Positions: Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford and Fellow of New College Oxford
A. Whitney Griswold Visiting Professor, Yale University
Born: Uppsala, Sweden, 6 August 1955
Nationality: British
Address: New College, Oxford OX1 3BN, U.K.
E-mail: timothy.williamson@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
Positions held
1980-88 Lecturer in Philosophy, Trinity College, Dublin.
1988-94 Fellow and Praelector in Philosophy, University College, Oxford;
C.U.F. Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Oxford.
1995-2000 Professor of Logic and Metaphysics, University of Edinburgh.
2000- Wykeham Professor of Logic, University of Oxford, and Fellow of New College, Oxford
2018-19 Sub-Warden, New College, Oxford
1990, 1995 Visiting Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Research School of Social Sciences, A.N.U.
1994 Visiting Professor, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, M.I.T.
1995 Visiting Erskine Fellow, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Canterbury.
1998-99 Visiting Professor, Department of Philosophy, Princeton University.
2004 Visiting scholar, Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
2013-15 Nelson Visitor, Department of Philosophy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
2016-17 Visiting professor, Yale University.
2018- A. Whitney Griswold Visiting Professor, Yale University
Distinctions
Fellow of the British Academy (elected 1997)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (elected 1997)
Foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (elected 2004)
International honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected 2007)
Member of the Academia Europaea (elected 2013)
Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy (elected 2014)
Member of the Institut International de Philosophie (elected 2017)
Honorary Fellow of Balliol College Oxford (elected 2014)
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Bucharest (2015)
Honorary Doctorate, University of Belgrade (2018)
Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (2011)
Named lectures:
Henriette Hertz Lecture, British Academy, 1996
Weatherhead Lecture in Philosophy of Language, Tulane University, 1998
Jacobsen Lecture, University of London, 2001
Skolem Lecture, University of Oslo, 2004
Blackwell Brown Lectures, Brown University, 2005
Jack Smart Lecture, Australian National University, 2005
Anders Wedberg Lectures, University of Stockholm, 2006
Gaos Lectures, Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas, Mexico City, 2006
Carl G. Hempel Lectures, Princeton University, 2006
Amherst Lecture in Philosophy, Amherst College, 2009
Zeno Lecture, University of Utrecht, 2009
Mesthene Lecture, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 2010
Ortlieb Lecture, Claremont Colleges, 2012
Petrus Hispanus Lectures, University of Lisbon, 2012
George Myro Memorial Lecture, Berkeley, 2012
Hägerstrom Lectures, Uppsala University, 2013
Kim Young-Jung Lectures, Seoul National University, 2013
Nanqiang Lecture, Xiamen University, 2014
Annual Lecture in Memory of Ruth Manor, Tel-Aviv University, 2015
Bergmann Lecture, University of Iowa, 2015.
Beth Lecture, Amsterdam, 2015.
The Logic Lecture, University of Connecticut, 2016.
Saul Kripke Lecture, City University of New York, 2016.
Royal Institute of Philosophy Annual Lecture, 2016.
Wade Memorial Lecture, St Louis University, 2016.
Sainsbury Lecture, King’s College London, 2016.
Whitehead Lectures, Harvard University, 2017.
Casalegno Lectures, University of Milan, 2018.
Gottlob Frege Lectures, University of Tartu, 2018.
Sanders Lecture, APA Central Division, Denver, 2019.
Dianoia Seminar in Logic and Language, Australian Catholic University, to be given virtually, 2021.
LLC Lecture, Centre for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Turin, to be given, 2021.
Rutgers Lectures in Philosophy, Rutgers, to be given, 2022.
Nelson Distinguished Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2003
Townsend Visitor, University of California, Berkeley, 2006
José Gaos Chair, UNAM, Mexico, 2006
Tang Chun-I Visiting Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007
Nelson Visiting Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2013-15
Visiting Professor, Yale University, 2016-.
