Curriculum Vitae for Matthew Dentith

Personal Information:

E-mail: m.dentith@episto.org

Date of Birth: 8/7/1977

Citizenship: New Zealand

Areas of Specialisation: Epistemology, Critical Thinking , Philosophy of Science

Areas of Competency: Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Social Science Philosophy of Time, Ancient and Mediaeval Philosophy

Education:

2002-Present: Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Auckland

Thesis topic: A Philosophical Examination of Conspiracy Theories (Supervisors: Drs. Jonathan McKeown-Green and Justine Kingsbury)

1999-2001: Master of Arts (Philosophy), The University of Auckland

Thesis topic: Omega and Geist: A Comparison of the Emerging Mind of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and G. W. F. Hegel (Supervisor: Dr. Robert Wicks)

1996-2000: Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy and Anthropology), The University of Auckland

1995-1996: Senior College of New Zealand

Selected Awards:

2007: The James Randi Educational Foundation Critical Thinking Scholarship

1998: Senior Prize in Philosophy

Selected Work Experience:

2003 to Present: Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, The University of Auckland

PHIL105 – Critical Thinking (2004 to 2010)
MCHB208 – Philosophy of Medicine (2005)
MCHB311 – Philosophy of Medicine (2008 to 2010)

2002 to Present: Lecturer for the Centre for Continuing Education, The University of Auckland

Critical Thinking (2006 to 2009)
Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking (2006 to 2009)

1999 to Present: Tutor in the Department of Philosophy, The University of Auckland

PHIL100 – Introduction to Metaphysics (2003)
PHIL102 – Introduction to Ethics (1999 to 2000)
PHIL105 – Critical Thinking (2002 to 2003)
PHIL152 – Theories of Human Nature (2002)
PHIL218/318 – Problems in Epistemology (2009)
PHIL261/361 – Metaphysical Structures of the World (2002 to 2004 and 2008)
PHIL263/363 – Philosophy of Biology (2003)
PHIL264/364 – Philosophy of Social Science (2005)

2006: Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, The University of Waikato

Lecturer for Second Semester Section II “Understanding Science” (5 x 2 hour lectures)

Selected Seminars:

2010: The Political and Social Impact of Rumours (Singapore)

Rumour Has It: The Rumour as Reliable

2009: Skeptics Conference (Wellington)

The Slippery Slope of Conspiracy Theories

2008: Skeptics Conference (Waikato)

Saving the Paranormal from the Laws of Science

Wednesday Graduate Philosophy Seminar Series (Auckland)

Presenting the Conspirators of the Conspiracy (Theory)

2007: Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference (Auckland)

Have Your Heard: Rumours and Conspiracy Theories

University of Canterbury Post-graduate Conference (Kaikoura)

Conspiracies Then, Now and Tomorrow: How Do Past Instances Affect the Likelihood of Similar Events Now?