معرفی
Karen Bennett is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, on sabbatical during the 2024-2025 academic year. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Oberlin College, and has held academic positions at Cornell University (11 years), Princeton University (Assistant Professor), and the Australian National University (postdoc).
- Education: Ph.D. in Philosophy (University of Michigan), B.A. in Philosophy (Oberlin College)
Her research focuses on contemporary metaphysics and philosophy of mind, particularly issues related to grounding, fundamentality, and the metaphysical structure of reality. She has written extensively on topics like emergence, causal powers, and the determination-first approach to plexology, challenging dominant views in the field.
Recent publications address central metaphysical debates, including the role of causal powers in metaphysical emergence, the nature of grounding, and the relationship between kinds and social groups. Her work engages with philosophers like Jessica Wilson and David Lewis, often defending deflationary or alternative frameworks against robust realism.
She has taught at major institutions and held visiting positions, including at New York University as a Visiting Associate Professor. Karen Bennett is currently working on new papers about precommitment strategies, laws as partial grounds, and the metaphysics of kinds and groups, with drafts expected soon.
Her personal life includes residing in Princeton with her husband, poet/critic David Orr, and their child, as well as sharing her home with an old grey cat after the recent loss of Snoop, their previous pet. She also humorously notes her own grey hair and the need for an updated photo.
