James Woodward

I am Emeritus Professor at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. I was Distinguished Professor in HPS Pittsburgh from 2010-2022. Prior to that, I taught for many years at the California Institute of Technology, where I was J.O. and Juliette Koepfli Professor of Humanities. I am also emeritus from that institution. I am a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I was president of the Philosophy of Science Association from 2010–12.

Much of my research concerns causation and scientific explanation. My first book in this area, Making Things Happen: A Theory of Causal Explanation won the 2005 Lakatos Award. My second book Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology explores the interconnections between normative theories of how causal reasoning ought to proceed and empirical research on causal cognition. I have also worked on other issues in general philosophy of science as well as philosophical and empirical problems in psychology, neuroscience, and the social sciences. I have also published in moral and political philosophy and maintain an interest in these areas.