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Dr Simon Robertson

Overview

Dr Charlotte Kemp Position: Lecturer Email: RobertsonS3@cf.ac.uk
 Telephone: +44(0)29 208 70729
Extension: 70729
Location: John Percival Building, Colum Drive, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU.

Research Group

Philosophy

Research Interests

Ethics (Meta-Ethics, Practical Reason, Normative Ethics, Moral Psychology, Value Theory); Nietzsche; Philosophy of Normativity; Philosophy of Risk.

Selected Publications

Nietzsche, Naturalism & Normativity (with C. Janaway, eds.). Oxford University Press (forthcoming 2012).

Spheres of Reason: New Essays in the Philosophy of Normativity(ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009).

‘Epistemic Constraints on Practical Normativity’, Synthese 181/Supp.1 (2011): 81-106.

‘Normativity for Nietzschean Free Spirits’, Inquiry 54/6 (2011): 591-613.

‘A Nietzschean Critique of Obligation-Centred Moral Theory’, International Journal of Philosophical Studies 19/4 (2011): 563-91.

‘Nietzsche’s Ethical Revaluation’, Journal of Nietzsche Studies 37 (2009): 66-90.

‘Not So Enticing Reasons’, Ethical Theory & Moral Practice 11 (2008): 263-77.

Publications

Edited Books

Nietzsche, Naturalism & Normativity (with C. Janaway). Oxford University Press (forthcoming 2012).

Spheres of Reason: New Essays in the Philosophy of Normativity. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009).

Articles -- Contemporary Metaethics / Practical Reason

‘Epistemic Constraints on Practical Normativity’, Synthese 181/Supp.1 (2011): 81-106.

‘Reasons, Values, and Morality’, in The Routledge Companion to Ethics, ed. J. Skorupski. Routledge (2010): 433-43.

‘Normativity, Reasons, Rationality’, in Spheres of Reason, ed. S. Robertson. OUP (2009): 1-28.

‘Not So Enticing Reasons’, Ethical Theory & Moral Practice 11 (2008): 263-77.

‘How to be an Error Theorist about Morality’, Polish Journal of Philosophy II/2 (2008): 107-25.

‘Reasons and Motivation––Not a Wrong Distinction’, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society CVI/3 (2006): 391-397.

‘How Problematic for Morality is Internalism about Reasons?’, in Selected Papers Contributed to 5th International Congress of the Society for Analytical Philosophy, ed. R. Bluhm & C. Nimtz. Paderborn: Mentis (2004): 734-742.

Articles -- Nietzsche

‘Nietzsche vs. Kant on Normativity and Moral Psychology’, in a volume on Kant’s and Nietzsche’s Ethics, ed. T. Bailey. De Gruyter (forthcoming).

‘Nietzsche’s Influence on Analytic Philosophy’ (with D. Owen), The Oxford Handbook of Nietzsche, ed. K. Gemes & J. Richardson. OUP (forthcoming).

‘The Scope Problem––Nietzsche, the Moral, Ethical and Quasi-Aesthetic’, in Nietzsche, Naturalism and Normativity, ed. C. Janaway & S. Robertson. OUP (forthcoming 2012).

‘Introduction: Nietzsche on Naturalism and Normativity’ (with C. Janaway), in Nietzsche, Naturalism and Normativity, ed. C. Janaway & S. Robertson. OUP (forthcoming 2012).

‘Normativity for Nietzschean Free Spirits’, Inquiry 54/6 (2011): 591-613.

‘A Nietzschean Critique of Obligation-Centred Moral Theory’, International Journal of Philosophical Studies 19/4 (2011): 563-91.

‘Nietzsche’s Ethical Revaluation’, Journal of Nietzsche Studies 37 (2009): 66-90.

Articles -- Philosophy of Sport/Risk

‘A Plea for Risk’ (with P. Ebert), in a volume on the Philosophy of Sport, in association with the R.I.P. CUP (forthcoming).

‘Mountaineering and the Value of Self-Sufficiency’ (with P. Ebert, 2010), in Climbing: Philosophy for Everyone, ed. S.E. Schmidt. Wiley-Blackwell: 93-105.

‘Adventure, Climbing Excellence and the Practice of Bolting’ (with P. Ebert, 2007), in Philosophy, Risk and Adventure Sports, ed. M. McNamee. Routledge: 56-70. [Reprinted in The Ethics of Sports: A Reader, ed. M. McNamee. Routledge (2010).]

Research

Simon’s primary research interests lie at the intersection of metaethics, practical reason and normative ethics. He is currently working on a series of papers defending 1) various meta-normative views about reasons for action (focusing on: their conceptual structure; their relation to other normative concepts; an irrealist account of their ontology), & 2) an internalist account of practical normativity (according to which truth-conditions for reason propositions include reference to both an agent’s recognitional abilities and motivational repertoire). His work on these issues reflects a long-standing interest in the objectivity and justification of moral/ethical claims, and connects to a number of issues in moral psychology and the philosophy of action. He is also beginning to think seriously about the role of theory in normative ethics.

Much of Simon’s recent work has been on Nietzsche, with the particular aim of assessing the significance Nietzsche may have for contemporary theoretical ethics. He has also published on the philosophy of normativity and philosophy of risk. Basically, though, he’s interested in just about any area of philosophy upon which normativity bears.

 

Biography

Simon moved to Cardiff in 2012. He completed an MA at the University of Glasgow, and MLitt and PhD at the University of St Andrews. He has lectured at the Universities of Leeds, Southampton, Stirling and York, and at Southampton held a three-year AHRC-funded postdoctoral research fellowship.

Simon is currently the Book Reviews Editor at the Journal of Nietzsche Studies.

Outside of philosophy Simon’s main passions lie in various mountainous pursuits.