Philosophy

Dr. Ray's main interests lie in philosophical logic — which is a loosely circumscribed domain whose common thread is the application of formal methods to philosophical problems. Topics in this area range from philosophy of logic and philosophy of language to some problems of metaphysics, and includes the analysis of philosophical paradoxes and special topics such as the concept of truth. A current area of research interest is the foundations of formal semantics.

Recent Activities

• "A Return to Right Intention in the Just War", Journal of Military Ethics, online-first.
• "Correct Justified Belief", Epistemology Working Group, UF, January 2023.
• "Intention and the Double Effect", UF Ethics Workshop, April 2021.
• "Frege Versus Frege Baby", Society for Exact Philosophy, [virtual conference], Summer 2021.
• "The Truth About Vagueness". With Kirk Ludwig. In On the Sorites Paradox, Ali Abasenezhad & Otavio Bueno, eds. Springer. Forthcoming.
• "The Trouble with Autonomous Weapons", Florida Philosophical Association, Pensacola, FL, Nov 2019.
• "Mind Your Meaning", Florida Philosophical Association, Pensacola, FL, Nov 2018.
• "Recursive Semantics Without a Net", Society for Exact Philosophy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, May 2018.
• "Tarski on the Concept of Truth" in The Oxford Handbook of Truth, Michael Glanzberg, ed. Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 695-717.
• "Meaning, Publicity and Knowledge", with Marija Jankovic, ProtoSociology 34 (2017): 98-115.
• "Unity in the Variety of Quotation", with Kirk Ludwig, in Semantics and Pragmatics of Quotation, Paul Saka and Michael Johnson, eds., Springer, 2017, pp. 99-134.
• "Meaning, Publicity and Knowledge", with Marija Jankovic,
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Calgary, Alberta, May 2017
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Melbourne, FL, Nov 2016.
• "Teaching Reasoning with Technology",
  • invited talk, Digital Humanities Working Group, UF, Mar 2017.
  • invited symposium, Florida Philosophical Association, St Augustine, FL, Nov 2016.
• "Meaning and Truth", Mind 123 (2014): 79-100.
• "The Problem of Negative Existentials, Inadvertently Solved", Empty Representations: Reference and Non-Existence, Manuel García-Carpintero & Genoveva Martí, eds., Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 262-274.
• Belief, Knowledge and Non-Existence, invited lecture series, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, May 2014.
  • "Logic & the Problem of Belief"
  • "Semantics & the Problem of Knowledge"
  • "Existence & the Problem of Fiction"

Publications

• "A Return to Right Intention in the Just War", Journal of Military Ethics, online-first.
• "The Truth About Vagueness". With Kirk Ludwig. In On the Sorites Paradox, Ali Abasenezhad & Otavio Bueno, eds. Springer. Forthcoming.
• "Tarski on the Concept of Truth" in The Oxford Handbook of Truth, Michael Glanzberg, ed. Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 695-717.
• "Meaning, Publicity and Knowledge", with Marija Jankovic, ProtoSociology 34 (2017): 98-115.
• "Unity in the Variety of Quotation", with Kirk Ludwig, in Semantics and Pragmatics of Quotation, Paul Saka and Michael Johnson, eds., Springer, 2017, pp. 99-134.
• "Meaning and Truth", Mind 123 (2014): 79-100.
• "The Problem of Negative Existentials, Inadvertently Solved", Empty Representations: Reference and Non-Existence, Manuel García-Carpintero & Genoveva Martí, eds., Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 262-274.
• "Tarski's Grelling and the T-Strategy", Truth and Probability: Essays in Honor of Hugues LeBlanc, Ed. Bryson Brown. London: College Publications, 2006.
• "On the Matter of Essential Richness", Journal of Philosophical Logic 34 (2005): 433-457.
• "Williamson's Master Argument on Vagueness", Synthese 138 (2004): 175-206.
• "Tarski and the Metalinguistic Liar", Philosophical Studies 115 (2003): 55-80.
• Review of Charles Chihara's Worlds of Possibility, in APA Newsletter, Spring 2002, pp 53-4.
• "Tarski, the Liar, and Truth Definitions", Blackwell Companion to Philosophical Logic, Ed. Dale Jacquette. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2002. pp. 164-176.
• "Vagueness and the Sorites Paradox", with Kirk Ludwig, Language and Mind (Philosophical Perspectives 16). Ed. James Tomberlin. Atascadero, California: Ridgeview Press, 2002. pp. 419-461.
• "De Re Modality: Lessons from Quine", Knowledge, Language and Logic: Questions for Quine. Ed. Petr Kotatko and Alex Orenstein. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2000. pp. 347-365.
• "Semantics for Opaque Contexts", with Kirk Ludwig, Philosophical Perspectives 12: Language, Mind, and Ontology. Ed. James Tomberlin. 1998, 141-166.
• "Fodor & the Inscrutability Problem", Mind & Language 12 (1997): 475-489.
• "Logical Consequence: A Defense of Tarski", Journal of Philosophical Logic 25 (1996): 617-677.
• "Ontology-Free Modal Semantics", Journal of Philosophical Logic 25 (1996): 333-361.
• "On the Possibility of a Privileged Class of Logical Terms", Philosophical Studies 81 (1996): 303-313.
• "Thinking in L", Nous 29 (1995): 378-396.
• "Untokened Sentences in Actual Languages", Karlovy Vary Studies in Reference and Meaning Ed. Petr Kotatko, and James Hill. Prague: Filosofia-FILOSOFIA Publications, 1995. pp. 29-42.
• "Truth in an Intended Model" (abstract), Bulletin of Symbolic Logic 1 (1995): 129-130.
• "Kripke & the Existential Complaint", Philosophical Studies 74 (1994): 121-135.
• "Probabilistic Causality Reexamined", Erkenntnis 36 (1992): 219-244.

