Howison LECTURE SERIES

Intention in Action

John McDowell, Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh

John McDowell is a contemporary philosopher whose most influential work has been in the philosophy of mind and language. He questions whether empirical thought is rationally grounded in experience.

About John McDowell

Distinguished philosopher John McDowell is widely recognized for advancing current philosophical thought by uncovering and rejecting unworkable but persistent assumptions. In many of his influential investigations, McDowell revisits these conceptual stalemates and illuminates new, constructive approaches. His contributions to the philosophy of the mind, in particular, question whether empirical thought is rationally grounded in experience. McDowell’s renowned research contributes to an array of philosophical fields, including metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology. His insights have frequently drawn from his vigorous engagement in contemporary philosophical debates, as well as from reflections upon the Greek tradition. Since 1988 McDowell has served as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh.