b. 1946
Alex Rosenberg is an American philosopher of science at Duke University, known for his defense of scientism and eliminative naturalism. He argues that physics is the only genuine guide to reality and that the special sciences, including biology and psychology, ultimately reduce to or are superseded by physical explanation. His work challenges the cognitive status of intentional explanations and the autonomy of biology as a science.
Defended a hard scientism thesis in 'The Atheist's Guide to Reality' (2011)
Argued against the autonomy of biology and the cognitive status of natural selection as a theory
Developed eliminativist accounts of intentionality and folk psychology
Contributed to philosophy of biology, challenging teleological and intentional explanation in science
Advanced reductionist positions on the special sciences and their relationship to physics