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I am an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). My primary research interests are philosophy of physics, philosophy of science, and metaphysics. I also have interests in philosophy of mind, decision theory, formal epistemology, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of religion, and Chinese philosophy.
I am also an associate editor of the journal Foundations of Physics, a fellow of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, and an affiliated faculty member of the UCSD Chinese studies program. I am chair of the program committee for the 2022 Conference of the Society for the Metaphysics of Science Annual Conference in Bristol, UK. Currently I am a collaborator of the interdisciplinary project "Life on the Edge," funded by a grant from the Templeton Foundation. I received a Ph.D in philosophy, a M.Sc in mathematics, and a graduate certificate in cognitive science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ in 2019. Here is a brief interview about me and my current research in the American Philosophical Association (APA) Blog. My Erdős number is 5 (S. Goldstein>J. Lebowitz>B.G. Pittel>J.H. Spencer>P. Erdős). Outside philosophy, I enjoy traveling, skiing, and standup paddleboarding. I also have a side interest in using films to popularize philosophical and scientific ideas. Currently, I'm co-writing a screenplay about a time-travel romance (partly based on this fascinating article in the SEP). You can contact me here. |
Book
Laws of Physics
Cambridge Elements in Philosophy of Physics, Cambridge University Press, in preparation
Articles
Governing without a Fundamental Direction of Time: Minimal Primitivism about Laws of Nature (with Sheldon Goldstein) [Abstract]
Yemima Ben-Menahem (ed.), Rethinking Laws of Nature, Springer, forthcoming
Uniform Probability Distribution Over All Density Matrices (with Roderich Tumulka) [Abstract] [Journal]
Quantum Studies: Mathematics and Foundations, 2022
Fundamental Nomic Vagueness [Abstract] [Presentation slides] [Video]
The Philosophical Review, 2022
Welcome to the Fuzzy-Verse (popular version of "Fundamental Nomic Vagueness") [Penultimate] [Magazine]
[Featured on the cover as "The Flaw at the Heart of Reality: Why precise mathematical laws can never fully explain the universe"]
New Scientist, Issue 3298, Sep 5th, 2020
Time's Arrow and Self-Locating Probability [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2021
The Past Hypothesis and the Nature of Physical Laws [Abstract]
Barry Loewer, Eric Winsberg, and Brad Weslake (eds.), Time’s Arrows and the Probability Structure of the World, Harvard University Press, forthcoming
Bell's Theorem, Quantum Probabilities, and Superdeterminism [Abstract] [Book]
Eleanor Knox and Alastair Wilson (eds.), The Routledge Companion to the Philosophy of Physics, Routledge, 2021
The Cosmic Void [Abstract] [Book]
Sara Bernstein and Tyron Goldschmidt (eds.), Non-Being: New Essays on the Metaphysics of Nonexistence, Oxford University Press, 2021
From Time Asymmetry to Quantum Entanglement: The Humean Unification [Abstract] [Journal]
Noûs, 2020
Time's Arrow in a Quantum Universe: On the Status of Statistical Mechanical Probabilities [Abstract] [Book]
Valia Allori (ed.), Statistical Mechanics and Scientific Explanation: Determinism, Indeterminism and Laws of Nature, World Scientific, 2020
Realism about the Wave Function [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy Compass, 2019
Quantum Mechanics in a Time-Asymmetric Universe: On the Nature of the Initial Quantum State [Abstract] [Journal]
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 2018
Surreal Decisions (with Daniel Rubio) [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2018
Our Fundamental Physical Space: An Essay on the Metaphysics of the Wave Function [Abstract] [Journal]
The Journal of Philosophy, 2017
Great Expectations: Introducing Surreal Decision Theory (with Daniel Rubio) [Proceedings]
Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Logic, Rationality, and Interaction (LORI-V), Springer-Verlag, 2015
Book Reviews:
Richard Healey, The Quantum Revolution in Philosophy [Abstract] [Journal]
The Philosophical Review, 2020
Preprints
An Intrinsic Theory of Quantum Mechanics: Progress in Field's Nominalistic Program, Part I [arXiv]
Other Works in Progress:
Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Science, and Metaphysics:
Strong Determinism [Video][Abstract]
Varieties of Intrinsicality and the Hardest Road to Nominalism [Video][Slides]
The Best Summary of the Quantum World: The Universal Wave Function as a Humean Law
Decision Theory:
Surreal Decisions II: Infinite State Space (with Daniel Rubio)
Philosophy of Religion:
Evil and the Quantum Multiverse (with Daniel Rubio)
Chinese Philosophy:
A Hybrid Voluntarist Interpretation of Xunzi
Philosophy of Mind:
Comparativism about the Mind: From Metaphysics of Quantities to the Nature of Mentality
Master's Thesis:
Quantum States of a Time-Asymmetric Universe: Wave Function, Density Matrix, and Empirical Equivalence (Supervisor: Sheldon Goldstein) [Rutgers University Repository] [arXiv]
Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 2019
Doctoral Dissertation:
Essays on the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics (Supervisors: Barry Loewer and David Albert) [Rutgers University Repository]
Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 2019
Laws of Physics
Cambridge Elements in Philosophy of Physics, Cambridge University Press, in preparation
Articles
Governing without a Fundamental Direction of Time: Minimal Primitivism about Laws of Nature (with Sheldon Goldstein) [Abstract]
Yemima Ben-Menahem (ed.), Rethinking Laws of Nature, Springer, forthcoming
Uniform Probability Distribution Over All Density Matrices (with Roderich Tumulka) [Abstract] [Journal]
Quantum Studies: Mathematics and Foundations, 2022
Fundamental Nomic Vagueness [Abstract] [Presentation slides] [Video]
The Philosophical Review, 2022
Welcome to the Fuzzy-Verse (popular version of "Fundamental Nomic Vagueness") [Penultimate] [Magazine]
[Featured on the cover as "The Flaw at the Heart of Reality: Why precise mathematical laws can never fully explain the universe"]
New Scientist, Issue 3298, Sep 5th, 2020
Time's Arrow and Self-Locating Probability [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2021
The Past Hypothesis and the Nature of Physical Laws [Abstract]
Barry Loewer, Eric Winsberg, and Brad Weslake (eds.), Time’s Arrows and the Probability Structure of the World, Harvard University Press, forthcoming
Bell's Theorem, Quantum Probabilities, and Superdeterminism [Abstract] [Book]
Eleanor Knox and Alastair Wilson (eds.), The Routledge Companion to the Philosophy of Physics, Routledge, 2021
The Cosmic Void [Abstract] [Book]
Sara Bernstein and Tyron Goldschmidt (eds.), Non-Being: New Essays on the Metaphysics of Nonexistence, Oxford University Press, 2021
From Time Asymmetry to Quantum Entanglement: The Humean Unification [Abstract] [Journal]
Noûs, 2020
Time's Arrow in a Quantum Universe: On the Status of Statistical Mechanical Probabilities [Abstract] [Book]
Valia Allori (ed.), Statistical Mechanics and Scientific Explanation: Determinism, Indeterminism and Laws of Nature, World Scientific, 2020
Realism about the Wave Function [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy Compass, 2019
Quantum Mechanics in a Time-Asymmetric Universe: On the Nature of the Initial Quantum State [Abstract] [Journal]
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 2018
Surreal Decisions (with Daniel Rubio) [Abstract] [Journal]
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2018
Our Fundamental Physical Space: An Essay on the Metaphysics of the Wave Function [Abstract] [Journal]
The Journal of Philosophy, 2017
Great Expectations: Introducing Surreal Decision Theory (with Daniel Rubio) [Proceedings]
Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Logic, Rationality, and Interaction (LORI-V), Springer-Verlag, 2015
Book Reviews:
Richard Healey, The Quantum Revolution in Philosophy [Abstract] [Journal]
The Philosophical Review, 2020
Preprints
An Intrinsic Theory of Quantum Mechanics: Progress in Field's Nominalistic Program, Part I [arXiv]
Other Works in Progress:
Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Science, and Metaphysics:
Strong Determinism [Video][Abstract]
Varieties of Intrinsicality and the Hardest Road to Nominalism [Video][Slides]
The Best Summary of the Quantum World: The Universal Wave Function as a Humean Law
Decision Theory:
Surreal Decisions II: Infinite State Space (with Daniel Rubio)
Philosophy of Religion:
Evil and the Quantum Multiverse (with Daniel Rubio)
Chinese Philosophy:
A Hybrid Voluntarist Interpretation of Xunzi
Philosophy of Mind:
Comparativism about the Mind: From Metaphysics of Quantities to the Nature of Mentality
Master's Thesis:
Quantum States of a Time-Asymmetric Universe: Wave Function, Density Matrix, and Empirical Equivalence (Supervisor: Sheldon Goldstein) [Rutgers University Repository] [arXiv]
Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 2019
Doctoral Dissertation:
Essays on the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics (Supervisors: Barry Loewer and David Albert) [Rutgers University Repository]
Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 2019
Links
From Ants to Quantum Non-Locality (with Isaac Wilhelm)
Some Philosophy Books for Beginners
Google Scholar
PhilPapers
arXiv page
Orcid.org/0000-0001-5144-0952
Citation Information
Please cite my last name as "Chen."
Example of an in-text citation: "Chen (2019) discusses several realist interpretations of the wave function."
Example of a bibliographic entry: Chen, E. K. (2019). Realism about the wave function. Philosophy Compass, 14(7): e12611.
From Ants to Quantum Non-Locality (with Isaac Wilhelm)
- Philosophy Phriday, The Daily Ant, July 2017.
Some Philosophy Books for Beginners
Google Scholar
PhilPapers
arXiv page
Orcid.org/0000-0001-5144-0952
Citation Information
Please cite my last name as "Chen."
Example of an in-text citation: "Chen (2019) discusses several realist interpretations of the wave function."
Example of a bibliographic entry: Chen, E. K. (2019). Realism about the wave function. Philosophy Compass, 14(7): e12611.