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Russell Wahl
I began my career working primarily in the history of analytic philosophy and logic. I was particularly interested in the theory of logic found in Russell’s and Wittgenstein’s work. I am still work...view moreI began my career working primarily in the history of analytic philosophy and logic. I was particularly interested in the theory of logic found in Russell’s and Wittgenstein’s work. I am still working in this area, but for the last twenty years I have done more of my research in early modern philosophy, particularly the rationalists of the seventeenth century. Mostly I have worked on the theories of ideas, perception and causation developed in this period. While my research has been primarily in the history of these areas, I am interested in contemporary theories in all these areas as well.
My main teaching areas are logic, philosophy of science, and early modern philosophy. In the past I frequently taught epistemology and twentieth-century philosophy and I hope to be able to do that again. Most of my teaching at Idaho State has been in introductory courses. In these courses we often find students who have never had any exposure to philosophy and are then quite taken by the richness of the field and the benefits that come with careful thinking.
I did my graduate work at Indiana University under Romane Clark. Nino Cocchiarella, Mike Dunn and Alberto Coffa were also members of my committee and people from which I learned a great deal. I taught at Wabash College in Indiana for five years before coming to Idaho State University in 1985. Since 1995 I have been director of the Philosophy Program hereview less