Staff profile
Dr James Miller
Assistant Professor/JH Social Science (PPE) Advisor and Exam Board Rep

Affiliation | Room number | Telephone |
---|---|---|
Assistant Professor/JH Social Science (PPE) Advisor and Exam Board Rep in the Department of Philosophy | ||
Associate Member in the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS) |
Biography
About Me
My research is primarily on topics in metaphysics and formal ontology, the philosophy of language and linguistics, and metaphilosophy. I am also interested in the history of analytic philosophy, in particular the work of Rudolf Carnap, and have written a number of pieces outlining and examining the philosophy of EJ Lowe.
At the moment, I'm working on some issues in the metaphysics of language (especially the ontology of words), and in metametaphysics. I am also currently writing a monograph on metaphysical realism and anti-realism, to be published as part of the Cambridge Elements in Metaphysics series.
I have recently edited two books: The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics (2020, Routledge), and The Language of Ontology (2021, Oxford University Press).
Previously, I worked at Nottingham University and Trinity College Dublin in teaching-focused roles.
Research interests
- Metaphysics
- Philosophy of Language
- Philosophy of Linguistics
- History of Analytic Philosophy
Publications
Authored book
- Miller, J.T.M. (2022). Metaphysical Realism and Anti-realism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter in book
- Miller, J. T. M. (2022). Does Linguistics Need (Weak) Emergence? In From Electrons to Elephants and Elections. Wuppuluri, S. & Steward, I. Cham: Springer. 23-38.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2021). What Counts as a 'Good Metaphysical Language'? In The Language of Ontology. Miller, J. T. M. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 102-118.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2020). Metaphysics as the Science of the Possible. In The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics. Bliss, Ricki & Miller, J. T. M. London: Routledge. 480-491.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2012). The Unavoidable Dream Problem. In Inception and Philosophy: Because It's Never Just a Dream. Johnson, D. & Irwin, W. Wiley-Blackwell.
Edited book
- Miller, J. T. M (2021). The Language of Ontology. Oxford University Press.
- Bliss, R. & Miller, J. T. M. (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics. Routledge.
Journal Article
- Miller, J.T.M. (2022). There Are No Uninstantiated Words. Inquiry
- Miller, J. T. M. (2021). Words, Species, and Kinds. Metaphysics 4(1): 18-31.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2021). Easy Ontology, Regress, and Holism. Erkenntnis
- Miller, J. T. M. (2020). The ontology of words: Realism, nominalism, and eliminativism. Philosophy Compass 15(7): e12691.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2019). A bundle theory of words. Synthese 198: 5731–5748.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2019). Natural Name Theory and Linguistic Kinds. The Journal of Philosophy 116(9): 494-508.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2020). On the individuation of words. Inquiry 63(8): 875-884.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2018). Are All Primitives Created Equal? The Southern Journal of Philosophy 56(2): 273-292.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2017). Language and ontological emergence. Philosophica 91: 105-143.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2016). The Non-existence of Ontological Categories: A defence of Lowe. Metaphysica 17(2): 163-176.
- Miller, J. T. M. (2016). Can an Ontological Pluralist Really be a Realist? Metaphilosophy 47(3): 425-430.
- Hughes, Thomas J. & Miller, J. T. M. (2014). Lexicalisation and the Origin of the Human Mind. Biosemiotics 7(1): 11-27.