Daniel J. Singer

Computational Social Philosophy Lab

The Computational Social Philosophy Lab (CSPL) is an interdisciplanary group of researchers that investigates questions of social epistemology, philosophy of science, and political philosophy using agent-based computer models and an eye toward empirical results.

Our most recent research uses agent-based computer simulations to model group deliberation and how group polarization can be produced, maintained, and destroyed by various mechanisms. Our research has implications for measuring and understanding the mechanisms of polarization in societies and small groups, the dynamics and optimization of small group discussions, and the roles of diversity and expertise in groups. For more information, contact Prof. Daniel J. Singer (singerd@phil.upenn.edu) or Patrick Grim.

Selected Recent CSPL Publications

Members

Prof. Daniel J. Singer is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. His primary research revolves around two questions in epistemology and metaethics, namely (1) how and why epistemic norms apply to us, and (2) how epistemic norms change when we look at groups rather than individuals. You can learn more about his research here and see his CV here.


Prof. Patrick Grim is Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy at Stony Brook University. He is author of The Incomplete Universe, co-author of The Philosophical Computer, editor of Mind and Consciousness: 5 Questions, and founding co-editor of over 25 volumes of the Philosopher’s Annual. Grim has produced two lecture series with the Teaching Company: Questions of Value and Philosophy of Mind.


Dr. Aaron Bramson is a research scientist in the Lab for Symbolic Cognitive Development at the Riken Brain Science Institute in Japan and the Department of General Economics at the University of Gent in Belgium. He studies the foundations of complexity and specializes in the development of new methodologies and conceptual frameworks for the study of complexity itself and the systems that evoke it. Outside of research he is an avid cyclist, fashion designer, and musician.


Dr. William (Zev) Berger is a fellow with the Center for the Study of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan and a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University. His research looks at political epistemology in various forms, his dissertation in particular sought to explain how institutions and social norms condition trust and empathy. He also spends a fair amount of time running and trying to stay up on indie music, and once won the Moth by telling a story about his high school experience at a dysfunctional yeshiva (Jewish seminary) in Hamilton, ON.


Prof. Bennett Holman is an Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Underwood International College (Yonsei University (Seoul, South Korea)). His work is at the intersection between medical and social epistemology. His current work is focused on articulating how scientific epistemology must be altered in areas of science that are heavily influenced by industry funding. His work brings the tools of history, philosophy, statistics, and formal modeling to bear on this question.


Karen Kovaka is a graduate student in Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research areas are philosophy of biology, philosophy of science, and environmental ethics and policy. In the philosophy of biology, she is interested in the foundational concepts and processes of evolution, particularly in debates about the concepts of inheritance and biological individuality. She also studies the interface between science, science policy, and public understanding of science, including how public opinion about environmental issues such as climate change may be sensitive to widespread misconceptions about the nature of science. Learn more about Karen here.


Jiin Jung is a doctoral candidate in Social Psychology at the Claremont Graduate University. Her research focuses on uncertainty reduction as an epistemic motive of social identity and self-categorization processes. She is currently studying the impact of identity-uncertainty on group identification, intergroup perceptions, and group integration and schism. Some of her empirical research has been conducted in the context of Korean reunification and Scottish independence, with data collected in Seoul and Stirling. Jiin also examines computational models of social influence processes and uncertainty-related determinants of depersonalization and projection.


Anika Ranginani is an undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania working towards her B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Statistics. Although she is new to academic research, she enjoys thinking about the way models can be used to represent different phenomena in the world. She is currently working on a fantasy novel to practice writing in her free time.


Former Members