Chris Tillman
Department of Philosophy :: University of Manitoba :: 454 University College Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
http://sites.google.com/site/christillman/home :: chris.tillman@gmail.com :: Erdös Number: 6
Employment
Professor of Philosophy, University of Manitoba, 2019-present
Associate Professor of Philosophy (tenured), University of Manitoba, 2013-2019
Associate Professor of Philosophy (untenured), University of Manitoba, 2012-2013
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Manitoba, 2007-2012
Lecturer, University of Manitoba, 2006-2007
Education
Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Rochester, 2007
M.A., Philosophy, University of Rochester, 2005
B.A. (Honors), Philosophy, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001
Areas
Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Art, Logic, Epistemology
Publications
Edited Volume
2023 The Routledge Handbook of Propositions. (with Adam Murray) New York: Routledge.
Journal Articles and Book Chapters (* = invited)
Forthcoming. "The Morpheme Made Manifest." (with Joshua Spencer) Canadian Journal of Philosophy*
2024 "Creature Features: Character Production and Failed Explanations in Fiction, Folklore, and Theorizing." (with Joshua Spencer) Canadian Journal of Philosophy Themed Issue: Philosophy of Comics, 53(7-8): 640-655.*
2023 "The Metaphysics of Propositions: Foundational Issues, Historical Accounts, and Contemporary Theories." (with Adam Murray) The Routledge Handbook of Propositions.*
2023 "Hylomorphic Propositions." (with Ben Caplan and Eileen Nutting) The Routledge Handbook of Propositions.*
2020 "Advanced D&D (Dan Korman and Debunking)." (with Joshua Spencer) Analysis 80(3): 514-33.
2019 "Necessity of Origins and Multi-Origin Art." (with Joshua Spencer) Inquiry 62:7, 741-754.
2018 "Constitutive Essence and Partial Grounding." (with Eileen S. Nutting and Ben Caplan) Inquiry 61.2: 137-161.
2016 “Essence Facts and Explanation.” Thought 5(3): 190-195.
2016 “The Matter of Serial Fiction.” Res Philosophica 93(2): 425-439.
2015 “Not the Optimistic Type.” (with Ben Caplan, Brian McLean, and Adam Murray) In Hunter, D. and G. Rattan, eds. New Essays on the Nature of Propositions. London: Routledge.
2013 “Not the Optimistic Type.” (with Ben Caplan, Brian McLean, and Adam Murray) Canadian Journal of Philosophy 43(5-6): 575-589. Reprinted in 2015.
2013 “Benacerraf’s Revenge.” (with Ben Caplan) Philosophical Studies 116(1): 111-129.
2012 “Musical Materialism and the Inheritance Problem.” (with Joshua Spencer) Analysis 72(2): 252-259.
2012 “Propositions and Parthood: The Universe and Anti-Symmetry.” (with Gregory Fowler) Australasian Journal of Philosophy 90(3): 525-539.
2012 “Reconciling Justificatory Internalism and Content Externalism.” Synthese 187(2): 419-440.
2012 “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re.” (with Joshua Spencer) In W. Kabasenche, M. O’Rourke, and M. Slater, eds. Topics in Contemporary Philosophy Volume 10: Reference and Referring. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 119-148.
2011 “Musical Materialism.” British Journal of Aesthetics 51(1): 13-29.
2010 “Parts of Singletons.” (with Ben Caplan and Patrick Reeder) Journal of Philosophy 107(10): 501-33.
2005 “A Millian Propositional Guise for One Puzzling English Gal.” Analysis 65(3): 251-258.