Selected Presentations

• "Correct Justified Belief", Epistemology Working Group, UF, January 2023.
• "Intention and the Double Effect", UF Ethics Workshop, April 2021.
• "The Trouble with Autonomous Weapons", Florida Philosophical Association, Pensacola, FL, Nov 2019.
• "Mind Your Meaning", Florida Philosophical Association, Pensacola, FL, Nov 2018.
• "Recursive Semantics Without a Net", Society for Exact Philosophy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, May 2018.
• "Meaning, Publicity and Knowledge", with Marija Jankovic,
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Calgary, Alberta, May 2017
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Melbourne, FL, Nov 2016.
• "Teaching Reasoning with Technology",
  • invited talk, Digital Humanities Working Group, UF, Mar 2017.
  • invited symposium, Florida Philosophical Association, St Augustine, FL, Nov 2016.
• "Glory, Knowledge and Linguistic Communication", with Marija Jankovic, Is There Any Such Thing As Language conference, Tampa, FL, Nov 2016.
• "Natural Natural Deduction for Modal Logics", with Fabio Lampert, Society for Exact Philosophy, Coral Gables, FL, May 2016.
• "Could Russell Have Been Right About Vagueness After All?", invited symposium commentator, American Philosophical Association, Chicago, March 2016.
• "The Truth About Vagueness", with Kirk Ludwig, invited lecture, Society for Exact Philosophy, Hamilton, Ontario, 2015.
• Belief, Knowledge and Non-Existence, invited lecture series, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, May 2014.
  • "Logic & the Problem of Belief"
  • "Semantics & the Problem of Knowledge"
  • "Existence & the Problem of Fiction"
• "Analytic Satisfaction",
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Columbus OH, 2012.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Orlando FL, 2012.
• "On Tarski's Philosophy of Language and Logic". Author Meets Critics: Douglas Patterson's Alfred Tarski: Philosophy of Language and Logic. Society for Realist/Antirealist Discussion, Eastern APA. Atlanta, 2012.
• "The Dangers of Time Travel", Undergraduate Philosophy Society, University of Florida, 2011.
• Quine on Modality Redux", NEH workshop on Quine and Davidson. Princeton University, 2011.
• "Toward a Unified Theory of That," University of Barcelona, 2011.
• "Truth, Lies and Representation," University of West Florida, 2011.
• "The Case of the Dreamless Sleeper", Guest lecture, University of West Florida, 2011.
• "The Argument from Perfection and Others", Guest lecture, University of West Florida, 2011.
• "Meaning and Truth"
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Kansas City, 2010.
  • Colloquium, UF Department of Philosophy, 2010.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Gainesville, 2009.
• "Cantor and the Gap", with Cassandra Woolwine, Logic Seminar, UF Math Department, 2010.
• "The Problem of Negative Existentials, Inadvertently Solved"
  • American Philosophical Association, San Francisco, 2010.
  • Non-Existence and Fictional Reference, LOGOS, Barcelona, 2009
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Edmonton, Canada, 2009.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Daytona Beach, 2008.
• "Even-Tempered Truth",
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Tallahassee, 2007.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Vancouver, 2007.
• "The Independence of What Our Thoughts are About",
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, La Jolla CA, 2006.
  • LOGOS Origins of Reference conference, Barcelona, 2005.
• "Fifty-Two Pick Up", Florida Philosophical Association Presidential Address, Tampa, 2006.
• "A Decisive Refutation of Epistemicism", with Ivana Simic
  • American Philosophical Association, New York, 2005.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Toronto, 2005.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Jacksonville, 2004.
• "Nothing Like the Sun", Symposium on Vagueness, Society for Exact Philosophy, Vancouver, 2003.
• "Chihara on Modality", Society for Exact Philosophy, Vancouver, 2003.