A.Whitney Griswold Visiting Professor, Yale University, 2018-
President of the Aristotelian Society 2004-5
President of the Mind Association 2006-7; Vice-President 2005-6
Vice-President of the British Logic Colloquium 2008-13
Senior Adviser to the Chinese Society for Epistemology 2014-18
Research Awards
AHRC Research Leave Award 2009
Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship 2009-12
Máxima Distinción Académa a la Trayectoria Investigativa, Instituto de Investigaciones del
Pensamiento Peruano y Latinoamericano, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, 2009
Editorial boards
Analysis (Analysis Trust)
Aporía: Revista Internacional de Investigaciones Filosóficas (Scientific Committee)
Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (revised edition, Board of Editorial Advisors)
Crítica: Revista Hispanoamericana de Filosofia (Editorial Board)
Dialectica (Consulting Board)
Disputatio: International Journal of Philosophy (Advisory Board)
Episteme: A Journal of Individual and Social Epistemology (Advisory Board)
European Journal of Analytic Philosophy (Advisory Board)
Filozofia Nauki/The Philosophy of Science
International Journal of Philosophical Studies (Editorial Board)
Journal of Xiamen University (Editorial Advisor)
Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science (Springer book series, Editorial Board)
Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic (Editorial Board)
Organon F: International Journal of Analytic Philosophy (Advisory Board)
Oxford Studies in Epistemology (Editorial Advisory Board)
Oxford Studies in Metaphysics (Editorial Advisory Board)
Philosophical Studies (Board of Consulting Editors)
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research (Editorial Board)
Polish Journal of Philosophy (Advisory Board)
Saudi Journal of Philosophical Studies (Advisory Board)
Social Sciences in China, English edition (Editorial Board)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Subject Editor in Philosophy of Language) to 2013
Theoria: A Swedish Journal of Philosophy (Consulting Editor)
Thought (Editorial Panel)
Education
Degrees: B.A. (Oxon.) 1976;
M.A. (Oxon.) 1981;
M.A. (Dubl.) ad eundem gradum 1986;
D.Phil. (Oxon.) 1981.
1972-73 Computer programmer, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell.
1973-76 Read Mathematics and Philosophy, Balliol College, Oxford.
1974 Mathematics and Philosophy Honour Moderations, Class I.
1976 Mathematics and Philosophy Final Honours, Class I with Henry Wilde Prize.
1976-80 Senior Scholar, Christ Church, Oxford; research for D.Phil. thesis ‘The Concept of Approximation to the Truth’.
Successful doctoral theses partly or wholly supervised by Timothy Williamson
Maria Baghramian, Logic, Language and Relativism (University of Dublin, 1990)
João Branquinho, Direct Reference, Cognitive Significance and Fregean Sense (University of Oxford, 1991)
Guillermo Hurtado, Predication, Quantification and Meaning: A Study of Russell’s Philosophical Logic (University of Oxford, 1995)
Richard Gray, Synaesthesia: An Essay in Philosophical Psychology (University of Edinburgh, 2000)
Benedict Young, Naturalising the A Priori: Reliabilism and Experience-Independent Knowledge (University of Edinburgh, 2000)
Marina Rakova, Metaphor, Theories of Concepts and Biological Reductionism (University of Edinburgh, 2001)
Thomas Sattig, Predication, Ontology, and Time (University of Oxford, 2001)
David Efird, Unfenced Existence: The Logic and Metaphysics of Necessary Beings (University of Oxford, 2002)
Kostja New, Meaning and the Justification of Deduction (University of Oxford, 2003)
Nicholas Silins, Reasons and Armchair Knowledge (University of Oxford, 2004)
Bruno Whittle, Paradox and Hierarchy (University of Oxford, 2004)
Richard Dietz, Being Borderline: Topics in the Semantics and Epistemology of Vague Languages (University of Oxford, 2005)
Corine Besson, Language and Existence: On a New Application of Free Logic (University of Oxford, 2006)
Anders Nes, Content in Thought and Perception (University of Oxford, 2006)
Richard Price, The Ways Things Look (University of Oxford, 2006)
Michael Blome-Tillmann, Scepticism and Contextualism (University of Oxford, 2007)
Wylie Breckenridge, The Meaning of ‘Look’ (University of Oxford, 2007)
Owen Greenhall, The Semantics/Pragmatics Distinction: A Defence of Grice (University of Oxford, 2007)
Thomas Kroedel, A Priori Knowledge of Modal Truths (University of Oxford, 2007)
Ofra Magidor, Category Mistakes (University of Oxford, 2007)
Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson, Information and Logical Equivalence (University of Oxford, 2008)
Maria Lasonen-Aarnio, Indefeasible Knowledge (University of Oxford, 2009)
Amber Riaz, How Do We Know Particular Moral Truths? (University of Oxford, 2010)
David Tester, Some Methodological Implications of Cognitive Psychology for Ethics (University of Oxford, 2010)
Barbara Vetter, Potentiality and Possibility (University of Oxford, 2010)
Jane Friedman, The Doxastic Attitudes and Evidential Norms (University of Oxford, 2011)
