Markos Valaris

Markos Valaris is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Originally from Athens, Greece, he earned his BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in 2001 before pursuing philosophy. He completed his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008.

His research focuses on the intersection of epistemology and philosophy of mind, with additional work in philosophy of action, self-knowledge, and time travel (with Michaelis Michael). He has published on Kant, often collaborating with Melissa Merritt. His current research includes a 3-year Australian Research Council-funded project (2020-2022) titled 'Knowledge in Action' (DP200101045).

Valaris teaches core philosophy courses including ARTS1361: Knowledge and Reality, ARTS2361: Philosophy of Mind, and ARTS3370: Topics in the Philosophy of Mind and Cognition. He has also taught courses on Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. His research supervision spans PhD projects in moral psychology, philosophical theories of self-knowledge, and philosophy of perception, as well as Honours projects on the connectionism/classicism debate in cognitive science and robot ethics.

He is actively engaged in the philosophical community, serving as Associate Editor of the Australasian Journal of Philosophy since 2013. He recently participated in the Philosophy by Postcard project commemorating Iris Murdoch's centenary, where 100 philosophers worldwide answered questions from the public by postcard.

• Research Interests: Philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of action, history of philosophy (particularly Kant, Frege, Moore, Russell, and Wittgenstein)
• Current Projects: 'Knowledge in Action' (ARC-funded, 2020-2022)

Valaris brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to his work, having transitioned from engineering to philosophy, which informs his approach to understanding human cognition, perception, and the capacity for action based on beliefs and desires.