![Nicholas Shackel](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1830?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Yr Athro Nicholas Shackel
Athro
- Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig
Trosolwyg
I am a part of the School's Philosophy research group.
Additional publications
Forthcoming
‘A problem for the unity of normativity’. Analysis. 74 Vol. (3) July 2014, 404-411
Published in refereed journals
‘The nought belief paradox’ Erkenntnis. Vol. 79 (3) June 2014, 523-529
‘Still waiting for a plausible Humean theory of reasons’ Philosophical Studies Vol. 167 (3) February 2014, 607-633
‘The fragility of freedom of speech’ Journal of Medical Ethics. May 2013 Vol. 39 316
‘Cold or Calculating? Reduced activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex reflects decreased emotional aversion to harming in counterintuitive utilitarian judgment’ (with Guy Kahane, Katja Wiech, Miguel Farias, Julian Savulescu, Irene Tracey) Cognition (2013) 126 (3) 364-372
‘The neural bases of intuitive and counterintuitive moral judgement’ (with Guy Kahane, Katja Wiech, Miguel Farias, Julian Savulescu, Irene Tracey) Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Vol 7 (4) (2012) pp. 393-402
‘The world as a graph: defending graphical structuralism’ Analysis Vol. 71 (1) January 2011 pp. 10-21
‘Methodological issues in the scientific study of moral judgement’ (with Guy Kahane) Mind and LanguageVol. 25 (5) November 2010 ISSN 0268-1064
‘Bangu’s Random Thoughts on Bertrand’s Paradox’ (with Darrell Rowbottom) Analysis Vol. 70 (4) October 2010 pp. 689-692 ISSN 0003-2638
‘Sophism and Pragmatism.’ Logique et Analyse Vol 53 No. 210 June 2010 pp 131-149 ISSN: 0024-5836
‘An fMRI study measuring analgesia enhanced by religion as a belief system’ (with Katja Wiech, Miguel Farias, Guy Kahane, Wiebke Tiede, Irene Tracey) Pain. 139 (2), pp. 467-76 October 2008.
‘Coherentism and the symmetry of epistemic support’ Analysis. Vol. 68 (3) July 2008 pp. 226-34.
‘Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias?’ (with Guy Kahane) Nature. Vol. 452 (7185) March 2008. pp. E5-E5.
‘Parting smoothly?’ Analysis. Vol. 67 (4) October 2007 pp. 321-24.
‘Bertrand’s Paradox and the Principle of Indifference’ Philosophy of Science. Vol. 74 (2) April 2007 pp. 150-175.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/519028
‘Shutting Dretske’s door’ Erkenntnis. (Accompanied by a reply from Dretske) Vol. 64 (3) May 2006 pps. 393-401.
‘The Dr. Psycho Paradox and Newcomb’s Problem’ (With Michael Clark) Erkenntnis. Vol. 64 (1) January 2006 pps. 85-100.
‘The Form of the Benardete Dichotomy.’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. Vol. 56 (2) June 2005 pps. 397-417.
‘The Vacuity of Postmodernist Methodology.’ Metaphilosophy. Vol. 36 April 2005 pps. 295-320.
‘Decision theory, Symmetry and Causal Structure’ (with Michael Clark), Mind Vol. 112 October 2003 pps. 691-701.
‘The Two-envelope Paradox.’ (with Michael Clark), Mind Vol. 109 July 2000 pps. 415-442.
Chapters in edited books
‘Pseudoscience and Idiosyncratic Theories of Rational Belief.’ In The Philosophy of Pseudoscience. Eds. Pigliucci, M. and Boudry, M. Chicago: Chicago University Press. 2013. pps. 417-38
‘Paradoxes of Probability.’ Handbook of Probability Theory with Applications. Ed. Tamas Rudas, Thousand Oaks: Sage. 2008. pps. 49-66.
‘Conceptual problems in the scientific study of belief’ (with Miguel Farias and Guy Kahane) Brain -- Religion -- Experience. Multidiscipline Encounters. Ed. Christoph Jaeger, Dordrecht, New York: Springer, Forthcoming.
Proceedings
‘Explaining variation in knowledge by full belief.’ Proceedings of the 34th Wittgenstein Symposium. Kirchberg, Austria. August 2011.
