Monte Cairns

Supervisor: Stephen John

Advisor: Anna Alexandrova

Thesis topics: Science and values, inductive risk, research ethics

Research fields: Philosophy of science, applied ethics, political philosophy, social epistemology, metaphysics

Publications

Expertise-Objections to the Argument from Inductive Risk. Philosophy of Science. (forthcoming).

The WHO and the 'Whose Values?' Problem: On the Partial Democratisation of Science. European Journal for Philosophy of Science 15(4). (2025).

Electronegativity as a New Case for Emergence and a New Problem for Reductionism. Foundations of Chemistry 27(2). (2023). 

Talks

'Inductive Risk and the Base Rate: Revisiting the Cancer Drugs Fund.' British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference. University of Glasgow (2025).

'Discovering Elements that Don't Exist: On the Recognition of Superheavy Nuclides,' part of symposium 'The Nature of Scientific Discovery in Chemistry.' International Congress of History of Science and Technology. University of Otago (2025).

'How Contingent Are the Results of Value-Dependent Science?' British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference. University of York (2024). 

'Does Political Theory Offer Solutions for the Values in Science Literature, or Only Bigger Problems?' Revitalizing Science and Values. University of Pittsburgh (2024).

'Are There Any Natural Kinds? Reconsidering Chemical Elements.' History and Philosophy of Science Departmental Seminar Series. University of Melbourne (2023).

'Electronegativity as a New Case for Emergence and a New Problem for Reductionism.' 26th Conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry. University of Lille (2022).

Prior Education

2022 - MPhil, History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine. University of Cambridge. First Class Distinction.

2020 - BA (Hons), History and Philosophy of Science. University of Melbourne. First Class.

2019 - BA, History and Philosophy of Science, and Politics and International Studies. University of Melbourne. First Class.

Other Roles

Research Assistant for the project 'Complex Modelling and Political Decision-Making: Addressing Technical and Moral Problems' (2025-2026).

Convenor, Values in Science Reading Group (2024-2026)

Admissions Interviewer for Undergraduate Philosophy, Pembroke College (2023-2024).

Reviewer for: European Journal for Philosophy of Science

Awards

Zimmern Studentship, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge.

Rausing Studentship, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge.

Bruckmann Award, Peterhouse, University of Cambridge.

Cambridge Trust Scholarship, University of Cambridge.

Best Paper Award, for this paper in the Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Australasia, from the Australasian Association of Philosophy.