Tarski and the Metalinguistic Liar", American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, San Francisco, 2003.

• "On the Matter of Essential Richness", Society for Exact Philosophy, St. Louis, 2002.
• "Two Paradoxes of Tarski", Society for Exact Philosophy, Montreal, 2001.
• "Is there a Problem about Vagueness?", with Kirk Ludwig
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Lethbridge. Alberta, 1999.
  • American Philosophical Association, Berkeley, 1999.
  • Univeristy of Missouri, St. Louis, 1998.
  • University of Notre Dame, 1998.
  • Wayne State University, 1998.
• "Modal Arguments for Distinctness"
  • Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1998.
  • Inter-University Centre (Dubrovnik) conference on Modality, Bled, Slovenia, 1997.
• "Tarski's Lost Theory of Truth", Society for Exact Philosophy, Athens, Georgia, May, 1998.
• "Williamson's Master Argument on Vagueness"
  • Inter-University Centre (Dubrovnik) conference on "Vagueness", Bled, Slovenia, July, 1998.
  • American Philosophical Association, Los Angeles, 1998.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Orlando, 1997.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Montreal, Canada, 1997.
• "Fodor and the Inscrutability Problem"
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Johnston City, Tennessee, 1996.
  • European Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Oxford, 1995.
• "Theories of Truth and Truth Definitions"
  • Czech Academy of Sciences conference on Interpreting Davidson, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, 1996.
  • Inter-University Centre (Dubrovnik) conference on "Truth", Bled, Slovenia, 1996.
• "Ontology, Modality and Semantics", European Congress for Analytic Philosophy, Leeds, England, 1996.
• "Logical Consequence: A Defense of Tarski"
  • Association for Symbolic Logic, Orlando, January, 1996.
  • International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Florence, Italy, August 1995.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Austin, May 1994.
• "The Demonstrative Theory of Indirect Discourse", Catholic University of Lublin conference on Tarski and Davidson's Semantic Program, Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, October 1995.
• "De Re Modality: Lessons from Quine', Czech Academy of Sciences conference on Questions from Quine, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, 1995.
• "The Surface Logic of Conditional Necessity" Society for Exact Philosophy, Calgary, Alberta, 1995.
• "Precis for Thinking in L." American Philosophical Association, Chicago, 1995.
• "On the Possibility of a Privileged Class of Logical Terms." American Philosophical Association, San Francisco, 1995.
• "Productivity, Order and the Actual Language Problem", European Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Paris, 1994.
• "Untokened Sentences in Actual Languages." Czech Academy of Sciences conference on Reference, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, June 1994.
• "Truth in an Intended Model"
  • Association for Symbolic Logic, Gainesville, March 1994.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, Toronto, Canada, 1993.
• "Identity & Cumulative Essence." American Philosophical Association, Los Angeles, April 1994.
• "Possible Worlds and the Bust of Voltaire."
  • University of North Florida, 1994.
  • Webster University, 1990.
• "Modal Identities and De Re Necessity."
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Tampa, 1993.
  • American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, Portland, Oregon, 1992.
• "Identity and Fine Objects." American Philosophical Association, Chicago, 1993.
  • Kripke & the Existential Complaint."
  • American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, San Francisco, 1993.
  • Florida Philosophical Association, Panama City, Florida, 1992.
• "Probabilistic Causality Conditions." Invited lecture. Department of Computer Science, UCLA, 1990.

Professional Associations

• American Philosophical Association
  • Member: 1990-present.
• Society for Exact Philosophy
  • Secretary: 1996-present.
  • Member: 1993-present.
• Florida Philosophical Association
  • Technical Secretary: 2006-present
  • Acting Secretary-Treasurer: 2007-2008.
  • President: 2005-2006.
  • Vice President: 2004-2005.
  • Member: 1992-present.