Presentations (* = invited)
2025
May, "No Empty Names, No Problems?", Issues on the (Im)Possible XI, Bratislava, Slovakia
May, "No Empty Names, No Problems?" Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Budapest, Hungary*
May, "No Empty Names, No Problems?" Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye*
2024
August, "Ontology of Art Without Abstracta (or Concreta)", (with Joshua Spencer) World Congress of Philosophy, Rome, Italy
July, "Ontology of Art Without Abstracta (or Concreta)", (with Joshua Spencer) American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division Meeting, Santa Fe, NM
June, Comments on Peter Alward's "Loci of Fictional Properties: A Functional Account of Fictional Characters", CPA, McGill University, Montreal, QC
2023
October: "Science, Fiction", (with Joshua Spencer) WCPA, Vancouver, BC (Commentator: Christopher Mole)
August: "Creature Features", (with Joshua Spencer) PhilComiCon, CJP/Denison University, Columbus, OH*
August: "Lewis's Dilemma and Propositional Structure", (with Adam Murray) ECAP 11, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
July: "Creature Features", (with Joshua Spencer) American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division Meeting, Santa Fe, NM
May: "The Metaphysics of Repeatable Artworks", Co-Predication and Property Versatility Workshop, Banff, AB*
2022
November: "Lewis's Dilemma and Propositional Structure", (with Adam Murray) Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY*
June: "Lewis's Dilemma and Propositional Structure", (with Adam Murray) 6th Italian Conference on Analytic Metaphysics and Ontology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
2021
November: "Propositions Beyond Comprehension", WCPA, Victoria, BC (Commentator: Bryson Brown)
2019
June: “Creature Features”, (with Joshua Spencer) CPA, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC*
May: “E ↛ N”, (with Joshua Spencer and Adam Murray) University of Nevada, Las Vegas*
May: “The Matter of Serial Fiction”, Philosophy Club, University of Nevada, Las Vegas*
March: “E ↛ N”, (with Joshua Spencer and Adam Murray) University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS*
February: “E ↛ N”, (with Joshua Spencer and Adam Murray) University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee*
2018
October: Comments on Peter Alward's "Musical Ontology and the Question of Abstracta," WCPA, Calgary, AB*
2017
May: "Things Dreamt Of," (with Joshua Spencer), CPA/CSA, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON*
January: Comments on Jacob Archambault's "Powers Presentism," Eastern APA, Baltimore, MD*
2016
November: "Hylomorphic Propositions," (with Ben Caplan and Eileen Nutting), Metaphysics of Propositions Workshop, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
May: “Multi-Origin Art,” (with Joshua Spencer) CPA/CSA, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB*
2015
June: “Unperformable Works for Performance and Musical Ontology,” CPA/CSA, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON*
June: Comments on Timothy Juvshik, “Dodd on the Causal Efficacy of Abstracta,” CPA, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON*
May: “Brutal Propositions,” (with Ben Caplan), SEP, Hamilton, ON*
March: “The Matter of Serial Fiction,” Auburn Ontology of Art Workshop, Auburn, AL*
2014
October: “Gettier Cases and Skepticism about Induction,” Westwood Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB*
September: “The Matter of Serial Fiction,” Current Research in Metaphysics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB*
February: “A Plea for Moderate Brutalism,” (with Ben Caplan), Central APA, Chicago, IL (Commentator: Dilip Ninan)
February: “Dion, Theon, and Many Minds,” Philosophy Café, Grant Park High School, Winnipeg, MB*
2013
October: Comments on Alexey Aliyev, “Against Musical Perdurantism,” ASA, San Diego, CA*
October: “Not the Optimistic Type,” (with Ben Caplan and Adam Murray), WCPA, Winnipeg, MB (Commentator: Peter Hanks)
October: “A Plea for Moderate Brutalism,” (with Ben Caplan), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
June: “A Plea for Moderate Brutalism,” (with Ben Caplan), CPA, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC*
March: Comments on Meghan Sullivan, “An A-Theory without Tense Operators,” Theoretical Virtues in Metaphysics, WMU, Kalamazoo, MI*
2012
October: “King and Soames on Propositions,” (with Ben Caplan), WCPA, Victoria, BC (Commentator: Jill Isenberg)
October: Comments on James O. Young’s “The Poverty of Musical Ontology,” WCPA, Victoria, BC*
