Dr Alexander Franklin

Biography

Before 2020, I was a postdoctoral research associate with 'The Metaphysical Unity of Science' project at the University of Bristol (where I'm still an honorary research associate). Prior to that I was a teaching fellow at King's College London, where I also did my PhD and MPhilStud, supervised by Dr Eleanor Knox. I spent the autumn term in 2016 as a visiting research scholar at the University of Pittsburgh. I did the MPhysPhil in Physics and Philosophy at Brasenose College, University of Oxford.

For more information, see my website: alexanderfranklin.co.uk

Research interests and PhD supervision

• Philosophy of Physics
• Philosophy of Science

Teaching

My teaching primarily relates to the analysis and interpretation of particular theories of physics, and the philosophy of race. In both cases I work to understand what scientific theories can tell us about the world. My teaching in the philosophy of race of course covers more normative issues as well.

Expertise and public engagement

I’ve written a few articles aimed at non-specialists including: ‘Why Aren’t All Scientists Physicists?’, Going Quantum with Chemistry’s Structures (with Vanessa Seifert), and Solid Objects and Empty Atoms.

I’ve also appeared on a debate panel at How The Light Gets In, and a podcast episode.

I’d be happy to do any other Public Engagement work – please get in touch!

Selected publications

The Problem of Molecular Structure Just Is The Measurement Problem Co-authored with Vanessa Seifert. Forthcoming in The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

Can Multiple Realisation Be Explained? in Philosophy1 (January 2021)

Whence the Effectiveness of Effective Field Theories? The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 71.4 (December 2020)

Universality Reduced. In Philosophy of Science5 (December 2019)

Emergence Without Limits: The Case of Phonons. Co-authored with Eleanor Knox In Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 64 (November 2018)