David Papineau

Who is David Papineau?

David Papineau is an academic philosopher. He works as Professor of Philosophy of Science at King's College London, having previously taught for several years at Cambridge University where he was a fellow of Robinson College. He was born in Italy and grew up in Trinidad, England and South Africa. He currently lives in London with his wife, Rose Wild, and their two children Katy and Louis.

Papineau received a BSc in mathematics from the University of Natal and a BA and PhD in philosophy from the University of Cambridge.

Papineau has worked in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophies of science, mind, and mathematics. His overall stance is naturalist and realist. He is one of the originators of the teleosemantic theory of mental representation, a solution to the problem of intentionality which derives the intentional content of our beliefs from their biological purpose. He is also a defender of the a posteriori physicalist solution to the mind-body problem.

Papineau was elected President of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science for 1993-5, of the Mind Association for 2009–10 and of the Aristotelian Society for 2013-4.