‘Two Rhetorical Manoeuvres’ Proceedings of the IL@25 conference. Windsor, Ontario, 2003.
Reviews
‘Philosophical Theories of Probability by Donald Gillies’ Philosophical Books. Vol. 44 (1) Jan 2003.
Conference papers and talks
‘Hampton's need for the unity of normativity.’ Joint Session, Exeter University 2013
‘Stakes and full belief’ Joint Session, Stirling University, July 2012
‘Explaining variation in knowledge by full belief’ 34th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg (Austria), from August 7-13, 2011
‘Two kinds of reasons’ Joint Session, University College, Dublin. July 2010
‘Objective Bayesianism, the Maximum Entropy Principle and Bertrand’s Paradox’ Lecture to the Formal Epistemology Project, Centre for Logic and Analytical Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Leuven. 30 April 2010
‘Epistemic Ethics’ Lecture, Projekthaus HumTec, RWTH University, Aachen. 29 April 2010
‘Neuroscience of moral judgement and its significance for normativity and law’, Neurosciences and Law Conference, Institute of Science and Ethics in Bonn at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn on November 19th, 2009
‘The neuroscience of moral judgement’ Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin. 9 July 2009.
‘Reasons: rationalisers and justifiers’ Colloquium of Professor Thomas Schmidt, Institute für Philosophie, Humboldt University, Berlin, May 2009.
‘Reasons: rationalisers and justifiers’ Royal Insititue of Philosophy Research Seminar, University of Nottingham, 2009
‘Pluralism for the normativity of rationality’ University of Oxford seminar on Rationality and Normativity, June 2006.
‘Epistemic blame, public knowledge and epistemic duty’ James Martin Advanced Research Seminar, University of Oxford, 2006.
‘Society, artificial persons, rights and responsibility’ James Martin Advanced Research Seminar, University of Oxford, 2006.
‘On the obligation to be rational’ University of Oxford Moral Philosophy Seminar, 30 January 2006.
‘Reasons and rationality.’ Research Seminar, University of Bristol, 2005.
‘Two kinds of normativity.’ Research Seminar, University of Stirling, 2005.
‘Obligation and epistemic rationality’ Research Seminar, St Andrews University, 2005.
‘Two Rhetorical Manoeuvres’ Proceedings of the IL@25 conference. Windsor, Ontario, 2003.
‘Can Practical Reasons be as Velleman proposes?’ Research Seminar, University of Nottingham
‘Knowing when inductions are justified’ Research Seminar, University of Nottingham
Cyhoeddiad
2025
- Jäger, C. and Shackel, N. 2025. Testimonial authority and knowledge transmission. Social Epistemology (10.1080/02691728.2025.2449608)
2024
- Shackel, N. 2024. Brentano's solution to Bertrand's paradox. Revue Roumaine De Philosophie 68(1), pp. 161-168.
- Shackel, N. 2024. Bertrand's paradox and the principle of indifference. New York: Routledge. (10.4324/9781003456308)
2022
- Shackel, N. 2022. Uncertainty phobia and epistemic forbearance in a pandemic. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 92, pp. 271-291. (10.1017/S1358246122000248)
- Shackel, N. 2022. The Nothing from infinity paradox versus plenitudinous indeterminism. European Journal for the Philosophy of Science 12, article number: 39. (10.1007/s13194-022-00463-z)
2021
- Shackel, N. 2021. Constructing a Moorean ‘open question’ argument: the real thought move and the real objective. Grazer Philosophische Studien - Internationale Zeitschrift für Analytische Philosophie 98, pp. 463-488. (10.1163/18756735-00000140)
2020
- Shackel, N. and Rowbottom, D. P. 2020. Bertrand's paradox and the maximum entropy principle. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 101(3), pp. 505-523. (10.1111/phpr.12596)
2019
- Shackel, N., Farias, M. and Kahane, G. 2019. The scientific study of belief and pain modulation: conceptual problems. In: Spirituality, Religion and Health: From Research to Clinical Practice. Springer
2018
- Shackel, N. 2018. The infinity from nothing paradox and the immovable object meets the irresistible force. European Journal for Philosophy of Science 8, pp. 417-433. (10.1007/s13194-017-0192-2)
- Shackel, N. 2018. Scope or focus? Normative focus and the metaphysics of normative relations. Journal of Philosophy 115(6), pp. 281-312. (10.5840/jphil2018115619)
- Shackel, N. 2018. A simple theory containing its own truth predicate. South American Journal of Logic 4(1), pp. 121-131.
