Professor, Department of History of Science, Tsinghua University

Research Interests

General Philosophy of Science (scientific explanation, laws of nature, causation)

Philosophy of Social Science, Philosophy of Biology

Doctor of Philosophy January 2001

Department of Philosophy, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Master of Philosophy July 1996

Institute of Science, Technology, and Society, Tsinghua University

Bachelor of Science July 1993

Department of Physics, Tsinghua University

August 2018 – present, Professor, Department of History of Science, Tsinghua University

July 1996 – August 2018, Professor (2011), Associate Professor (2003), Assistant Professor (2001), Teaching Assistant (1996), Institute of Science, Technology and Society, Tsinghua University

September 2016 – August 2017, Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University

October 2008 – January 2009, Visiting Scholar, Institute of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Paris

July 2005 – July 2006, Visiting Fellow, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh

August 2004 – June 2005, Visiting Scholar, Harvard-Yenching Institute, Harvard University

1. General Philosophy of Science

2. Philosophy of Specific Sciences

3. History of Philosophy of Science

4. Readings in Philosophy of Science

5. Special Topics in the Philosophy of Science and Technology

6. Philosophy of Science and Technology

7. Methodology of Social Sciences

8. Introduction to Dialectics of Nature

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English Books

1. WANG Wei: Philosophy of Science: An Introduction to the Central Issues, Routledge, 2021

2. WANG Wei: Explanation, Law, and Causation, Routledge, 2017

3. Glymour, WANG Wei, D. Westerståhl eds.: Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Kings College Publications, 2009

Chinese Books

1. WANG Wei: Introduction to Philosophy of Specific Sciences, Beijing: Science Press, 2022

2. WANG Wei: Some Issues in the Philosophy of Science, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 1st, 2004; 2nd ed., 2013

3. WANG Wei: Explanation, Law, and Causation, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2011

4. WANG Wei: Relativism: From a Point View of Paradigm, Language and Rationality, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2003

English Papers

1. Stefan Petkov, Wang Wei, LEI Yi: Explanatory unification and natural selection explanations, Biology and Philosophy, 2016(5), 705-725

2. WANG Wei: Review of Ruey-Lin Chen’s Cognition and Evaluation, East Asian Science, Technology and Society, 2015(9), 221-224

3. WANG Wei: Is there such a thing as a Ceteris Paribus law? In: J. van Benthem and F. Liu eds. Logic Cross the University, Kings College Publications, 2013

4. WANG Wei: A Defense of Ceteris Paribus Laws, Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science Vol. 2, Kings College Publications, 2011, 108-113

5. WANG Wei: A Critical Analysis of Structural Realism, Frontiers of Philosophy in China, 2008(3), 294-306

Chinese Papers

1. WANG Wei: Kuhn and Contemporary Philosophy of Science, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2022 (10), 5-9

2. WANG Wei and ZHENG Jinlian: The Ontological and Methodological Fate of Knowledge, Philosophical Analysis, 2022 (2), 131-141

3. ZHENG Jinlian and WANG Wei: A New Perspective on Scientific Objectivity, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2021 (8), 70-74

4. WANG Wei: Holistic Adaptationism and the Null Hypothesis, Social Sciences in Guangdong, 2021 (6), 79-84

5. ZHU Jiahui and WANG Wei: A Philosophical Analysis of Collective Beliefs, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2019(12), 23-27

6. WANG Wei: Cognition and Values in Sciences, Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2017(1), 95-99

7. WANG Wei: Scientific Laws in Biology, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2016(6), 19-23

8. WANG Wei, Zhang Mingjun: How-possible and Why-necessary, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2015(8), 21-26

9. CHEN Bohang, WANG Wei, FAN Xue: The Nature of Genic Selectionism, Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2015(3), 29-33

10. CHEN Bohang, WANG Wei: Rethinking Brandon’s Critique of Genic Selectionism, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2014(2), 35-39

11. WANG Wei, Chen Bohang: An Analysis of Questions in Units of Natural Selection, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2013(2), 1-7

12. CHEN Bohang, WANG Wei: Questioning Genic Selectionism, Philosophical Analysis, 2013(2), 147-154

13. WANG Wei: An Introduction to French Philosophy of Science, Philosophical Trends, 2012(12), 83-88

14. WANG Wei: Post-Darwinian Kantianism in Evolution and Ethics, Philosophical Researches, 2011(7), 109-115

15. WANG Wei, PENG Xuzhou: Computation and Causation, Philosophical Trends, 2011(4), 110-112

16. WANG Wei: A Philosophical Analysis of the Concept of Reduction, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2011(2), 8-13

