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Andrew Richmond

Postdoctoral Associate

Rotman Institute
​Western University

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I received my PhD from Columbia University, where I worked on computation and representation in cognitive science. My main current projects investigate the various modes of explanation in cognitive science and especially neuroscience. I try to blend philosophical, scientific, and historical approaches to these questions. And my answers to those questions lead me to a more general argument for methodological nominalism in the philosophy of cognitive science: the idea that, in trying to understand scientific practice, it is rarely useful to think about the properties that technical concepts (representation, function, etc.) might refer to; instead, we should investigate the concepts themselves and their role in science's explanatory economy — what they help scientists to do, and how.​ I also have projects on addiction science and the philosophy of mind.

Philosophy of computation for neuroscientists (Neuromatch 2022):
world-wide.org/neuromatch-5.0/computation-explains-2612ae2e/nmc-video.mp4

Philosophy of representation for neuroscientists (Neuromatch 2021):

Personal website with papers in progress, syllabi, etc:

andrewrichmond.net​