind (ISPSM), 2024.
“Mechanistic Explanations for Biological Oscillators”, The XII edition of the Research Workshop on Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Sciences (PBCS XII) at University of Malaga, 2023.
“Explaining Endogeneity: Mechanistic Explanations without Input”, Webconference of the International Society for the Philosophy of the Sciences of the Mind (ISPSM), 2023.