17. WANG Wei: Is There Such Thing as a Ceteris Paribus Law? Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2011(1), 1-6

18. WANG Wei: Historical and Philosophical Reflections on Contemporary Science and Technology, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2010(7), 120-122

19. WANG Wei: Core Concepts in the Philosophy of Social Science, Philosophical Trends, 2010(2) , 107-109

20. WANG Wei: Causal/Mechanical and Lawful Explanation, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2009(2), 98-101

21. WANG Wei: Science Wars and Liberal Arts Education, In: Lau Kwok-ying and Cheung Chan-fai eds. Qiu Suo Zhi Ji, The Chinese University Press, 2009

22. WANG Wei: Central Questions in the Philosophy of Biology, Philosophical Trends, 2008(11), 103-105

23. WANG Wei: A Report of the 13th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2007(12), 71-75

24. WANG Wei: Critical Comments on Structural Realism, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2006(11) ，34-38

25. WANG Wei: Review of PSA 2004 Biennial Conference, Philosophical Trends, 2005(3)

26. WANG Wei: How to Reject Pseudo-science, Studies in Science of Science, 2004(3)

27. WANG Wei: A Philosophical Analysis of the Rationality of Science, Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2004(2)

28. WANG Wei: A New Development of Theories of Truth, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 2004(2)

29. WANG Wei: Criteria of Cognitive Significance, In: Philosophical Reflection on Science and Technology, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2004

30. WANG Wei: Report of 12th International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Philosophical Trends, 2003(11)

31. WANG Wei: Relativism: From a Point of View of Language, Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2003(3)

32. WANG Wei: Scientific Explanation and Historical Interpretation, Social Science in China, 2002(5)

33. WANG Wei: The New Development of Western Philosophy of Science, Tsinghua Philosophical Almanac, Hebei University Press, 2001

34. WANG Wei and KOU Shiqi: Searching for the Root of Human Language, Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 1998(2)

35. WANG Wei and KOU Shiqi: Noam Chomsky and Artificial Intelligence, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 1996(10)

36. WANG Wei and KOU Shiqi: A Study of Chomsky’s Rationalism, Studies in Dialectics of Nature, 1995(8)

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1. Ian Hacking: Representing and Intervening (Cambridge University Press, 1983), Beijing: Science Press, 2011

2. Nancy Cartwright: The Dappled World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999), Shanghai: Shanghai Scientific and Technological Education Publishing House, 2006

3. John Searle: The Rediscovery of Mind (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1992), Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 1st, 2005, Revised ed., 2011.

Grants and Research Projects

1. Research on Frontier Issues in the Methodology of Social Sciences, National Social Science Funds (2021-2025)

2. Frontiers of the Philosophy of Specific Sciences, National Social Science Funds (2011-2018)

3. Core Concepts in the Philosophy of Social Science, Tsinghua Research Grants for Humanities and Social Sciences (2009-2011)

4. Scientific Explanation and Laws of Nature, National Social Science Funds (2004-2010)

1. Research on Frontier Issues in the Methodology of Social Sciences, National Social Science Funds (2021-2025)

2. Frontiers of the Philosophy of Specific Sciences, National Social Science Funds (2011-2018)

3. Core Concepts in the Philosophy of Social Science, Tsinghua Research Grants for Humanities and Social Sciences (2009-2011)

4. Scientific Explanation and Laws of Nature, National Social Science Funds (2004-2010)

1. The 18th Good Teachers and Beneficial Friends Award of Tsinghua University

2. First Prize of the 7th Beijing Teaching Competition Award for Young Teachers, 2011

3. Excellent Teaching Award for Young Teachers, Tsinghua University, 2004

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1. 2022-present, President of Chinese Philosophy of Science Association

2. 2024-present, Vice Chairman of Chinese Society for Dialectics of Nature

3. 2008-present, Founding Director of “Pitt-Tsinghua Summer School for Philosophy of Science”

4. 2013-present, Founding Director of “LSE-Tsinghua Workshop for Social Sciences”

5. 2014-present, Founding Director of “Tsinghua Seminar for History and Philosophy of Life Sciences”

6. 2001-present, Founding Coordinator of “Tsinghua Salon for Philosophy of Science and Technology”

7. 2012-2024, Director of the International Academic Exchange Committee of the Chinese Society for Dialectics of Nature

8. 2012-2022, General Secretary of Chinese Philosophy of Science Association

9. 2013-2016, Founding Coordinator of “Tsinghua Salon for Social Sciences”

10. 2003-2007, General Secretary of Local Organizing Committee of the 13th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science