October: “King and Soames on Propositions,” (with Ben Caplan), SEP, Columbus, OH
May: “Maintaining Musical Materialism,” Art and Metaphysics Conference, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China*
2011
October: Comments on Octavian Ion’s “Frege Cases and the Efficacy of Broad Psychological Explanation,” WCPA, Lethbridge, AB*
August: “Russellianism and Representation” (with Ben Caplan), Syracuse Philosophy Annual Workshop and Network (SPAWN), Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY* (Commentator: Byeong Uk-Yi)
April: Comments on Tyler Hildebrand’s “Genuine Empirical Metaphysics,” Pacific APA, San Diego, CA*
April: “The World is Full of Possibilities,” University of Toronto, Toronto, ON*
April: Comments on Jeffrey Snapper’s “Why the Vagueness Argument is Unsound,” Central APA, Minneapols, MN*
2010
October: “We Are All Skeptics Now,” SkeptiCamp Winnipeg* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsm4DQ5sE0I
October: Comments on Peter Alward’s “Description, Disagreement, and Fictional Names,” WCPA, Calgary, AB*
May: “Parts of Singletons” (with Ben Caplan), CPA, Concordia University, Montreal, QC
April-May: “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re” (with Joshua Spencer), INPC, Moscow, ID (Commentator: David Shier)
March: “Parts of Singletons” (with Ben Caplan and Patrick Reeder), Pacific APA, San Francisco, CA
March: “Metaphysics of Ordinary Objects,” UMFM Research Podcast* http://umanitoba.ca/news/blogs/blog/2010/03/17/campus-cast-chris-tillman/
March: “Propositions and Parthood: The Universe and Anti-Symmetry,” SEP, Kansas City, MO
February: “Propositions and Parthood: The Universe and Anti-Symmetry” (with Gregory Fowler), Central APA, Chicago, IL (Commentator: Cody Gilmore)
2009
October: Comments on Robert Hudson’s “Carnap, the Principle of Tolerance, and Empiricism,” WCPA, Regina, SK*
May: “Parts of Singletons” (with Ben Caplan), SEP, Edmonton, AB
February: “Musical Materialism,” Central APA, Chicago, IL (Commentator: Ben Caplan)
2008
October: “Propositions and Parthood: The Universe and Anti-Symmetry,” University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
June: Comments on Noa Latham’s “Fundamental Laws and Properties,” CPA, Vancouver, BC*
June: Comments on Arash Farzam-Kia’s “Don’t Bite That Metaphysical Bullet: Presentism, Eternalism, and Ontology,” CPA, Vancouver, BC*
May: “Necessarily, Everything Necessarily Exists,” SEP, Laramie, WY
April: “Necessarily, Everything Necessarily Exists,” Central APA , Chicago, IL(Commentator: Scott Berman)
March: “Necessarily, Everything Necessarily Exists,” SSPP, New Orleans, LA
2007
November: “Musical Materialism,” University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
October: “Priest on the Hooded Man Paradox,” WCPA, Saskatoon, SK
October: Comments on Derek Postnikoff’s “Martinich: Up to Scratch?” WCPA, Saskatoon, SK*
May: Comments on Sam Cowling’s “Advanced Modalizing and the Generality of Modality,” CPA, McGill University, Montreal, QC*
May: “Epistemic Contextualism and Semantic Blindness,” International Conference on Linguistics and Epistemology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
April: “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re,” Central APA, Chicago, IL (Commentator: Bradley Armour-Garb)
March: “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re,” Linguistics Department Colloquium, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
January: “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re,” University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB*
2006
November: “Semantic Stipulation and Knowledge De Re,” World Philosophy Day Conference, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
April: “Contextualism, Iterated Attitude Reports, and Generality,” University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB*
March: “Counterfactuals and Context: If It Were the Case that Counterfactuals Behaved Differently in Indirect Reports, They Might be Context-Sensitive,” Pacific APA, Portland, OR (Commentator: Peter Alward)
2005
December: “Contextualism, Iterated Attitude Reports, and Generality,” Eastern APA, New York, NY (Commentator: Peter Ludlow)
October: “Contextualism, Iterated Attitude Reports, and Generality,” Creighton Club New York State Philosophical Association, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Commentator: Roald Nashi)
October: Comments on Robert Hudson’s “The Empirical Basis to Skepticism,” WCPA, Winnipeg, MB*
October: “Contextualism, Iterated Attitude Reports, and Generality,” WCPA, Winnipeg, MB (Commentator: Catherine Manoukian)
