[cdicarlo.com] Cirriculum Vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE

Christopher W. diCarlo

PERSONAL

Assistant Professor
Faculty of Social Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
2000 Simcoe St. N.
Oshawa, ON.
L1H 7K4
Home Phone: (519) 766-HUME (4863)
Email: Christopher.dicarlo@uoit.ca
Website: www.cdicarlo.com

EDUCATION

1998 Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario
Dissertation title: Evolutionary Epistemology and the Concept of Ignorance
(Accepted unconditionally). Supervisors: Michael Ruse and Jim Van Evra.

Qualifying Areas:

Epistemology/Philosophy of Science
Skepticism
Ethics
Aesthetics

1988 M.A. in Philosophy, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
Thesis: "An Investigation of Solipsism".

1985 B.A. Specialized Honours in Philosophy, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

Ethics (Medical/Evolutionary)
Philosophy of Science (biology/evolution)

COMPETENCE

Epistemology (naturalized and analytic)
Philosophy of Mind (Neurophilosophy)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Faculties of Social and Health Science
Assistant Professor: 2007-Present
Complimentary Faculty: 2006
Sessional Instructor: 2004-06

Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences:
Department of Anthropology and the Peabody Museum of
Archaeology and Ethnology
Visiting Research Scholar
June, 2000-2002

University of Iceland, Department of Philosophy
Visiting Professor
September, 2001

University of Guelph, Department of Philosophy
Sessional Instructor: 1999-2004

University of Guelph, Department of Psychology
Sessional Instructor: 2005

University of Waterloo, Department of Philosophy
Sessional Instructor: 1992-1999

Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Philosophy
Sessional Instructor: 1997-2005

Humber College, Liberal Arts and Sciences
Sessional Instructor: 1998

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS: BOOKS-TEXT/POPULAR

2007 How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Practical Guide to Thinking Critically. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS: BOOKS-SCHOLARLY
(Research and Development Stage)

The Comparative Brain: The Cognitive Evolution of Specific Forms of Reasoning. The research conducted at Harvard is for this particular book. Currently under review with Rutgers University Press.
The Evolution of Religion: Why Many Need to Believe in Deities, Demons, and the Unseen. Much of the work conducted at Harvard has carried over into this book. Currently under review with Transaction Press’s Human Nature series (Lionel Tiger ed.).
Evolutionary Epistemology and the Concept of Ignorance. Conversion of Ph.D. dissertation into manuscript form for publication.

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS: ARTICLES (Refereed or Invited)

2008 “Is a Nod as Good as a Wink? A Critique of G.E. Moore’s Ethical Intuitionism”. In Problems of Classical and Contemporary Philosophy, Academy of Philosophical Sciences of Goergia, Publishing House, Universal, Georgia, 2008.
2007 “Science and Ethics: A New Enlightenment” in Science and Ethics, edited by Paul Kurtz. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY.
2006 “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery” in SIRS Enduring Issues: an eight-volume reference collection of the best articles and graphics of the year. A request for reprint from Proquest Information and Learning: the leading provider of microform and electronic information to school, academic, public, and government libraries around the world.
2006 “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery” in Humanist Perspectives, Issue 156, Spring.
2005 “Unbelief in Canada (Anglophone)” in The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, edited by Tom Flynn. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY (forthcoming).
2004 Evolutionary Psychology: An International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior 2: 32-46, March. “On the Naturalistic Fallacy: A Conceptual Basis for Evolutionary Ethics”, co-authored with John Teehan.
2003 Humanist in Canada. No. 143: 12-19, Winter. “The Evolution of Morality”.
2002 News in Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 2, Issue 76, November. Review of paper and presentation: “The Contributions of Atheism to World Peace”.
2002 Canadian Humanist News. Vol. 17 No.3 August. Review of paper and presentation “The Evolution of Morality”.
2000 Biology and Philosophy, Vol. 16, No. 1, 117-130: Critical Notice of Anthony O'Hear's Beyond Evolution: Human Nature and the Limits of Evolutionary Explanation.
2000 The Journal of Consciousness Studies: Consciousness Research Abstracts, Abstract: “The Influence of Selection Pressures and Secondary Epigenetic Rules on the Cognitive Development of Specific Forms of Reasoning”.
1998 Philosophia, "How Tranquil the Skeptic(?)", Vol. 27-28, pp. 213-223. Original article in English; abstract translated into new Greek.
1997 The Journal of Humane Medicine, "A Decision Procedure For Achieving An Informed Consent" Vol. 13, No. 3.
1996 The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol 30, No. 1, "Art, Aesthetic Theory and the Two Faces of Ignorance".
1995 Proceedings of the American Society for Aesthetics, Vol. 12, No. 3 Abstract: "Art, Aesthetic Theory and the Two Faces of Ignorance".
1987 Eidos: The Canadian Graduate Journal of Philosophy, Vol. VI, No. 1, "What is Philosophy? A Causal Explanation".

