Richard W. Lawrence
Or see my CV as a pdf
Personal details
- Name
- Richard W. Lawrence
- rwl + the usual commercial accounting symbol + recursewithless.net
- Web
- https://recursewithless.net
- ORCID
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6633-0246
- Citizenship
- US
Education
08.2017 PhD in Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley
05.2007 BA summa cum laude in Philosophy with Honors (minor in Mathematics), University of Pennsylvania
Academic experience
Positions
| Post-doctoral | ||
| present | Principal Investigator, Frege Among the Formalists, FWF ESPRIT Grant, University of Vienna | |
| 10.2021 | 03.2022 | IVC Fellow, Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna |
| 04.2021 | 09.2021 | Post-doctoral researcher, General and Computational Linguistics (65%) and Philosophy (35%), University of Tübingen |
| 06.2019 | 03.2021 | Post-doctoral researcher, General and Computational Linguistics, University of Tübingen |
| 10.2018 | 12.2018 | Visiting post-doctoral researcher, Free University Berlin |
| 09.2017 | 08.2018 | Berkeley Connect Fellow, University of California, Berkeley |
| Pre-doctoral | ||
| 08.2009 | 08.2017 | PhD student in Philosophy (50%), University of California, Berkeley |
| 07.2008 | 07.2009 | Research coordinator, Computational Memory Lab, University of Pennsylvania |
Areas
- Specializations
- philosophy of mathematics, language, and logic
- Competences
- technology and ethics, mathematical logic, philosophy of science, ancient philosophy
- Other interests
- digital media, aesthetics, political philosophy
Technical experience
Skills
Web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Bootstrap, XML, XSLT), Python (Django, Numpy/Scipy), Git, Unix (Debian GNU/Linux, others), Databases and SQL (PostgreSQL, SQLite), Emacs and Elisp
Work history
General and Computational Linguistics, Universität Tübingen (FT, 06.2019–09.2021)
- Created interactive interfaces for linguistic research data (React, Bootstrap, Docker and other modern Web technologies)
- Developed metadata transformations to make archived research data discoverable on the Web (HTML, CSS, XML, XSLT)
- Archived linguistic research data and metadata in collaboration with other researchers
- Reduced technical debt and maintenance load for internal database editor (React, Java, Postgres)
Computational Memory Lab, University of Pennsylvania (FT, 07.2008–07.2009)
- Advanced long-term study of human memory by collecting, manipulating, and analyzing behavioral and EEG data (Matlab, Python, and Unix tools)
- Designed and built laboratory information management system (Python, Django)
- Trained in psychological research ethics and relevant U.S. regulations
Publishers’ Assistant (FT, 09.2007–06.2008)
- Client-driven Web development (COM and ASP-based technology stack)
Haematologic Technologies, Inc. (PT, Summers 2003–2006)
- Supported quality control processes by programming temperature monitor for laboratory freezers (R)
Kelly Writers House (PT, Semesters 2003–2007)
- Web development and maintenance for literary arts organization (HTML, CSS, PHP)
Open Source Contributions
- Contributor to metadatatransformation, a Web service that converts between metadata formats used by the Tübingen Archive of Language Resources
- Author of germanet-common, a React library for building applications with the GermaNet semantic database
- Author and maintainer of ox-linguistics, which provides syntax for linguistic examples in Org Mode documents
- Author and maintainer of schoolutils, a database and CLI for assignments and grades
- Contributor of patches, bug reports, and user support to the Open Logic Project, evil-mode, afew, org-mode, and other open source projects
Publications
Peer reviewed articles
Lawrence, Richard and Justin Vlasits. Forthcoming. Translators’ Introduction and Translation of Olga Hahn, “On the Coefficients of a Logical Equation and their Relation to the Theory of Valid Inference”. In: Aristotle’s Organon in Old and New Logic. Eds. Colin King and Venanzio Raspa. Bloomsbury.
Lawrence, Richard. Forthcoming. “Kant’s Prize Essay and Nineteenth Century Formalism”. Kant Yearbook.
