Our People

Associate Professor Sam Baron

Associate Professor

Areas of expertise: metaphysics; philosophy of science; philosophy of mathematics; philosophy of time; metaphilosophy

Location: ACU Melbourne Campus

ORCID ID : 0000-0003-4000-3276

Sam Baron completed his PhD in 2012 at the University of Sydney. Since then, he has published widely on topics in metaphysics and philosophy of science, in a range of philosophy journals including Journal of Philosophy, Mind, Philosophical Studies, Philosophers’ Imprint, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophical Quarterly, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Synthese, American Philosophical Quarterly, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, and Erkenntnis. He holds two large grants from the Australian Research Council: A Discovery Early Career Researcher Award on timelessness in physics and metaphysics and a Discovery Project on time in the scientific and manifest images (held jointly with Kristie Miller and David Braddon-Mitchell from the Centre for Time at the University of Sydney). In media work, he has spoken for TEDx Fremantle, Radio National and RTR FM.

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Select publications

• Baron, S. (2019) "Counterfactual Scheming" Mind.
• Baron, S. (2019) "The Curious Case of Spacetime Emergence" Philosophical Studies.
• Baron, S., Tallant, J. & Miller, K. (2019) "Temporal Fictionalism for a Timeless World" Philosophy and Phenomenological Research.
• Baron, S. & Evans, P. (2018) "What's So Special About Time Anyway?" British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.
• Baron, S. (2018) "Mathematical Explanation by Law" British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.
• Baron, S. (2018) "A Formal Apology for Metaphysics" Ergo.
• Asay, J. & Baron, S. (2018) "Deflating Deflationary Truthmaking" Philosophical Quarterly.
• Baron, S. & Tallant, J. (2018) "Do Not Revise Ockham's Razor Without Necessity" Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 96(3), 596–619.
• Baron, S., Colyvan, M. & Ripley, D. (2017) "How Mathematics Can Make a Difference" Philosopher's Imprint, 17(3): 1-29.
• Baron, S. & Tallant, J. (2016) Monism: the Islands of Plurality" Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 93(3): 583–606.
• Baron, S. (2016) "Explaining Mathematical Explanation" Philosophical Quarterly, 264(1): 458–480.
• Baron, S. & Colyvan. M. (2016) "Time Enough for Explanaton" Journal of Philosophy, 113(2): 61–88.
• Baron, S. (2016) "Metaphysics as Fairness" Synthese. 193(7): 2237–2259.
• Baron, S. & Miller, K. (2015) "What is Temporal Error Theory?" Philosophical Studies. 172(2): 2427–2444.
• Baron, S. (2014) "The Priority of the Now" Pacific Philosophical Quarterly. .

Projects

(2018) $200,232.00 ARC Discovery "Examining Scientific, Philosophical, and Folk Perspectives on Time." Project partners: Kristie Miller (Sydney) and David Braddon-Mitchell (Sydney)

(2018) $336,905.00, ARC DECRA "Timelessness in Physics and Philosophy."

Appointments and affiliations

Australian Catholic University (2020--) Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy (tenured).

University of Western Australia (2017--2020) Senior Lecturer in Philosophy (tenured).

University of Western Australia (2014--2017) Lecturer in Philosophy (tenure track).

University of Sydney (2013--2015) Postdoctoral Fellowship.

University of Sydney (2012) Research Associate.

International journal review panel

Acta Analytica, American Philosophical Quarterly, Analysis, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Dialectica, Ergo, Erkenntnis, European Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Foundations of Science, Journal for General Philosophy of Science, Mind, Oxford University Press (book manuscripts), Philosophia Mathematica, Philosophical Papers, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophical Quarterly, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Springer (book manuscript), Synthese, Routledge (book manuscripts), Theoria, Thought, Wiley-Blackwell (book manuscripts).

Grant agency review panels

Australian Research Council

Swiss National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation (USA)

Public engagement

(2019) "Destination Day" short film, writer and creator. Produced by Brooke Silcox at No Thing Productions and directed by Charmaine Murray.

(2018) TEDx Presenter, TEDx Fremantle "The End of Time" 16/09/18.

(2017) Interview on RTR FM in Perth for the Philosophy Salon at the Perth City Library

(2017) Interview on RTR FM in Perth leading up to a public lecture on Mathematics and Aesthetics

(2016) ABC Radio National, The Philosopher’s Zone, Three Part Radio Show on Death:

Part 1: The epicureans vs the existentialists

Part 2: On death and grieving

Part 3: Near death experience