REFEREED CONFERENCE PAPERS AND INVITED LECTURES

2008 (April) “The Five Step Algorithm for Assessing Ethical Dilemmas in the ICU”. Presented to the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses. Toronto, ON.
2008 (February) Darwin Day Presentation with Dr. Hank Davis. Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON. Stipendiary.
2008 (February) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented to the York Regional Health Group. Richmond Hill, ON. Stipendiary.
2008 (February) War of the Worldviews Debates hosted by Michael Coren. Whitby, ON.
2007 (August) “Problem Solving and Neurotransmission in the Upper Paleolithic: The Emergence and Maintenance of Memetic Equilibrium”. Presented at Human Mind: Human Kind Conference, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
2007 (May) “The History of Freethought in Anglophone Canada”. Presented at the Robert Green Ingersoll Conference. Centre for Inquiry, Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2007 (March) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented to the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2007 (February) “The Evolution of Medicine”. A panel discussion on scientific versus faith-based initiatives in health care. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
2007 (January) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented at York University, Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2007 (January) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented at University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2006 (October) “The Agtheist Position: My Lack of Freedom of Conscience”. 26th Annual Meeting of the World Religions Conference. University of Waterloo.
2006 (June) “Critical Thinking on a Global Scale: Argumentative Literacy, Empowerment, and Implementation”. Presented to the Humanist Association of Canada, Vancouver, BC. Stipendiary.
2006 (March) “Unspoken Crimes: An In-Depth Discussion of Racism in Society”. An invited panel debate of issues in racism. Presented by the Caribbean and African Student Association. University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON.
2006 (February) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2006 (January) “We are all African: Our Greatest Discovery”. Presented at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Stipendiary.
2005 (June) Keynote Speaker: “The Importance of Being Ignorant: Critical Thinking and the Relations of Natural Systems”. Presented to the Humanist Association of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2005 (June) “The Shock and Awe of Religion as Memetic Equilibrium”. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Human Behaviour and Evolution Society. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
2005 (February) “Taking the ‘Fun’ out of Fundamentalism: Why the Religious Right is so Wrong”. An invited lecture at the Bricker Academic Building at Wilfrid Laurier University to commemorate the 196th birthday of Charles Darwin. Stipendiary.
2004 (June) “Skepticism, Science and Ethics: Bridging the Is/Ought Gap in the 21st Century”. Presented to the Ontario Skeptics Society for Critical Inquiry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2004 (May) Keynote Speaker: “Science and Ethics: A New Enlightenment”. Presented to the Center for Inquiry. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2004 (April) “In the Face of Crisis: The Evolutionary Drive for Bio-Memetic Equilibrium”. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Ethnological Society. Atlanta, Georgia.
2004 (March): Invited lecture at annual meeting of Youthdale Treatment Centres: “Reasoning and Critical Thinking in the Workplace”. Stipendiary.
2004 (February) "Problem Solving and Endorphins in the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA): The Emergence of Religion and the Maintenance of Memetic Equilibrium". Presented to Toronto Chapter of the International Neuro-psychoanalysis Society. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2004 (February, 2004) “The Evolution of Religion”. An invited lecture at War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph to commemorate the 195th birthday of Charles Darwin. This lecture was filmed by TV Ontario for their series ‘Big Ideas’. Stipendiary.
2003 (November) “Whom Should You Believe? Critical Thinking and the Media.” An invited talk for the Central Students Association. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2003 (August) Paper: “Problem Solving and Religion in the EEA: An Endorphin Rush?”. Presented at the New England Institute of Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Psychology. Portland, Maine.
2003 (March) Paper: “The Evolution of Human Reasoning”. Presented to the Cognitive Science Forum, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2003 (March) Debate: “God Does Not Exist” (Pro Side). Presented by the Muslim Students Association. Axelrod Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2003 (February) Paper: “Evolution: A Scientific Revolution”. Presented to The Guelph, Cambridge, K-W Humanist Society, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2002 (November) Paper: “Evolution, Survival and the Social Contract”. Canadian Society of Reductionist Philosophers. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
2002 (October) Paper: “The Contributions of Atheism to World Peace”. 22nd Annual World Religions Conference. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
2002 (June) Paper: “The Evolution of Ethics”. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Humanist Association of Canada.. University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Stipendiary.
2002 (June) Paper: “Evolution, Skepticism, and Epistemic Responsibility”. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Human Behaviour and Evolution Society. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersery.
