Faculty

Degrees

PHD, 2004, University of Minnesota; BA, 1996, Kenyon Coll

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Bio

Christopher Eliot is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and the adviser for Hofstra's interdisciplinary Minor in Scientific Reasoning and Data Analysis. He joined the Hofstra faculty in 2004. He has recently taught in the Philosophy and Biology Departments and in Hofstra's Honors College. He was Hofstra's 2017 Mentor of the Year.

Dr. Eliot's research focuses on philosophical questions about ecology, the branch of biology concerned with the relationships among organisms and between organisms and their environments. This research is part of the discipline of Philosophy of Science, which investigates the nature of science—how science is justified, how it explains, what distinguishes it from non-science, and how scientific theories and ideas relate to our broader values and projects.

In particular, Dr. Eliot has published about the concept of communities in ecology and on how it's possible to explain the dynamics of ecological communities despite their complexity and variability.

Born in Washington, DC, Dr. Eliot enjoys learning New York's ecology and its birds.

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Teaching Interests

Philosophy of Science, Logic, Philosophy of Biology, Environmental Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Art

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Research Interests

Philosophy of Science (especially Biology, Ecology), Environmental Philosophy

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Recent Courses Taught

Course	Title	Level
BIO 108	ORNITHOLOGY	Undergraduate
BIO 217	BIOLOGY OF BIRDS	Graduate
GEOL 143N	GEOL FIELD ANALYSIS: GALAPAGOS	Undergraduate
PHI 010	(HP) INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY	Undergraduate
PHI 014	(HP) INTRO TO ETHICS I	Undergraduate
PHI 051B	PHIL EXPLRTNS CALLING BULLSH*T	Undergraduate
PHI 101	(HP)ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTALISM	Undergraduate
PHI 162	(HP) PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY	Undergraduate
PHI 181L	ADVANCED LOGIC	Undergraduate
PHI 193	HONORS ESSAY	Undergraduate
PHI 2101	(HP)ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTALISM	Graduate