Professor Michael Beaney

Professor Michael Beaney
Professor Michael Beaney
Professor Michael Beaney

Regius Chair of Logic

Accepting PhDs

About
Email Address
michael.beaney@abdn.ac.uk
Office Address

50-52 College Bounds, Room CB405
Mailing address:
University of Aberdeen
School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
50-52 College Bounds
Aberdeen

AB24 3UB

School/Department
School of Divinity, History, Philosophy & Art History

Biography

I came to Aberdeen as Regius Professor of Logic in June 2020, a post that I hold jointly with a half-time position as Professor of History of Analytic Philosophy at the Humboldt University in Berlin (2016–). Before moving to Aberdeen, I was Professor of Philosophy at King's College London (2016–20, part-time), and before that Reader (2005–09) and then Professor of Philosophy (2009–15) at the University of York. I have also worked at the Open University (2000–05), University of Manchester (1998–99), University of Leeds (1992–98), Birkbeck College London (1990–92) and University of Sheffield (1986–88).

In Germany I have held Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships at the University of Jena (2006–07) and University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (1999–2000).

I have been visiting China regularly since 2011, when I was Visiting Professor at Peking University (Winter Semester). I have taught short courses at Beijing Normal University (2013, 2014), Renmin University (2017), and Capital Normal University, Beijing (2018), and am currently Visiting Chair Professor at Tsinghua University. Since 2016 I have been Chair of the British Committee of the Summer School in China Programme (established 1988), which is organized in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences.

I originally studied PPE as an undergraduate (1978–81) at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, where I did my B.Phil. (1985) and D.Phil. (1990) in Philosophy. I also have an MA from the University of Keele (1983).

External Memberships

I am currently President of the Society for the Study of the History of Analytical Philosophy (SSHAP).

I was Editor of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy (BJHP) from 2011 to 2020, and remain on the Editorial Board as an Associate Editor. I served on the Management Committee of the British Society for the History of Philosophy (BSHP) from 1995 to 2020. I am also on the Editorial Board of Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies and on the Advisory Boards of the Journal of Chinese Philosophy and the Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy.

I am General Editor of a book series on the history of analytic philosophy published by Palgrave Macmillan (30+ volumes) and Co-Editor (with Rosa Antognazza and Mogens Laerke) of a new book series entitled 'New Texts in the History of Philosophy' published by Oxford University Press.

I have been a member of the AHRC Peer Review College since 2010 and am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Research

Research Overview

  • History of analytic philosophy, especially the work of Frege, Wittgenstein, Stebbing, Collingwood
  • Chinese philosophy, focusing on ancient Chinese philosophy of language and logic and Chinese analytic philosophy
  • Philosophical methodology, with particular reference to analysis and creativity throughout the history of philosophy
  • Historiography of philosophy, especially analytic historiography, Chinese historiography 
  • Comparative philosophy, focusing on Chinese–Western comparisons and the philosophy of comparison
  • Philosophical translation, especially German-English and English-Chinese

I welcome applications from students wishing to work in any of these areas.

Research Areas

Accepting PhDs

I am currently accepting PhDs in Philosophy.


Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.

Email Me

Philosophy

Supervising
Accepting PhDs

Research Specialisms

  • Philosophy
  • Chinese Studies

Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

Current Research

I am currently preparing a new translation into English of Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus to appear next year (2021) in the Oxford World's Classics (published by Oxford University Press).

Collaborations

Collaboration with Prof. Karyn Lai (UNSW) about ancient Chinese epistemology.

Teaching

Teaching Responsibilities

Ancient Chinese Philosophy; Creativity

Courses that I have taught over the last decade include introductory courses on Chinese Philosophy and History of Analytic Philosophy, and higher-level courses on Analogy and Metaphor in Philosophy, Ancient Chinese Philosophy of Language and Logic, Arguments in Ancient Chinese Philosophy, Creativity, Foundations of Mathematics, Frege, Paradoxes, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Museums, Philosophical Historiography, Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Anthropology, Wittgenstein's On Certainty, and Wittgenstein's Tractatus.

Publications

Page 1 of 1 Results 1 to 50 of 50

  • Logic, ‘logic’, ‘luójí’, and 邏輯: Zhang Shizhao and the translation of ‘logic’ into Chinese

    Beaney, M., Liang, X.
    Journal of Chinese Philosophy
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Getting to Know Knowing-as as Knowing

    Beaney, M.
    Yearbook for Eastern and Western Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 63–85
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

    Beaney, M. (ed.)
    Oxford Univerity Press; Oxford. 208 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • Open-mindedness and Ajar-mindedness in History of Philosophy

    Beaney, M.
    Metaphilosophy, vol. 54, no. 2-3, pp. 208–22
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Swimming Happily in Chinese Logic

    Beaney, M.
    Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, vol. 121, no. 3, pp. 355–379
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Editorial

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 1-3
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Two dogmas of analytic historiography

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 594–614
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Frege’s Logicism and the Significance of Interpretive Analysis

    Beaney, M.
    Tsinghua Studies in Western Philosophy, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 124-144
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Developments and Debates in the Historiography of Philosophy

    Beaney, M. A.
    The Cambridge History of Philosophy, 1945–2015. Becker, K., Thomson, I. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, pp. 725-758, 34 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • A Brief History of English Translations of Frege's Writings