2002 (June) Paper: “On the Naturalistic Fallacy: A Conceptual Basis for Evolutionary Ethics”, co-authored with John Teehan. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Human Behaviour and Evolution Society. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
2002 (May) Paper: “Epistemic Responsibility and Freedom of Speech”. Presented at the Youth for Liberty Camp, Orono, Ontario.
2002 (March) Debate: “Does Absolute Truth Exist and Could We Know it?” Peter Clark Hall, University of Guelph. Presented by the Campus Crusade for Christ and the University of Guelph Debating Society. Stipendiary.
2002 (March) Host. “Extrasensory Deception: How to Debunk Your Local Psychic”, Guest Speaker: Henry Gordon.. Axelrod Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
2001 (November) Moderator/Panel Leader. Commentaries on the movie “Memento”. Presented by the Undergraduate Philosophical Society. War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph.
2001 (October) Ontario Skeptics Society for Critical Inquiry. Paper: “Epistemic Responsibility: Why a Skeptic Needs to be a Really Good Pain in the Ass”. Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto. Stipendiary.
2001 (October) Toronto Humanist Association. Paper: “Evolution and Morality: Why We Behave Like Animals.” OISE, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
2001 (October) Debate: “On God’s Existence”. War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph. Presented by the Campus Crusade for Christ and the University of Guelph Debating Society. Stipendiary.
2001 (September) University of Iceland. Paper: “Establishing a Decision Procedure for Informed Consent”. Reykjavik, Iceland. Stipendiary.
2001 (September) University of Iceland. Paper: “Evolution and Human Reasoning”. Reykjavik, Iceland. Stipendiary.
2001 (June) Human Behavior and Evolution Society. Poster: “ Hominid comparative reasoning skills in the EEA: The cognitive evolution of specific secondary epigenetic rules”. University College London, London, England.
2001 (April) Debate: “Creation vs. Evolution”. An invitation by the University of Guelph Debating Society and the Guelph Mercury. War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph. Stipendiary.
2001 (April) Moderator/Panel Leader. Commentaries on the movie “Fight Club”. Presented by the Undergraduate Philosophical Society. War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph.
2001 (March) Guest lecture on Sociobiology for course “Science and its Critics”, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Campus. Stipendiary.
2001 (March) The Guelph, Cambridge, K-W Humanist Society. Paper: “The Evolution of Mind”, Axelrod Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Stipendiary.
2000 (October) Paper: On Cognitive Evolution. Guest Lecture for PSYC 3660: Evolutionary Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2000 (May) The Guelph, Cambridge, K-W Humanist Society. Paper: Evolution, Creation and What We Can Really Know About the Existence of God and the Afterlife. The Evergreen Centre, Guelph, Ontario.
2000 (April) Toward A Science of Consciousness. Poster: “The Influence of Selective Pressures and Secondary Epigenetic Rules on the Cognitive Development of Specific Forms of Reasoning Skills”. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
2000 (March) Biotechnology and the Public Interest: A Panel Discussion on Genetically Modified Organisms. Panel Moderator. Peter Clark Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2000 (March) The Philosophical, Religious and Literary Influences Developed in the Movie: “The Matrix”. Peter Clark Hall, University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2000 (February) The Department of Philosophy. Paper: “The Relationship Between Selective Pressures and Secondary Epigenetic Rules and the Emergence of Human Reasoning Skills”. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
2000 (February) Debate: “Does God Exist?”. War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Stipendiary.
1999 The Departments of Anthropology, Psychology and Neuroscience. Paper: “Secondary Epigenetic Rules and the Emergence of Culture”. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1996 Ontario Philosophical Society. Paper: “How Tranquil the Skeptic(?)”. Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario.
1996 Roundtable Discussion, “Gay Pornography and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms”, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
1995 The XIIIth International Congress of Aesthetics. Paper: “Art, Aesthetic Theory and the Two Faces of Ignorance”. Lahti, Finland.
1995 The Canadian Learneds Societies Conference. Paper: “The Pyrrhonian Concept of Ataraxia as the ‘End of Scepticism’”. Canadian Philosophical Association. University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Quebec.
1994 The Ontario Philosophical Society. Paper: “Informed Consent: Honouring A Patient's Right to Self-Determination in Medicine” (a collaborative effort with Irene Switankowsky).York University, Toronto, Ontario.
1994 The State University of New York (at Buffalo) 3rd Annual Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy. Paper: “Freedom From A Disquieted Mind: The Pyrrhonian Concept of Ataraxia”.
1993 The Ontario Philosophical Society. Paper: “How the Pyrrhonians Won Second Prize”. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
1992 The Canadian Learned Societies Conference. Paper: “Art, Aesthetic Theory and the Two Faces of Ignorance”. Canadian Society for Aesthetics, UPEI, Charlottetown, PEI.
1987 The Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy. Paper: “What is Philosophy? A Causal Explanation”.University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.