April: “Epistemic Two-Dimensionalism, Primary Intensions, and Compositionality,” University of Rochester, Rochester, NY*
April: Comments on Julie Yoo’s “Objects, Kinds, and Coincidence,” Central APA, Chicago, IL*
February: “Another Paper on Content Externalism and Self-Knowledge,” 3rd Free University of Amsterdam Graduate Conference in Epistemology: Rational Belief and Knowledge, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
2004
November: Comments on Anthony Coleman’s “Contextualism and Isolation,” University of Rochester Graduate Epistemology Conference, Rochester, NY*
February: “Contextualism is False,” Syracuse University Graduate Conference, Syracuse, NY (Commentator: Jeremy Pierce)
Teaching
University of Manitoba
2024 Winter: Contemporary Metaphysics: Hylomorphism, Objects, and Events
2024 Winter: Philosophical Psychology
2023 Fall: Philosophy of Religion
2023 Winter: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2023 Winter: Introduction to Logic
2022 Fall: Metaphysics
2022 Winter: Intermediate Logic
2022 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: Naming and Necessity
2021 Fall: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2021 Winter: Introduction to Logic
2021 Winter: Intermediate Logic
2020 Winter: Metaphysics
2020 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: The Metaphysics of Propositions
2018 Winter: Metaphysics
2018 Winter: Intermediate Logic
2017 Fall: Philosophical Logic Seminar: Non-Classical Logic and Metaphysics
2017 Fall: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2017 Winter: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2016 Fall: Metaphysics Seminar: Fictional Objects
2016 Fall: Metaphysics
2016 Winter: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2015 Fall: Metaphysics Seminar: Objects: Nothing Out of the Ordinary
2015-2016: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2015 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: New Work on Metaphysics of Propositions
2014-2015: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2014 Fall: Metaphysics
2014 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: New Thinking about Propositions
2013 Fall: Metaphysics
2013-2014: Introduction to Logic
2013 Winter: Philosophy of Physics
2012-2013: Modern Logic and Philosophy of Logic
2012 Fall: Metaphysics Seminar: The Logic and Metaphysics of Intentionality
2012 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: Modality without Worlds
2011-2012: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2011 Fall: Metaphysics
2011 Winter: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2011 Winter: Logic Seminar: Logic for Philosophy
2010-2011: Introduction to Logic
2010 Fall: Metaphysics
2010 Winter: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2010 Winter: Metaphysics Seminar: The Structure of Objects
2008-2009: Introduction to Logic
2008-2009: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2008 Winter: Directed Readings in Philosophy of Language: Naming and Necessity and Beyond
2008 Winter: Fundamentals of Philosophy of Language
2008 Fall: Metaphysics Seminar: The Nature and Structure of Content
2007-2008: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2007 Fall: Epistemology Seminar: The Philosophy of Philosophy
2007 Summer: Directed Readings in Metaphysics: Metaphysics of Modality
2007 Winter: Critical Thinking
2007 Winter: Directed Readings in Metaphysics: Philosophy of Time
2006-2007: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
2006 Fall: Metaphysics Seminar: Existence and Nonexistence
University of Rochester
2006 Spring: Ancient Philosophy, Contemporary Problems
2005 Fall: Philosophical Problems of Space and Time
2005 Summer: Introduction to Logic
2005 Spring: Objects, Persons, and Identity
2004 Fall: Paradoxes
2004 Summer: Introduction to Logic
Graduate Supervision
2024: Christine Hildebrand, "Depression, Judgement, and Belief" Committee Member
2024: Gregory Glatz, "Perceptual Dogmatism and Undercutting Defeat" Supervisor
2022: Tumpa Bithy, "Millian Direct Reference Theory and the Problems Posed by Non-Referring Names" Co-supervisor (Program Assistant with the Economic Law and Policy Program at IISD)
2016: Ali Sarvi, “Truth in Fiction” Committee Member
2014: Damian Melamedoff, “Invariantist Nihilism” Supervisor (Ph.D., University of Toronto; Assistant Professor, NYU Shanghai)
2012: Jamie Hebert, “Moral Intuitionism” Committee Member (Tire Chalet COO)
2011: Curtis Kehler, “Time for a Change: A Refutation of Presentism” Supervisor (Instructor, Brandon University)
