I studied philosophy of science and metaphysics at Tel-Aviv University. My dissertation: 'The Philosophical Background to the Problem of Translation" (with Distinction, TAU 2000) was a study of the subtle and tense historical relations between logic, scientific methodology and metaphysics. It was published as Extensionalism: the Revolution in Logic by Springer (2008). After two years as a visiting scholar at Columbia University (NY), and a two year post-doctoral fellowship at the Dibner Institute for the history of science M.I.T. (Cambridge MA), I have joined the communication department at Sapir college, Israel, where I head a unit dedicated to the study of the philosophy of communication. My book In Search of a Simple introduction to Communication Springer 2016, explores the major methodological challenges of communication and media studies, and considers various available ways of handling them. My work is an attempt to carefully study our almost miraculous ability to (sometimes) communicate successfully. I believe that only a philosophy of communication can set out from the burning problems of the human condition and proceed with proper caution toward a scientific picture of the world that will offer both the scientist and the layperson a helping hand, with an accompanying explanation
I am a philosopher
of science working in the fields of the history of metaphysics, logic, and
epistemology. I began my research with a reconstruction of the circumstances
which brought about the major leaps in the development of logic. I showed that
advances in the field were, in fact, the product of failed attempts to meet
insurmountable challenges in the traditional theory of knowledge. Logicians, I
argued, tried to extract from traditional logic something it cannot provide, resulting
in technical developments that comprised the foundations of modern logic. The
outcome of this work was my first book, Extensionalism: The Revolution in
Logic (Springer, 2008), along with some ten articles that I have published
on the topic, the most notable of which is “Extensionalism in Context” (Philosophy
of the Social Sciences, 2012).
My role as head of
the Philosophy of Communication unit within the Communication department at
Sapir College drew my attention to the striking methodological gaps between the
study of society and the study of the material world. My second book, In
Search of the Simple Introduction to Communication (Springer, 2016), took
up the challenge of exploring these gaps, the features that distinguish the
study of communication as a science and their implications in both research and
classroom pedagogy.
The methodological
feature of the social sciences that has drawn my attention more than any other
is the "Oedipus effect": the capacity of otherwise productive social
theories to generate the particular social conditions under which the
predictions derived from such theories fail to materialize, and conversely, the
capacity of erroneous theories to encourage, and even generate, the conditions
that bring about their own affirmation (and at times to obscure or obliterate the
evidence or circumstances that might refute them). I have recently begun to
explore cases in which such phenomena occur indirectly, that is, without
any social awareness of the theory. Understanding such phenomena is essential for
analyzing the dynamics behind the retreat of many liberal democracies in recent
years. It is to understanding these dynamics, and the ways of confronting them,
that my current research is devoted.
2002-2004: Post-Doctoral Scholarship, The Dibner Institute for the History and
Philosophy of Science, MIT, Cambridge MA, U.S.A.
Publications
(refereed only)
Single
Authored Books
1a. Bar-Am
Nimrod. (2017) Bechipus Achar Hamavo Hapashut Letikshoret, Tel- Aviv: Books
in the Attic, Yediot Aharonot (350 pp.) [Hebrew translation of 1b below].
1b. Bar-Am Nimrod. (2016). In Search of
the Simple Introduction to Communication, Cham: Springer (216 pp.), (Publisher
Ranking: A).
2. Bar-Am
Nimrod. (2008). Extensionalism: The Revolution in Logic, Cham: Springer (171 pp.), (Publisher Ranking: A).
Edited
Books
Edited
Special Journal Issues
1. Bar-Am Nimrod and Shearmur Jeremy (Guest eds.) 2023 Philosophy
of the Social Sciences Vol 53 (1) (1-78 pp.)
2. Bar-Am Nimrod and Shearmur Jeremy (Guest eds.) 2022 Philosophy
of the Social Sciences Vol 52 (6) (326-392).
Scientific Translations
1. Bar-Am
Nimrod (2022) "A Free Man's Worship" by Bertrand Russell, Alaxon
[Hebrew].
2.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2010) Myth and Meaning, by C. Lévi-Strauss; an
annotated translation with an afterward by the translator, Tel-Aviv: Babel,
(128 pp.). [Hebrew]
Articles in Refereed Journals
1. Bar-Am Nimrod (2023)
“Can Critical Rationalism become a Philosophy of Life”, Philosophy of the
Social Sciences (Journal Ranking: Q1) 53/6 pp. 471-476.
