Raphael van Riel

Raphael van Riel is a Professor in Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen, holding a Chair since July 2022. His academic journey includes a Senior Lecturer (Akademischer Rat auf Lebenszeit) position from October 2018 to March 2024, and roles at institutions such as Ruhr-University Bochum, Philipps-University Marburg, and LOGOS Group in Barcelona. He is affiliated with projects like "A Study in Explanatory Power" and contributes to global cooperation research as a KHK Fellow (2023-2024).

Research Interests bridge Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, and Epistemology, focusing on topics like reduction, emergence, representationalist physicalism, free will, and social functions. His work explores how inadequate representations can yield understanding (e.g., "Understanding through Modeling: The Explanatory Power of Inadequate Representation", 2015) and critiques theories of lying and mental disorder classification.

Education includes a Doktor phil. (summa cum laude) from Ruhr-University Bochum (2010) and a Magister Artium in Philosophy (with minors in Political Sciences and Social Psychology) from University of Hamburg (2006). He studied at Sorbonne, Paris, and Ruhr-University Bochum, integrating interdisciplinary perspectives.