2011: Richard Ksiazek, “The Spatially Restricted Theory of Mereological Composition” Supervisor (Computer Sales Supervisor, University of Manitoba)
2010: John Dyck, “Did Bach Compose Musical Works? An Examination of Goehr’s Watershed Date” Committee Member (Ph.D. CUNY; Instructor, Auburn University)
2009: Justin Dallmann, “Confirming Metaphysics: A Generalization of the Paradox of Confirmation” Committee Member (Ph.D., University of Southern California; Data Scientist with the City of Winnipeg)
2009: Adam Murray, “The Metaphysics of Modality: Nature Realism” Supervisor (Ph.D. University of Toronto; Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba)
2007: Paul Daniels, “Traveler’s Dilemma” Committee Member (Ph.D. Monash University; Adjunct Research Affiliate, Monash University)
Professional Service
Refereeing (* = multiple assignments)
Conferences
Canadian Philosophical Association*, Canadian Society for Aesthetics*, Jury Member for CPA Student Essay Prize, CUNY Graduate Conference in Aesthetics*, American Philosophical Association (Pacific Division)*, Society for Exact Philosophy*, University of Rochester Graduate Epistemology Conference*, Western Canadian Philosophical Association*
Journals
Analysis, Australasian Journal of Philosophy*, British Journal of Aesthetics*, Canadian Journal of Philosophy*, dialectica*, Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review*, Ergo, Inquiry, Journal of Art and Art Criticism*, Journal of Philosophical Logic, Journal of Philosophical Research*, Journal of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Mind*, Noûs, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly*, Philosophical Papers, Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies*, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Synthese*
Encyclopediae
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Conference Organization
2025: Program Chair, Philosophy of Language, Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, George Brown College
2024: Program Chair, Philosophy of Language, Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, McGill University
2023: Program Chair, Philosophy of Language, Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, York University
2022: Co-organizer (with Adam Murray), 58th Annual Meeting of the Western Canadian Philosophical Association, University of Manitoba
2019: Program Committee Member, Pacific APA
2016: Organizer, Metaphysics of Propositions Workshop, University of Manitoba
2016: Organizer, Joint Symposium of the Canadian Philosophical Association and the Canadian Society for Aesthetics, University of Calgary
2014: Program Chair, Epistemology, Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, Brock University
2013: Organizer, 50th Annual Meeting of the Western Canadian Philosophical Association, University of Manitoba
2011: Co-organizer (with Esa Diaz-Leon), 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Exact Philosophy, University of Manitoba
2010: Co-organizer (with Dwayne Raymond), Joint University of Manitoba-University of Regina Graduate Philosophy Symposium, University of Regina
2010: Organizer, Canadian Philosophical Association Philosophy in the Schools Roundtable
2008: Co-organizer (with Karen Zoppa), Canadian Philosophical Association Philosophy in the Schools Roundtable
2004: Organizer, University of Rochester Graduate Epistemology Conference
Departmental Service
2025: Graduate Studies Chair
2023-24: Instructor I/II Search Committee
2023-present: Budget Committee
2023-present: CPAC Committee
2023-present: Philosophy Credit Evaluation Committee
2023: OA4 Search Committee
2022: AA1 Search Committee
2021-2024: Graduate Studies Chair
2021: Search Committee
2017-18: Search Committee
2015-18: Graduate Studies Chair
2015: Acting Graduate Studies Chair
2013: Philosophy Headship Search Committee
2012: Associate Department Head
2011-2013: Marking Vetting Committee
2011: Acting Graduate Studies Chair
2009-15: Graduate Studies Committee
2007-08: Search Committee
2006-15: Philosophy Colloquium Committee
2006-10: Comprehensive Exam Committee (Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophical Logic, Epistemology)
2006-07: Search Committee
University Service
2022-present: Arts Faculty Council
2020-present: Tenure and Promotion Committee
2018-present: Arts Policy Committee
2013-2015: Arts Nominating Committee
2010-2012: Teaching Excellence Committee
2010-2012: Arts Research Council
2011-2012: Local Discipline Committee
Community Service
2007-present: Philosophy in the Schools Manitoba Initiative