Gabriel Oak Rabin
Associate Professor of Philosophy, New York University Abu Dhabi
Global Associate Professor of Philosophy, New York University

Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Mind/Language, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mathematics, Logic

Employment:
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, New York University Abu Dhabi (2021-present)
Associate Professor of Philosophy, New York University Abu Dhabi (2013-2021)
Visiting Fellow, Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Engagement, Dartmouth College (2020) Visiting Professor of Philosophy, The University of Oslo (Summer 2017, 2018)
Research Fellow, The Australian National University (2013-2014)

Education:
University of California Los Angeles
Ph.D. "Toward a Rationalist Physicalism" (2013); Supervisors: Tyler Burge, David Chalmers
C.Phil (2011), M.A. (2009), Philosophy
The Australian National University
Fulbright Fellow (2009)
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Two years coursework in Ph.D. program (no degree awarded)
Columbia University
B.A. Mathematics Magna Cum Laude (2002)

Publications:

  • Grounding and Consciousness. Oxford University Press. Edited volume, forthcoming.

  • “The Structure of Analog Representation”, forthcoming in Nous. Co-authored with Andrew Lee (Oslo) and Joshua Myers (NYU).

  • “How to Twin-Earth a Phenomenal Concept”, forthcoming in Philosopher’s Imprint.

  • “Physicalism, the Intelligibility Constraint, and the Myth of Structure and Function”, forthcoming in Grounding and Consciousness (OUP).

  • “A Short Argument From Modal Rationalism to Fundamental Scrutability”, Thought, forthcoming.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism”, Inquiry, 2020.

  • “Use Your Illusion: Spatial Functionalism, Vision Science, and the Case Against Global Skepticism”, Analytic Philosophy, 2019. Co-authored with EJ Green (MIT).

  • “Modal Rationalism and the Demonstrative Reply to the Scrutability Argument Against Physicalism”, Synthese, 2019.

  • "Mastering Mary", American Philosophical Quarterly, 56 (4): 361-370, 2019.

  • "Grounding the Gaps or Bumping the Rug: On Schaffer of Explanatory Gaps and Metaphysical Methodology", Journal of Consciousness Studies 26 (5-6): 191–203, 2019.

  • "Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery: The Recognition View", Erkenntnis, 2018.

  • "Grounding Orthodoxy and the Layered Conception", in Reality and Its Structure (eds. Ricki Bliss and Graham Priest), Oxford University Press, 2018.

  • "Well-Founding Grounding Grounding", The Journal of Philosophical Logic 2015. Co-authored with Brian Rabern (Edinburgh).

  • "Conceptual Mastery and the Knowledge Argument", Philosophical Studies, 54: 125-147, 2011.

  • "Full-Blooded Reference", Philosophica Mathematica, 15 (3): 357-365, 2007.

  • "Physicalism" (book review) Australasian Journal of Philosophy 89 (3): 562-566, 2011.

Selected Presentations:

  • “The Structure of Analog Representation” colloquium at Dartmouth College, January 17th 2020. A video recording of this talk is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRxmkMEUPx8&ab_channel=ICEatDartmouth

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Problem of Abstracta” at the 2019 Swedish Congress of Philosophy, Umea, Sweden, June 14th 2019.

  • “From the Analog to the Iconic: An Isomorphic Journey” at the 2019 Meeting of the AngloGerman Picture Theory Group, NYU Florence, June 1st, 2019.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Problem of Abstracta” colloquium at the University of California, Santa Barbara, February 8th, 2019.

  • “Spatial Functionalism Meets Vision Science (Or: If Only We Lived in the Matrix)” at “Foundations of Meaning: Pictures, Perception, Consciousness” at NYU Abu Dhabi, January 14th, 2019.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Problem of Abstracta” at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, June 16th 2018.

  • “Conceptually Engineering Grounding” at the University of Oslo, June 12th, 2018.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Problem of Abstracta” at the American University of Beirut, May 5th, 2018.

  • “How to Twin-Earth a Phenomenal Concept” at PLM4 at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, September 22nd, 2017.

  • “Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery” at “Conceptual Truth, Analyticity, and Competence” Workshop, ConceptLab, The University of Oslo, June 26-27th, 2017.

  • “How to Twin-Earth a Phenomenal Concept” at “Consciousness and Semantic Externalism”, NYU, May 4th, 2017.

  • “Arthritis on my Mind” at New York University, February 3rd 2017.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Intelligibility Constraint” at the Dartmouth College Workshop on Philosophy of Mind and Language, Hanover New Hampshire, August 5th-6th 2016.

  • “Fundamentality Physicalism and the Intelligibility Constraint” at the Grounding and Consciousness Conference, Birmingham, England, June 17th -18th, 2016.

  • “Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery” at the Concepts and Understanding Conference at Arché Research Centre, St Andrews University, Scotland, June 10-11th, 2016.

