Denis Phillips

Denis C. Phillips is professor emeritus of education and (by courtesy) of philosophy at Stanford University, where he was also associate dean and interim dean of education. Trained initially as a biologist and science teacher, he moved into the philosophy of social science and history of nineteenth and twentieth century thought, concentrating on the emergence of the social sciences and educational research. He received his PhD from the University of Melbourne in the philosophy of science and philosophy of education. Recent publications include Postpositivism and Educational Research (with Nicholas Burbules); The Expanded Social Scientist’s Bestiary; Perspectives on Learning, Fifth Edition (with Jonas Soltis); Muddying the Waters: The Many Purposes of Educational Inquiry”, in Conrad & Serlin (eds), The SAGE Handbook for Research in Education; and Adding Complexity: Philosophical Perspectives on the Relationship Between Evidence and Policy”, in P. Moss (ed.), Evidence and Decision Making (106th NSSE Yearbook), and the Encyclopedia of Educational Theory and Philosophy, 2 Vols., Editor and Contributor.