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James Robert Brown

b. 1949

Canadian philosopher

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About James Robert Brown

Born 1949. James Robert Brown is a Canadian philosopher.

James Robert Brown (born 1949) is a Canadian philosopher of science. He is an emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto. In the philosophy of mathematics, he has advocated mathematical Platonism, visual reasoning, and in the philosophy of science he has defended scientific realism mostly against anti-realist views associated with social constructivism. He has also argued for the socialization of medical research (especially pharmaceutical research). He is largely known for his work on thought experiments.

Elected: Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften) 2004, Royal Society of Canada 2007, Académie Internationale de Philosophie des Sciences 2010.

Brown was born in Montreal, Quebec. He is married to the philosopher Kathleen Okruhlik.

Books

1989 The Rational and the Social (Routledge 1989) 1991 The Laboratory of the Mind: Thought Experiments in the Natural Sciences (Routledge 1991, second edition 2010) 1994 Smoke and Mirrors: How Science Reflects Reality (Routledge 1994) 1999 Philosophy of Mathematics: An Introduction to the World of Proofs and Pictures (Routledge 1999, second edition 2008) 2001 Who Rules in Science? An Opinionated Guide to the Wars (Harvard 2001) 2012 Platonism, Naturalism, and Mathematical Knowledge (Routledge 2012) 2017 On Foundations of Seismology: Bringing Idealizations Down to Earth (with M. Slawinski)

Books edited include: 2012 Thought Experiments in Philosophy, Science, and the Arts (ed. with M. Frappier and L. Meynell ) (Routledge 2012) 2018 The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments (ed. with M. Stuart and Y. Fehige), (Routledge 2018)

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Important facts

Born
1949, Montreal
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Guelph, University of Western Ontario
Employers
University of Toronto
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

People in James Robert Brown's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Robert Brown's

Frequently asked questions

Who is James Robert Brown?

Canadian philosopher

When was James Robert Brown born?

James Robert Brown was born in 1949 in Montreal.

What is James Robert Brown's occupation?

James Robert Brown is a philosopher.

What nationality is James Robert Brown?

James Robert Brown is Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Robert Brown

· Wikidata: Q6142194

· DBpedia: James Robert Brown

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Robert Brown. https://biography.guide/james-robert-brown/

MLA: "James Robert Brown." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-robert-brown/.

Chicago: "James Robert Brown." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-robert-brown/.

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