Lawrence, Richard. 2023. “Frege, Thomae, and Formalism: Shifting Perspectives”. Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 11 (2) 1–23. https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v11i2.5366
Lawrence, Richard. 2021. “Frege, Hankel, and Formalism in the Foundations”. Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 9 (11) 5–27. https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v9i11.5007
Lawrence, Richard. 2021. “Giving the value of a variable”. Kriterion — Journal of Philosophy 35. https://doi.org/10.1515/krt-2021-0007
Book reviews
Lawrence, Richard. 2022. “Review of K. Hossack, Knowledge and the Philosophy of Number.” History and Philosophy of Logic. https://doi.org/10.1080/01445340.2022.2080373
Lawrence, Richard. 2017. “Review of K. Felka, Talking about Numbers: Easy Arguments for Mathematical Realism.” History and Philosophy of Logic 38 (4): 390–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/01445340.2017.1331988
Conference papers
Hinrichs, Marie, Richard Lawrence and Erhard Hinrichs. 2020. “Exploring and visualizing wordnet data with GermaNet Rover”. In: Proceedings of CLARIN Annual Conference 2020. Eds. C. Navarretta and M. Eskevich. Virtual Edition. http://office.clarin.eu/v/CE-2020-1738-CLARIN2020_ConferenceProceedings.pdf
Translations and digital editions
Hankel, Hermann. 1867/2023. Lectures on Complex Numbers and their Functions, Part I: Theory of Complex Number Systems. Translated by Richard Lawrence. Current version Source code Latest release
Research software
Lawrence, Richard. 2019 (first release). germanet-common. https://github.com/Germanet-sfs/germanet-common
Lawrence, Richard and Marie Hinrichs. 2020 (first release). GermaNet Rover. https://weblicht.sfs.uni-tuebingen.de/rover/
Dissertation
Lawrence, Richard. 2017. Nominalization, Specification, and Investigation. University of California, Berkeley. Committee: Professors John MacFarlane and Paolo Mancosu (co-chairs, Philosophy), Hannah Ginsborg (third member, Philosophy) and Line Mikkelsen (outside member, Linguistics). https://www.proquest.com/docview/2014397432
Manuscripts in development
Lawrence, Richard. “Who are the persons, and how many are the numbers?”. Under review.
Presentations (invited and refereed)
- December 4, 2023. “Hankel on formal mathematics and its applications”. From Permanence to Conservativity: Metatheoretic ideals in early formalism, University of Vienna.
- October 23, 2023. “Frege vs. the formalists on content and applications of arithmetic”. Lisbon Workshop on the History of Logic, University of Lisbon.
- July 14, 2023. “Frege, Formalism and the Kantian Legacy”. Society for the Study of the History of Analytical Philosophy, Humboldt University Berlin.
- July 11, 2023. “Frege, Formalism and the Kantian Legacy”. Frege and the Emergence of Formalism, University of Vienna.
- February 16, 2023. “Kant’s theory of signs and Hilbert’s formalism”. The Formal Turn in 20th Century Thought, University of Vienna.
- December 5, 2022. “Olga Hahn and the coefficients of a logical equation”. Logik Café, University of Vienna.
- November 18, 2022. “Signs, rules, meaning, and the chess analogy”. Vienna Language and Mind Group, University of Vienna.
- November 14, 2022. “Signs and content in early mathematical formalism”. Department of Logic, Czech Academy of Sciences.
- September 15, 2022. “The chess analogy in its historical context”. Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie, Humboldt University Berlin.
- August 24, 2022. “The chess analogy in its historical context”. TiLPS History of Analytic Philosophy Workshop, Tilburg University.
- December 6, 2021. “Formalism through the eyes of Weierstrass and Thomae”. Logik Café, University of Vienna.
- November 19, 2021. “Formalism through the eyes of Weierstrass and Thomae”. Novembertagung in the History and Philosophy of Mathematics.