Daniel Morgan, First Person Thinking (University of Oxford, 2011)
Katrina Przyjemski, A Presuppositional Semantics for Referential and Anaphoric Pronouns (University of Oxford, 2012)
Andrew Bacon, Indeterminacy: An Investigation into the Soritical and Semantical Paradoxes (University of Oxford, 2012)
Will Davies, Essays on the Perception, Representation, and Categorisation of Colour (University of Oxford, 2012)
Carlotta Pavese, The Unity and Structure of Knowledge (Rutgers University, 2013; external member of committee)
Andrew McCarthy, Existence and Modality (University of Oxford, 2013)
Amia Srinivasan, The Fragile Estate: Essays on luminosity, normativity and metaphilosophy (University of Oxford, 2014)
Gail Leckie, The Meaning of Logical Constants: An Inferentialist Approach (University of Oxford, 2014)
Harvey Lederman, Uncommon Knowledge (University of Oxford, 2014)
Peter Fritz, Intensional Type Theory for Higher Order Contingentism (University of Oxford, 2015)
Michael Price, The Unnameable: Limits of Language in Early Analytical Philosophy (University of Oxford, 2016)
Jeremy Goodman, The Case for Necessitism (University of Oxford, 2016)
Lorenzo Rossi, Truth, Paradoxes and Partiality: A Study on Semantic Theories of Truth (University of Oxford, 2016)
Natalia Waights Hickman, Practical Knowledge and Linguistic Competence (University of Oxford, 2016)
Host universities, learned societies, festivals etc. of invited talks by Timothy Williamson
(listed by country of talk)
Argentina University of Buenos Aires
Society of Analytical Philosophy of Argentina
Australia Australian Catholic University (virtual, to be given 2021)
Australian National University
La Trobe University
Melbourne University
Monash University
University of New England, Armidale
University of Queensland, Brisbane
Wollongong University
Austria Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society
University of Innsbruck
University of Salzburg
University of Vienna
Belgium University of Antwerp
University of Leuven
University of Liège
Belgian Society for Logic and Philosophy of Science
Brazil State University of Campinas
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
Latin American Association for Analytic Philosophy and Brazilian
Society for Analytic Philosophy (Fortaleza)
Bulgaria Institute for Philosophical Research, Bulgarian Academy ofSciences
Canada University of Calgary
McGill University
Queen’s University, Kingston
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
Chile Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago
China Beijing Normal University
Capital Normal University, Beijing
Chinese University of Hong Kong
East China Normal University, Shanghai
Institute of Philosophy, Social Science Academy of China, Beijing
Peking University, Beijing
Renmin University of China, Beijing
Shanxi University, Taiyuan
Sichuan University, Chengdu [online]
South China Normal University, Guangzhou
South-West University, Chongqing
Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou
Wuhan University [online]
Xiamen University
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
Croatia Institute of Philosophy, Zagreb
University of Rijeka
University of Split
Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik
Czech Republic Institute of Philosophy, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague
Palacky University, Olomouc
Denmark Aarhus University
Estonia University of Tartu
Finland University of Helsinki
France University of Amiens
Institute of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Paris
Jean Nicod Institute, Paris
University of Paris IV – Sorbonne
Collège de France
Germany University of Augsburg
Humboldt University, Berlin
Free University of Berlin
University of Bielefeld
University of Bonn
University of Bochum
University of Cologne
University of Duisburg-Essen
University of Düsseldorf
University of Erfurt
University of Göttingen
University of Hamburg
University of Heidelberg
University of Konstanz
Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich
University of Tübingen
Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP)
Greece University of Athens
Delphi (Panhellenic Logic Symposium)
Hungary Central European University, Budapest
Iran Iranian Institute of Philosophy, Tehran
Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran
Ireland Irish Philosophical Club
Irish Philosophical Society
Trinity College Dublin
University College Dublin
Israel Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Tel Aviv University
Italy University of Basilicata
University of Bergamo
Bocconi University, Milan
University of Bologna
University of Eastern Piedmont, Vercelli
University of Florence
University of Milan
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
NYU in Florence (Villa La Pietra)
University of Padua
University of Parma [virtual]
University of Pavia
San Raffaele University, Milan
Sapienza University, Rome
University of Siena
University of Turin
University of Urbino
Italian Society of Analytic Philosophy (SIFA)