2016
- Shackel, N. 2016. Freedom of speech. In: ten Have, H. ed. Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Berlin: Springer, pp. 1305-1309., (10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_201)
- Shackel, N., Farias, M. and Kahane, G. 2016. Conceptual problems in the scientific study of belief. In: Jaeger, C. ed. Brain - Religion - Experience: Multidiscipline Encounters. Dordrecht and New York: Springer
2015
- Shackel, N. 2015. The normativity of rationality. Teorema: International Journal of Philosophy 34(2), pp. 167-189.
2014
- Shackel, N. 2014. A problem for the unity of normativity. Analysis 74(3), pp. 404-411. (10.1093/analys/anu063)
- Shackel, N. 2014. The nought belief paradox. Erkenntnis 79(3), pp. 523-529. (10.1007/s10670-013-9521-9)
- Shackel, N. 2014. Still waiting for a plausible Humean theory of reasons. Philosophical Studies 167(3), pp. 607-633. (10.1007/s11098-013-0117-7)
2013
- Shackel, N. 2013. Pseudoscience and idiosyncratic theories of rational belief. In: Pigliucci, M. and Boudry, M. eds. The Philosophy of Pseudoscience. Chicago: Chicago University Press, pp. 417-438.
- Shackel, N. 2013. The fragility of freedom of speech. Journal of Medical Ethics 39(5), pp. 316. (10.1136/medethics-2012-100628)
- Wiech, K., Kahane, G., Shackel, N., Farias, M., Savulescu, J. and Tracey, I. 2013. Cold or calculating? Reduced activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex reflects decreased emotional aversion to harming in counterintuitive utilitarian judgment. Cognition 126(3), pp. 364-372. (10.1016/j.cognition.2012.11.002)
2012
- Kahane, G., Wiech, K., Shackel, N., Farias, M., Savulescu, J. and Tracey, I. 2012. The neural basis of intuitive and counterintuitive moral judgment. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 7(4), pp. 393-402. (10.1093/scan/nsr005)
2011
- Shackel, N. 2011. The world as a graph: Defending graphical structuralism. Analysis 71(1), pp. 10-21. (10.1093/analys/anq118)
- Shackel, N. 2011. Explaining variation in knowledge by full belief. In: Proceedings of the 34th Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium, Austria, August 2011. Ontos Verlag: Wittgenstein Symposium, pp. 95-102.
2010
- Kahane, G. and Shackel, N. 2010. Methodological issues in the neuroscience of moral judgement. Mind and Language 25(5), pp. 561-582. (10.1111/j.1468-0017.2010.01401.x)
- Rowbottom, D. P. and Shackel, N. 2010. Bangu’s random thoughts on Bertrand’s Paradox. Analysis 70(4), pp. 689-692. (10.1093/analys/anq080)
- Shackel, N. 2010. Sophism and pragmatism. Logique et Analyse 53(210), pp. 131-149.
2008
- Shackel, N. 2008. Paradoxes of probability. In: Rudas, T. ed. Handbook of Probability : Theory and Applications. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, pp. 49-66.
- Shackel, N. 2008. Coherentism and the symmetry of epistemic support. Analysis 68(299), pp. 226-234. (10.1111/j.1467-8284.2008.00743.x)
- Kahane, G. and Shackel, N. 2008. Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias?. Nature 452(7185), pp. E5-E5. (10.1038/nature06785)
- Wiech, K., Farias, M., Kahane, G., Shackel, N., Tiede, W. and Tracey, I. 2008. An fMRI study measuring analgesia enhanced by religion as a belief system. Pain 139(2), pp. 467-476.
