Justin Garson
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Hunter College

Justin Garson is a philosopher of science. His main interest is thinking about how biology can help us make progress on traditional problems of human nature. He also writes on environmental philosophy and the history of science. His first book, The Biological Mind: A Philosophical Introduction (Routledge, 2015), explores points of intersection between biology and mind, such as altruism, evolutionary psychology, the nature-nurture dispute, explanation in neuroscience, and psychiatric classification. His second book, A Critical Overview of Biological Functions (Springer 2016) surveys the functions debate in philosophy. His most recent book, What Biological Functions are and Why They Matter, will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2018. He recently co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Biodiversity (Routledge, 2017). This volume brings together philosophers, scientists, and policy makers to reflect on what biodiversity is and why it matters. In 2015, he was a recipient of the Feliks Gross Award, CUNY’s highest award for junior faculty.

• Garson, J. (forthcoming) What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Garson, J., Plutynski, A., and Sarkar, S. (Eds.) (2017) The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Biodiversity. London: Routledge.
• Garson, J. (2017) “A Generalized Selected Effects Theory of Function,” Philosophy of Science 84: 523-543.
• Garson, J. (2016) A Critical Overview of Biological Functions. Dordrecht: Springer.
• Garson, J., and A. Schulz. (2016) “Introduction to Special Section: The Biology of Psychological Altruism,” Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 56: 1-2.
• Garson, J. (2015) The Biological Mind: A Philosophical Introduction. London: Routledge.