Our people

I'm William Simpson; a philosopher and scientist. I was born in Lincoln, a cathedral city in England, but now live in Scotland (or wherever my work happens to take me). I have a doctorate in physics from St Andrews, in which I considered the macroscopic behaviour of sticky quantum mechanical forces, and I have a doctorate in philosophy from Cambridge, in which I put forward an ontology of quantum mechanics inspired by Aristotle's theory of hylomorphism. In 2020, I was honoured with an Expanded Reason Award for my work in philosophy. In 2021, I was awarded the Cardinal Mercier Prize in Philosophy. I continue to think about the metaphysics of quantum mechanics, and I am interested in both the nature of consciousness and the mind-body problem. Broadly speaking, I am preoccupied with the ontology of nature, the unity of mind and nature, and the unity of nature and divine being.