2007
- Shackel, N. 2007. Parting smoothly?. Analysis 67(296), pp. 321-324. (10.1111/j.1467-8284.2007.00700.x)
- Shackel, N. 2007. Bertrand's Paradox and the principle of indifference. Philosophy of Science 74(2), pp. 150-175. (10.1086/519028)
2006
- Shackel, N. 2006. Shutting Dretske's door. Erkenntnis 64(3), pp. 393-401. (10.1007/s10670-006-9002-5)
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2006. The Dr. Psycho paradox and Newcomb's problem. Erkenntnis 64(1), pp. 85-100. (10.1007/s10670-005-7515-y)
2005
- Shackel, N. 2005. The form of the Benardete Dichotomy. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 56(2), pp. 397-417. (10.1093/bjps/axi121)
- Shackel, N. 2005. The vacuity of postmodernist methodology. Metaphilosophy 36(3), pp. 295-320. (10.1111/j.1467-9973.2005.00370.x)
2003
- Shackel, N. 2003. D Gillies, Philosophical theories of probability [Book Review]. Philosophical Books 44(1), pp. 92-95. (10.1111/1468-0149.00290)
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2003. Decision theory, symmetry and causal structure: Reply to Meacham and Weisberg. Mind 112(448), pp. 691-701. (10.1093/mind/112.448.691)
2000
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2000. The two-envelope paradox. Mind 109(435), pp. 415-442. (10.1093/mind/109.435.415)
Articles
- Jäger, C. and Shackel, N. 2025. Testimonial authority and knowledge transmission. Social Epistemology (10.1080/02691728.2025.2449608)
- Shackel, N. 2024. Brentano's solution to Bertrand's paradox. Revue Roumaine De Philosophie 68(1), pp. 161-168.
- Shackel, N. 2022. Uncertainty phobia and epistemic forbearance in a pandemic. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 92, pp. 271-291. (10.1017/S1358246122000248)
- Shackel, N. 2022. The Nothing from infinity paradox versus plenitudinous indeterminism. European Journal for the Philosophy of Science 12, article number: 39. (10.1007/s13194-022-00463-z)
- Shackel, N. 2021. Constructing a Moorean ‘open question’ argument: the real thought move and the real objective. Grazer Philosophische Studien - Internationale Zeitschrift für Analytische Philosophie 98, pp. 463-488. (10.1163/18756735-00000140)
- Shackel, N. and Rowbottom, D. P. 2020. Bertrand's paradox and the maximum entropy principle. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 101(3), pp. 505-523. (10.1111/phpr.12596)
- Shackel, N. 2018. The infinity from nothing paradox and the immovable object meets the irresistible force. European Journal for Philosophy of Science 8, pp. 417-433. (10.1007/s13194-017-0192-2)
- Shackel, N. 2018. Scope or focus? Normative focus and the metaphysics of normative relations. Journal of Philosophy 115(6), pp. 281-312. (10.5840/jphil2018115619)
- Shackel, N. 2018. A simple theory containing its own truth predicate. South American Journal of Logic 4(1), pp. 121-131.
- Shackel, N. 2015. The normativity of rationality. Teorema: International Journal of Philosophy 34(2), pp. 167-189.
- Shackel, N. 2014. A problem for the unity of normativity. Analysis 74(3), pp. 404-411. (10.1093/analys/anu063)
- Shackel, N. 2014. The nought belief paradox. Erkenntnis 79(3), pp. 523-529. (10.1007/s10670-013-9521-9)
- Shackel, N. 2014. Still waiting for a plausible Humean theory of reasons. Philosophical Studies 167(3), pp. 607-633. (10.1007/s11098-013-0117-7)
- Shackel, N. 2013. The fragility of freedom of speech. Journal of Medical Ethics 39(5), pp. 316. (10.1136/medethics-2012-100628)
- Wiech, K., Kahane, G., Shackel, N., Farias, M., Savulescu, J. and Tracey, I. 2013. Cold or calculating? Reduced activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex reflects decreased emotional aversion to harming in counterintuitive utilitarian judgment. Cognition 126(3), pp. 364-372. (10.1016/j.cognition.2012.11.002)
- Kahane, G., Wiech, K., Shackel, N., Farias, M., Savulescu, J. and Tracey, I. 2012. The neural basis of intuitive and counterintuitive moral judgment. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 7(4), pp. 393-402. (10.1093/scan/nsr005)
- Shackel, N. 2011. The world as a graph: Defending graphical structuralism. Analysis 71(1), pp. 10-21. (10.1093/analys/anq118)
- Kahane, G. and Shackel, N. 2010. Methodological issues in the neuroscience of moral judgement. Mind and Language 25(5), pp. 561-582. (10.1111/j.1468-0017.2010.01401.x)
- Rowbottom, D. P. and Shackel, N. 2010. Bangu’s random thoughts on Bertrand’s Paradox. Analysis 70(4), pp. 689-692. (10.1093/analys/anq080)
- Shackel, N. 2010. Sophism and pragmatism. Logique et Analyse 53(210), pp. 131-149.