  • “The Meta-Semantic Dilemma for Two-Dimensional Semantics” at the Central Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association, Chicago, March 2nd-5th, 2016.

  • “Modal Rationalism and the Demonstrative Reply to the Master Argument Against Physicalism” at the International Seminar on the Philosophy of Hilary Putnam, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India, October 3-5th, 2015.

  • “Modal Rationalism and the Demonstrative Reply to the Master Argument Against Physicalism” at The University of Barcelona, September 18th 2015.

  • "The Meta-Semantic Dilemma for Two-Dimensional Semantics" at the Joint Sessions of the Mind Association and Aristotelian Society, Warwick University, July 10-12th 2015.

  • "Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery" at the Midsummer Philosophy Conference, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, June 28-30th 2015.

  • "Fundamentality Physicalism and the Intelligibility Constraint" at Toward a Science of Consciousness 2015 at the University of Helsinki, Finland, June 8th-13th 2015.

  • "Advice for Inferentialists" at Justification and the Mental, New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 16th 2015.

  • "Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery" at the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, July 30th 2014.

  • "Well-founding Grounding Grounding" at the Workshop on Metaphysical Fundamentality and
    Infinitism, the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, June 2nd-3rd 2014.

  • "Toward a Theory of Concept Mastery" at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia,
    March 13th 2014.

  • "Fundamentality Physicalism" at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia,
    November 21st 2013.

  • "Conceptual Mastery and the Knowledge Argument" at New York University, New York, March
    8th, 2013.

  • "Modal Rationalism and the Meta-Semantic Reply to the Mastery Argument Against Physicalism"
    at the Language Workshop, UCLA, December 6th 2012.

  • “Well-founding Grounding Grounding” at the Conference on the Philosophy of Kit Fine, Sinaia,
    Romania, May 25th-27th, 2012.

  • “Grounding Grounding” at the Australasian Association of Philosophy Annual Conference,
    Dunedin, New Zealand, July 7th 2011.

  • “Blocking the Blocking Defense” at the Pacific APA, San Diego, April 22nd 2011.

  • “Conceptual Mastery and the Knowledge Argument” at MindGrad 2010, the University of
    Warwick, December 4th 2010.

  • “Two-Dimensional Meta-Semantics” RSSS Seminar Series, the ANU, December 17th 2009.

  • “Physicalism and the Idealization of A Priori Entailment” at the Australasian Association of
    Philosophy Annual Conference, Melbourne, July 7th 2009.

Professional Service:

  • Referee for American Philosophical Quarterly, Analysis, The Australasian Journal of Philosophy, The Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Consciousness Studies, Mind, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Philosophical Studies, The Philosophical Quarterly, Pacific Philosophy Quarterly, Philosophy of Science, Dialectica, Erkenntnis, Inquiry, Res Philosophica, Synthese, Thought, Topoi, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice.

  • Philpapers.com editor for the categories “Formulating Physicalism”, “Varieties of Content Externalism”, “Twin Earth and Externalism”, and “Social Externalism”.

Awards / Honors:

  • NYUAD’s best courses 2018 - Philosophy of Mathematics

  • Fulbright Fellowship (2008)

  • U.S. Alumni Fulbright Scholar (2008) - for top-ranked applicant

  • UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award (2012) - for best graduate student instructor

  • UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award Honorable Mention (2010)

Teaching:

  • Images (Fall 2020) - NYU Abu Dhabi

  • Philosophy of Language (Fall 2019) - NYU Abu Dhabi

  • Iconic Representation (Fall 2018) - NYU New York (graduate course)

  • Philosophy of Mathematics (Spring 2018, Spring 2017) - NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York

  • Introduction to Logic (Fall 2015) - NYU Abu Dhabi

  • Metaphysics (Spring 2020, Fall 2016, Fall 2015) - NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York

  • Seminar: Fundamentality and Metaphysical Dependence (Spring 2015) - NYU Abu Dhabi

  • Central Problems of Philosophy (Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2017, Spring 2016 Fall 2014) - NYUAD

  • Philosophy of Mind (Summer 2012, Summer 2011) - UCLA

  • As teaching assistant: Meta-ethics, Responsibility and Free Will, Logic, Seminar: Intensional Logic, Philosophy of Language, Early Modern Philosophy, Anti-Individualism, Philosophy of Social Science.

  • I taught English (American Literature) and Mathematics (AP Calculus) at the high school / secondary level at the Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

References:  (hint: [actual-sign] = @)

  • Tyler Burge, burge[actual-sign]ucla.edu

  • David Chalmers, chalmers[actual-sign]nyu.edu

  • Ned Block, ned.block[actual-sign]nyu.edu

  • Matthew Silverstein, matthew.silverstein[actual-sign]nyu.edu (teaching reference)