Matthew Kern

I am a PhD Candidate in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in philosophy of psychiatry and philosophy of science. I study the relationship between explanations, models, conceptual frameworks and normative theories of psychopathology in the context of broader debates in psychology and cognitive science about the human mind and human nature. I work on questions like:

How should the notions of function and dysfunction be used to characterize mental disorder?

What can evolutionary science tell us about the origins of psychopathology?

How can the construct of the psychological immune system inform psychiatry?

What is the relationship between clinical science and research science in psychiatry?

How do different diagnostic and research taxonomies explain psychopathology (DSM, RDoC, HiTOP)?

How do different conceptualizations of mental disorder affect how patients/clients think about their conditions? 

Outside of the philosophy of psychiatry, I have interests in the history of philosophy, particularly in the early modern period and in the philosopher Thomas Reid, as well as broader issues in the philosophy of cognitive science.

You can find my CV here, and my PhilPeople account here, from which you can access my publications.

I am also passionate about teaching philosophy. You can find my syllabi on this website in the "Teaching" tab.

Email: kern.m@wustl.edu Feel free to contact me for drafts of papers or handouts for talks that I've given!