Heath Williams

Dr Heath Williams is a Lecturer at the School of Philosophy & Theology, University of Notre Dame Australia (Fremantle Campus). He completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia (2018) after undergraduate studies at Murdoch University (2014), with research time at the Centre for Subjectivity Research in Copenhagen. His work bridges Husserlian phenomenology, analytic philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and qualitative psychology.

• Education:
  • PhD, University of Western Australia (2018)
  • Bachelor’s Degree, Murdoch University (2014)

Williams’ research explores the intersection of phenomenology and empirical psychology, focusing on empathy, intersubjectivity, and the personal level of explanation. He critiques the hard problem of consciousness and engages with panpsychism, while advocating for the integration of phenomenology with cognitive science and analytic philosophy. His recent editorial work in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences reevaluates phenomenology’s role in scientific explanation.

His publications demonstrate a strong focus on Husserl’s phenomenological framework, mirror-neuron based embodied simulation, and interdisciplinary methodologies. Williams actively participates in international conferences, addressing topics like subject combination challenges, analytic-phenomenological tensions, and the philosophy of explanation.

• Scientific Awards & Grants:
  • Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Chinese Universities
  • Fritz Thyssen Foundation Grant
  • Australasian Association of Philosophy Travel Grant
  • Australasian Postgraduate Society Travel Grant
  • Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy Travel Grant
  • UWA Best Postgraduate Paper in Humanities (2017)
  • Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Publication Award (2017)
  • Murdoch Colloquium Best Student Paper (2014)

Williams supervises research projects in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and interdisciplinary approaches to cognitive science, while also serving as Convenor of the Indo-Pacific Mind and Metaphysics Research Group and organizing international workshops on phenomenology and explanation.