REFEREE REPORTING

I have been asked to review submissions for the journals Ancient Philosophy, Evolution and Human Behavior and Acta Biotheoretica, as well as the Annual Conference in Philosophy at Syracuse University, and also for the Canadian Philosophical Association.

PAPERS CURRENTLY SUBMITTED/PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION

“Problem Solving and Neurotransmission in the Upper Paleolithic: The Emergence and Maintenance of Memetic Equilibrium”. Submitted to Human Nature Review

PAPERS IN PROGRESS

“Metastasis and the Sorites Paradox” with Otto Sanchez, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
“Genetics, Aggression and Epistemic Responsibility” with Chris Reaume, University of Toronto (Mississauga)

AWARDS/HONOURS

2008 Canadian Humanist of the Year Award (Humanist Association of Canada)
2008 TVO Big Ideas/TD Meloche Monnex Ontario’s Best Lecturer
2007 UOIT Teaching Award (nomination)
2006 Leadership in Faculty Teaching Award (Nomination): Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
2006 UOIT Initiative Grant
2006 WLU CAS Research Grant
2006 Vice-President Travel Award, Department of Philosophy, WLU.
2006 TVO Big Ideas Best Lecturer semi-finalist
2006 UOIT Teaching Award (nomination)
2005 Silver Medal Award: World Religions Conference, Kitchener, Ontario
2005 UOIT Teaching Award (nomination)
2005 WLU CAS Research Grant
2005 WLU Instructional Development Grant
2003 CLOE: Cooperative Learning Object Exchange Grant
2002 Central Student Association’s Teaching Excellence Award (nomination)
2002 SSHRC Conference Travel Grant
2002 Academic Innovation Fund, College of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University
2002 WLU Vice-President Travel Award, Department of Philosophy
2001/2002 The College of Arts Teaching Excellence Award, University of Guelph
2000/2001 The College of Arts Teaching Excellence Award (nomination only)
2001 SSHRC Conference Travel Grant
2001 Dean’s Travel Award, Faculty of Arts, University of Guelph
2001 Travel Grant, Department of Philosophy, University of Guelph
2001 University of Guelph Instructional Development Grant, Teaching Support Services
2000 SSHRC Conference Travel Grant
1999 Travel Grant, Department of Philosophy, University of Guelph
1999 Dean’s Travel Award, Dept. of Contemporary Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
1992-93 Nomination for the James Wilbur Prize in Aesthetics (presented by The Journal of Value Inquiry)
1992-93 University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship
1992 Travel Grant, Graduate Student Association
1992 Travel Grant, Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo
1992 Travel Grant, Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo
1991-92 University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship
1990-91 University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship

COMMITTEE WORK

2007 Overview of Ethics Component for Critical Care Hub of Excellence, Durham College School of Nursing.
2005-Present Member of Faculty Council, Faculties of Criminology, Justice and Social Policy and Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
2000-Present: Mentor for several graduate students at MA and Ph.D. level. Responsibilities included development of materials for research, presentation, publication, grant proposals, etc.
2003 Member of committee for Lisa Byers’ Master of Arts thesis in Sociology, University of Guelph..
2003 The Last Lecture Committee. I was asked to take part in this committee which plans a final lecture for the graduating class at the University of Guelph, which includes past alumni, professors, and a fourth-year student to reflect on their experiences at Guelph.
2003 Organizer of the University of Guelph Undergraduate Philosophy Society. What has come to be known as ‘Phight Club’.