- Shackel, N. 2008. Coherentism and the symmetry of epistemic support. Analysis 68(299), pp. 226-234. (10.1111/j.1467-8284.2008.00743.x)
- Kahane, G. and Shackel, N. 2008. Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias?. Nature 452(7185), pp. E5-E5. (10.1038/nature06785)
- Wiech, K., Farias, M., Kahane, G., Shackel, N., Tiede, W. and Tracey, I. 2008. An fMRI study measuring analgesia enhanced by religion as a belief system. Pain 139(2), pp. 467-476.
- Shackel, N. 2007. Parting smoothly?. Analysis 67(296), pp. 321-324. (10.1111/j.1467-8284.2007.00700.x)
- Shackel, N. 2007. Bertrand's Paradox and the principle of indifference. Philosophy of Science 74(2), pp. 150-175. (10.1086/519028)
- Shackel, N. 2006. Shutting Dretske's door. Erkenntnis 64(3), pp. 393-401. (10.1007/s10670-006-9002-5)
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2006. The Dr. Psycho paradox and Newcomb's problem. Erkenntnis 64(1), pp. 85-100. (10.1007/s10670-005-7515-y)
- Shackel, N. 2005. The form of the Benardete Dichotomy. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 56(2), pp. 397-417. (10.1093/bjps/axi121)
- Shackel, N. 2005. The vacuity of postmodernist methodology. Metaphilosophy 36(3), pp. 295-320. (10.1111/j.1467-9973.2005.00370.x)
- Shackel, N. 2003. D Gillies, Philosophical theories of probability [Book Review]. Philosophical Books 44(1), pp. 92-95. (10.1111/1468-0149.00290)
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2003. Decision theory, symmetry and causal structure: Reply to Meacham and Weisberg. Mind 112(448), pp. 691-701. (10.1093/mind/112.448.691)
- Clark, M. and Shackel, N. 2000. The two-envelope paradox. Mind 109(435), pp. 415-442. (10.1093/mind/109.435.415)
Book sections
- Shackel, N., Farias, M. and Kahane, G. 2019. The scientific study of belief and pain modulation: conceptual problems. In: Spirituality, Religion and Health: From Research to Clinical Practice. Springer
- Shackel, N. 2016. Freedom of speech. In: ten Have, H. ed. Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Berlin: Springer, pp. 1305-1309., (10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_201)
- Shackel, N., Farias, M. and Kahane, G. 2016. Conceptual problems in the scientific study of belief. In: Jaeger, C. ed. Brain - Religion - Experience: Multidiscipline Encounters. Dordrecht and New York: Springer
- Shackel, N. 2013. Pseudoscience and idiosyncratic theories of rational belief. In: Pigliucci, M. and Boudry, M. eds. The Philosophy of Pseudoscience. Chicago: Chicago University Press, pp. 417-438.
- Shackel, N. 2011. Explaining variation in knowledge by full belief. In: Proceedings of the 34th Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium, Austria, August 2011. Ontos Verlag: Wittgenstein Symposium, pp. 95-102.
- Shackel, N. 2008. Paradoxes of probability. In: Rudas, T. ed. Handbook of Probability : Theory and Applications. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, pp. 49-66.
Books
- Shackel, N. 2024. Bertrand's paradox and the principle of indifference. New York: Routledge. (10.4324/9781003456308)
Ymchwil
Research interests
Rationality and the relation of rationality and normativity. My work here includes practical reason and also the relation of rational belief and the ethics of belief.
The application of formal methods to philosophical questions. My work here includes papers on metaphysics, epistemology and paradox.
Bywgraffiad
I did my doctorate at the University of Nottingham, giving a Humean answer to the question of why we ought to be rational. I have lectured at the Universities of Nottingham, Warwick and Aberdeen and immediately prior to taking up my lectureship at Cardiff was a research fellow in the faculty of philosophy at Oxford.
Meysydd goruchwyliaeth
I am interested in supervising research in the following areas:
Rationality and the normativity of rationality.
Formal theories of rationality and epistemology.
Formal methods and problems in metaphysics.
Paradoxes.