Rome Science Festival
Japan University of Tokyo
Luxembourg University of Luxembourg
Mexico Institute of Philosophical Research, Autonomous National
University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City
Ibero-American Philosophical Society (SOFIA)
Netherlands Free University of Amsterdam
University of Amsterdam
University of Groningen
University of Utrecht
Dutch-Flemish Society for Analytic Philosophy
New Zealand University of Canterbury, Christchurch
University of Otago, Dunedin
Waikato University
Norway Centre for Advanced Studies, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo
University of Bergen
University of Oslo
Pakistan Lahore University of Management Science [online]
Palestine Al-Quds University
Peru National University of San Marcos, Lima
Poland University of Kraków [online]
University of Szczecin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
University of Warsaw
Portugal Classical University, Lisbon
University of Porto
Portuguese Philosophical Society
European Society for Philosophy and Psychology
Romania Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj
University of Bucharest
National Concert Hall, Bucharest (public conversation)
Russia Moscow State University
St Petersburg State University
Serbia University of Belgrade
Serbian Academy of Sciences
Serbian Philosophical Society
Slovakia University of Trnava
Slovenia University of Ljubljana
University of Maribor
Austrian-Slovene Philosophical Association
South Africa Skukuza (Episteme conference)
South Korea Seoul National University
Spain University of Barcelona
University of the Basque Country
Complutense University of Madrid
University of Navarre
University of Santiago de Compostela
University of Seville
University of Donostia – San Sebastian
Spanish Society for Analytic Philosophy (SEFA), Valencia
Sweden University of Gothenburg
University of Lund
University of Stockholm
University of Uppsala
European Society for Analytic Philosophy Division of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science,
International Council for Science (ICSU)
Switzerland University of Bern
University of Fribourg
University of Geneva
University of Lugano [online]
University of Zurich
Taiwan Academia Sinica, Taipei
National Taiwan University
Turkey Bilkent University, Ankara
Boğazici University, Istanbul
United Kingdom University of Aberdeen
Birkbeck College London
University of Birmingham
University of Bradford
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Dundee
Durham University
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
Institute of Education, UCL
University of Glasgow
Heriot-Watt University
University of Hertfordshire
Keele University
University of Kent
King’s College London
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
London School of Economics
School of Advanced Study London
University of Manchester
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
Queen’s University Belfast
University of Reading
Royal Institute of Philosophy, London
University of St Andrews
University of Sheffield
Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham
University of Stirling
University of Sussex
University College London
University of Warwick
University of York
Aristotelian Society and Mind Association
Association of Symbolic Logic
British Academy
British Logic Colloquium
British Society for the Philosophy of Science
British Undergraduate Philosophy Society
Scottish Philosophical Club
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival
Oxford Literary Festival
United States of America Amherst College
University of Arizona
Brandeis University
Brown University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Barbara
Carnegie-Mellon University
Graduate School, City University of New York
Claremont Colleges
University of Colorado, Boulder
Columbia University
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
University of Delaware
Georgetown University
Harvard University
University of Houston
Indiana University
University of Iowa
University of Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Memphis State University
University of Miami
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of New Mexico
New York University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
Oberlin College
Ohio University
Ohio State University
University of Pittsburgh
Princeton University
Rice University
University of Rochester
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
University of St Louis
University of Southern California
Stanford University
Syracuse University
Texas A & M University
University of Texas at Austin
Texas Tech University (2022)
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of Virginia
Western Michigan University
Williams College
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Yale University
American Philosophical Association, Central Division
American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division
American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division
New Jersey Regional Philosophical Association