    Beaney, M.
    Essays on Frege’s Basic Laws of Arithmetic. Ebert, P. A., Rossberg, M. (eds.). Oxford University Press, pp. 582-602, 21 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Translating ‘Bedeutung’ in Frege’s Writings: A Case Study and Cautionary Tale in the History and Philosophy of Translation

    Beaney, M.
    Essays on Frege’s Basic Laws of Arithmetic. Ebert, P. A., Rossberg, M. (eds.). Oxford University Press, pp. 588-636, 49 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • First Steps and Conceptual Creativity

    Beaney, M.
    Wittgenstein on Philosophy, Objectivity, and Meaning. Conant, J., Sunday Grève, S. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, pp. 119–142, 23 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Volume 27 Issue 3

    Beaney, M., Cohen, A., Lord, B.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 445
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Editorial

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 1-2
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • L. Susan Stebbing

    Beaney, M., Chapman, S.
    Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy. Oxford University Press
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)
  • Chinese Whispers and Philosophical Translation

    Beaney, M.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Editorial

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 409
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Conceptual Creativity in Philosophy and Logic

    Beaney, M. A.
    Creativity and Philosophy. Gaut, B., Kieran, M. (eds.). Routledge, pp. 273–91, 19 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Editorial: Twenty-Five Years of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 1-10
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Aspect Perception after Wittgenstein: Seeing-As and Novelty

    Beaney, M. A. (ed.), Harrington, B. (ed.), Shaw, D.
    Routledge. 208 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • Seeing-as and Mathematical Creativity

    Beaney, M. A., Clark, R.
    Aspect Perception after Wittgenstein: Seeing-As and Novelty. Beaney, M., Harrison, B., Shaw, D. (eds.). Routledge, pp. 131–151, 21 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Analytic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction

    Beaney, M. A.
    Oxford University Press, Oxford. 130 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • Susan Stebbing

    Beaney, M. A., Chapman, S.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Entries for Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
  • Wittgenstein and Frege

    Beaney, M.
    A Companion to Wittgenstein. Glock, H., Hyman, J. (eds.). WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 74-91, 18 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy Volume 25, Issue 1

    Beaney, M. A.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 1-2
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy Volume 25, Issue 2

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 221-222
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • The Analytic Revolution

    Beaney, M.
    Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements, vol. 78, pp. 227-249
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Historiography, Philosophy of History and the Historical Turn in Analytic Philosophy

    Beaney, M.
    Journal of the Philosophy of History, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 211–234
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy - Volume 24, Issue 2

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 193-193
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy - Volume 24, Issue 1

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1-2
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Susan Stebbing and the Early Reception of Logical Empiricism in Britain

    Beaney, M.
    Influences on the Aufbau. Damböck, C. (ed.). Springer, pp. 233-256, 24 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy - Volume 23, Issue 3

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 401
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Soames on Frege: Provoking Thoughts

    Beaney, M. A.
    Philosophical Studies, vol. 172, no. 6, pp. 1651-1660
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy - Volume 23, Issue 1

    Beaney, M. A.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 1-2
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Gottlob Frege

    Beaney, M. A.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Entries for Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy: Volume 22, Issue 2

    Beaney, M. A.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 195
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy: Volume 22, Issue 1

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 1-3
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • British Journal for the History of Philosophy 21st Anniversary Editor’s Choice Collection

    Beaney, M. A. (ed.), Rogers, J. (ed.)
    Books and Reports: Anthologies
  • Collingwood’s Critique of Oxbridge Realism

    Beaney, M.
    R. G. Collingwood: An Autobiography and other writings. Boucher, D., Smith, T. (eds.). Oxford Univerity Press; Oxford, pp. 247-269, 23 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Bibliography of Analytic Philosophy and its Historiography

    Beaney, M.
    The Oxford Handbook of the History of Analytic Philosophy. Beaney, M. (ed.). Oxford University Press, pp. 141-224, 84 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Chronology of Analytic Philosophy and its Historiography

    Beaney, M. A.
    The Oxford Handbook of the History of Analytic Philosophy. Beaney, M. (ed.). Oxford University Press, pp. 61-140, 80 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • The Historiography of Analytic Philosophy

    Beaney, M.
    The Oxford Handbook of the History of Analytic Philosophy. Beaney, M. (ed.). Oxford University Press, pp. 30-60, 31 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • The Oxford Handbook of the History of Analytic Philosophy

    Beaney, M. A. (ed.)
    Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1182 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • What is Analytic Philosophy?

    Beaney, M.
    The Oxford Handbook of the History of Analytic Philosophy. Beaney, M. (ed.). Oxford University Press, pp. 3-29, 27 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Editorial: British Journal for the History of Philosophy - Volume 21, Issue 2

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 219-219
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Twenty Years of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy

    Beaney, M.
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 1-12
    Contributions to Journals: Editorials
  • Analytic Philosophy and History of Philosophy: The Development of the Idea of Rational Reconstruction

    Beaney, M.
    The Historical Turn in Analytic Philosophy. Reck, E. H. (ed.). Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 231-260, 30 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters
  • Imagination and Creativity

    Beaney, M.
    Open University Press. 300 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • The Frege Reader

    Beaney, M.
    Blackwell. 425 pages
    Books and Reports: Books
  • Frege: Making Sense

    Beaney, M.
    Duckworth. 368 pages
    Books and Reports: Books

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Books and Reports

Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings

Contributions to Journals