- July 16, 2021. “Frege and formalism: an apology for Thomae.” Society for the Study of the History of Analytical Philosophy, University of Vienna.
- December 2, 2020. “Hankel’s formalism, Frege’s logicism, and the analytic-synthetic distinction.” Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker-Kolloquium, University of Tübingen.
- November 28, 2020. “Hankel’s formalism and Frege’s logicism.” Novembertagung on the History and Philosophy of Mathematics. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
- December 12, 2019. “Perspectives in the semantics of variables.” University of Vienna.
- October 28, 2019. “Frege’s arguments against formalism.” Logik Café, University of Vienna.
- June 13, 2019. “Frege on concepts and objects.” Master Class on the Lesser-Known Frege in Kantian Context, Boston University.
- May 7, 2019. “Algebraic investigations.” Oberseminar am Institut für Philosophie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
- January 29, 2019. “Variables and Values in Practice.” Workshop in Natural Language Semantics, Freie Universität Berlin.
- June 20, 2018. “Frege’s epistemological understanding of objects and concepts.” Society for the Study of the History of Analytical Philosophy, McMaster University.
- April 19, 2017. “Some puzzles about the indefinite article.” Society for Linguistics Undergraduate Students, University of California, Berkeley.
- March 31, 2017. “Who are the persons, and how many are the numbers?” Doc’in Nicod, Institut Jean Nicod.
- February 2, 2017. “Who are the persons, and how many are the numbers?” SemanticsBabble, University of California, San Diego.
- December 14, 2016. “Who are the persons, and how many are the numbers?” Philosophy Graduate Research Colloquium, University of California, Berkeley.
- August 5, 2016. “Concepts and objects in game-theoretical semantics.” Logic Colloquium 2016, Association for Symbolic Logic European Summer Meeting, University of Leeds.
- December 2, 2014. “Three analyses of specificational sentences.” Meaning Sciences Club, University of California, Berkeley.
Professional service
- Article Referee (dialectica, Dialogue, Philosophia Mathematica, Philosophical Quarterly, Semantics and Pragmatics, Synthese)
- Member, European Society for the Philosophy of Mathematics, April 2023–present.
- Member, Gesellschaft für analytische Philosophie, May 2019–present.
- Organizing Committee Member, Novembertagung On the History and Philosophy of Mathematics 2021.
- Contributor, forall x Calgary Remix: An Introduction to Formal Logic, an open access textbook from the Open Logic Project
- Member, Berkeley-Stanford Circle in Logic and Philosophy, Fall 2014–Spring 2018
- Organizer, Berkeley Philosophy Department work-in-progress lunches, Spring 2015
Fellowships, Awards and Honors (competitive)
| 2021 | Visiting Research Fellowship, Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna |
| 2019 | Master Class Travel Fellowship, Journal of the History of Philosophy |
| 2018 | Researcher Mobility Fund Fellowship, Free University Berlin |
| 2017 | Berkeley Connect Mentoring Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley |
| 2014 | Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, University of California, Berkeley |
| 2007 | President’s Award for Undergraduate Research, University of Pennsylvania |
Teaching
U: upper-level course
D: course taught in German
Universität Wien
| Winter 2023–24 | Frege’s Philosophy of LanguageU |
| Summer 2023 | Philosophy of ScienceU |
Universität Tübingen
| Summer 2021 | Frege und FormalismusU |
| Winter 2020–21 | Technology and Ethics |
| Summer 2020 | Freges Grundlagen der ArithmetikD |
| Winter 2019–20 | Reference to Numbers and Other Abstract ObjectsU |
University of California, Berkeley
| Summer 2018 | Ancient Philosophy |
| Summer 2017 | Introduction to Logic |
| Summer 2015 | Ancient Philosophy |
| Summer 2014 | Ancient Philosophy |
Additional teaching experience as Graduate Student Instructor includes upper-level courses in Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mathematics, Aristotle, and Philosophical Methods.
Languages
- English (native speaker)
- German (B2, some teaching experience)