MEMBERSHIP

International Society for the Study of Argumentation (ISSA)
The Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS)
Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES)
Society for Evolutionary Analysis in Law (SEAL)
International Neuro-psychoanalysis Society (Toronto Chapter)
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)

RELATED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

2008 Dozens of interviews in Newsprint, Television, Magazines, etc., related to TVO’s Best Lecturer Award and Canadian Humanist of the Year Award.
2007 (March): Interview with Globe and Mail on the rise of secular thought in Canada.
2007 (January): Interview with Canadian Family magazine on how I teach my sons values in a secular fashion.
2006 (November/December): Two appearances on the Michael Coren Show discussing the teaching of Creationism and Evolution in private schools.
2006 (June): Appearance in filmed documentary: ‘What is True? An Introduction to Secular Humanism’. Scribble Media.
2006 (March): Recorded participation in ‘Final Round’: a debating televised program on CTV (Kitchener).
2006 (January): Recorded interview on ‘Here and Now’: CBC Radio with Matt Galloway discussing lecture tour for ‘We are all African’.
2005/2006: Humanist Perspectives, Issue 154, Autumn 2005: “We are all African”. Cover story featuring my experiences in publicizing the significance of the discovery that all humans have descended from common ancestry in Africa.
2005 (June) Interview by CTV (Ottawa) regarding Dr. Henry Morgentaler’s recent honourary doctorate from the University of Western Ontario.
2004 (May) Recorded interview on CBC Radio 1 with host Sook-Yin Lee. regarding media responsibility in covering the treatment of Iraqi prisoners of war by U.S. troops.
2004: Invited lecture at annual meeting of Youthdale Treatment Centres: “Reasoning and Critical Thinking in the Workplace”. Stipendiary.
2004 (March) Live interview on Talk Radio CJYE 1250 am with host Drew Marshall. Topic: “Do Philosophy Professors Coerce Christian Students Away from Their Faith?”
2004 (February) Live interview on CBC Radio 1 with host Erika Ritter regarding Darwin Day talk on “The Evolution of Religion”
1999: Discussion/interview with Noam Chomsky regarding political corruption, democracy, U.S. covert involvement throughout the world, etc. Guelph, Ontario.
1999: Invited lecture at annual meeting of Youthdale Treatment Centres. Lecture title: "The Value of Reasoning and Argumentation in the Child Care Professions". Toronto, Ontario.

1999: Discussion/interview with Noam Chomsky regarding political corruption, democracy, U.S. covert involvement throughout the world, etc. Guelph, Ontario.

1997-99: Television interviews on CKCO-TV concerning emergency preparedness for severe weather/tornadic activity.

1995: Commentary on the subject of 'begging the question' on the Canadian Broadcasting Company's radio talk show 'As It Happens'.

1994-95: Composition and performance of percussion on the compact disc: "Leonard Shea: In Pursuit of Contentment".

1994: Newspaper debate in The Guelph Tribune arguing in favour of doctor-assisted suicide.

1993: Television interview on CKCO-TV concerning the issue of free choice and related issues concerning pornography and censorship.

1992: Television interview on CKCO-TV debating the causal relationship between rock and roll music and teenage suicide.

1991: Newspaper interview with the Guelph Daily Mercury exposing the fraudulent advertisements of poetry competitions disguised as vanity presses.

RELATED VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE

1995-present: Field researcher and severe weather watcher in the study of severe storms and tornadic activity for Environment Canada.

1998-present: Invited lectures on philosophical topics in various high schools in Ontario such as Our Lady of Lourdes (Guelph), Galt Collegiate Institute, Bishop Redding High School and Pickering High School. The lectures act as a bridging program for high school students to university level lectures.