Dr Jorge Fernandez

Associate Professor

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


I am a philosopher at the University of Adelaide. Before coming to South Australia in 2007, I was a post-doctoral fellow at Macquarie University and the Centre for Consciousness of the ANU. I received my PhD from Brown University in 2003, and I taught for a year at Bowdoin College before leaving the United States to move to Australia. I am originally from Spain, and I did my undergraduate study at the University of Barcelona.

My general area of research is the intersection of philosophy of mind and epistemology. I am interested in the topics of self-knowledge and memory. With regards to self-knowledge, I am with those who believe that self-knowledge is ‘transparent’: We attribute mental states to ourselves based on our grounds for being in those states. With regards to memory, I believe that the contents of memories are reflexive: Memories represent themselves as having a certain causal origin. My current project is focused on the imagination and, in particular, on how we should understand the contents of our imaginative episodes.

My general area of research is the intersection of philosophy of mind and epistemology. I am interested in the topics of self-knowledge and memory. With regards to self-knowledge, I am with those who believe that self-knowledge is ‘transparent’: We attribute mental states to ourselves based on our grounds for being in those states. With regards to memory, I believe that the contents of memories are reflexive: Memories represent themselves as having a certain causal origin. My current project is focused on the imagination and, in particular, on how we should understand the contents of our imaginative episodes.

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2005 - 2005 Postdoctoral fellow Australian National University
    2003 - 2007 Postdoctoral fellow Macquarie University
    2002 - 2003 Visiting Assistant Professor Bowdoin College
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1996 - 2002 Brown University United States PhD
  • Research Interests

Chief Investigator in external grants

2017-2020      The Ownership of Minds

ARC Discovery Future Fellowship FT160100313: 864,338$AUD.

University of Adelaide (Sole CI)

2013-2015      The truth about false memory,

ARC Discovery project DP130103047: 205,000$AUD.

University of Adelaide (Sole CI)

2005-2006       A philosophical and empirical approach to the nature of perception and belief

ARC Linkage International project LX0664998: 16,500$AUD.

Macquarie University (French-Australian team of CIs.)

At the University of Adelaide, I have been teaching (often in collaboration with colleagues) undergraduate courses in metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of mind. I also teach a course on existentialism and a course on early modern philosophy. 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor An Investigation into Logical Pluralism Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Aaron John Baseley
    2022 Principal Supervisor Choice and Free Will Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Mr Nicholas Edward Scott
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The Role of Intuition in Moral Knowledge Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Nicholas James Smyth
    2019 - 2022 Co-Supervisor A Defence of the B-Theory of Time with Respect to the Problem of Change Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr James Lambros Vlachoulis
    2019 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Opening a Can of Spacetime Worms: The Metaphysics of Persistence Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Danny George Wardle
    2018 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Temporal Passage: Dynamic Experiences and the B-theory Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Miss Brigitte Claire Everett
    2018 - 2021 Co-Supervisor The Referential/Attributive Distinction: Its Status and Scope Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Atheer Al-Khalfa
  • Position: Associate Professor
  • Phone: 83135299
  • Email: jorge.fernandez@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134341
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Napier, floor 7
  • Org Unit: School of Humanities

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External Profiles