Vanessa A. Seifert
Philosophy of Chemistry// Philosophy of Science
I explore questions in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and metaphilosophy, with a special focus on chemistry and physics.
Some of these questions are:
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- How are the natural science related to each other?
- Are special science entities real?
- How do models and idealisations influence our understanding of entities posited by science?
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Apart from my research, I enjoy communicating philosophical ideas to non- specialist audiences. In this context, I am the writer of the bi-monthly column Thought Experiments in Chemistry World magazine, as well as co-editor and writer in Jargonium. You can check out all these activities here.
Currently, I am a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow, working on my first own project called Chemical Reactions as Causes and Laws (CReaCaL). Previously, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher under the NoMoS project at the University Athens, and under the Metaphysical Unity of Science project at the University of Bristol.
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I completed my PhD at the University of Bristol under the supervision of James Ladyman. In my doctoral thesis, I investigated the relations between chemistry and quantum mechanics. Specifically;
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I argued that chemistry and quantum mechanics are unified in accordance with Harold Kincaid’s model of non-reductive unity because they exhibit particular epistemic and metaphysical interconnections.
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I critically analysed metaphysical positions that are incompatible with Kincaid's model of unity; namely strong emergence.
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I argued that one can understand the nature of molecular structure in novel and interesting ways, by taking into account the idealisations in the quantum mechanical description of molecular structure.
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My undergraduate studies were in Chemical Engineering (NTUA) and I hold an MSc in Philosophy of Science (LSE).