2. Bar-Am Nimrod (2022) “Metaphysical
Perspectives and Their Role in Science”, Philosophy of the
Social Sciences (Journal Ranking: Q1) 52/6 pp. 354-364.
3. Bar-Am Nimrod (first author) and Gigi
Moti (2021) "Lo Gan Velo Jungel", Media Frames: Israeli Journal of
Communication, 21, [Hebrew].
4. Bar-Am Nimrod (2019). “Three Venues to the Theory of
Persuasion”, Empedocles: Journal for the Philosophy of Communication,
10/1, pp. 7-13, 2019 (Journal Ranking: Q2).
5. Bar-Am Nimrod (2014). “The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions, 50th Anniversary
Edition”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences,
44:5, pp. 688-701, (Journal
Ranking: Q1).
6. Bar-Am Nimrod (first author) and Agassi
Joseph (2014). “Meaning:
from Parmenides to Wittgenstein: Philosophy as Footnotes to Parmenides”, Conceptus,
41:99, pp. 1-21.
7. Bar-Am Nimrod (2012). “Extensionalism in
Context”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 42:4, pp. 543-560, (Journal Ranking: Q1)
8. Bar-Am Nimrod (2010). “Individual Ahoy!”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences
40:2, pp. 319-324, (Journal Ranking:
Q1).
9. Bar-Am Nimrod (first author) and Agassi
Joseph (2005) “Popper
and the Establishment”, The Critical Review, 17:1-2, pp. 13-24, (Journal Ranking: Q1).
10. Bar-Am Nimrod (2004). “Extensionalism and Induction in
Boole”, Physis, XLI, pp. 97-123, (Journal Ranking: Q3).
11. Bar-Am Nimrod (2003). “A Framework for a Critical
History of Logic”, Sudhoffs Archiv, 87: 1, pp. 80-89 (Journal Ranking:
Q4)
12. Bar-Am Nimrod (2003). “The Dusk of Incommensurability”, Social
Epistemology, 17: 2-3, pp. 109-112, (Journal
Ranking: Q1).
13. Bar-Am Nimrod (2002). “Logic between Epistemology and
Methodology”, Iyyun 51, pp. 375-388, [Hebrew].
14. Bar-Am Nimrod (2002). “Enunciati senza predicato: una nota sulla prova ontologica”, Nuova
Civilta delle Macchine, XX: 1, pp. 94-97. [Italian]
15. Bar-Am Nimrod (2001). “Demarcation Problems in
Linguistics”, Conceptus, 84, pp. 23-32.
Under
Review
1. Bar-Am
Nimrod "Back to the Spartans"
2.
Bar-Am Nimrod "The Oedipus Effect Reconsidered”
Chapters
in Scientific Books (refereed
only)
1. Bar-Am
Nimrod (2026) “The Social Demarcation of Science” In: Shan, Y. Karl Popper
and the Open Future of the Philosophy of Science, Springer pp.
139-145.
2. Bar-Am Nimrod (2021) “The Place of Logic
in Science”. In: Parusnikova and Merritt, Karl Popper’s Science and
Philosophy, Springer. pp. 185-190.
3. Agassi Joseph and Bar-Am Nimrod (second author) (2019) “Bunge contra
Popper”, in: Matthews, M. Mario Bunge Centenary Festschrift,
Springer, pp. 263-272.
4.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2018). “How Should Social Engineers Develop Critical
Social Science?”, in: Sassower, R. and Laor, N. (eds.) The Impact of Critical Rationalism: Expanding the
Popperian Legacy Through the Works of Ian C. Jarvie, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 9-18.
5.
Bar-Am Nimrod (first author) and Raphael Sassower (2014) “Systems
Heuristics and Digital Culture”; in: Arnold, D. P. (ed.) Traditions
of Systems Theory: Major
Figures and Developments,
Routledge, pp. 277-292.
6.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2009). “Proof
vs. Sound Inference”, in: Parusnikova, Z. and Cohen R. (eds.) Rethinking
Popper, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol. 272, Springer,
pp. 63-70.
Book
Reviews in Scientific Journals (refereed only)
1. Bar-Am
Nimrod (2026) “A Review of Weiss and Agassi: Games to Play and Games not to
Play”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 56(3) pp. 301-305. (Journal Ranking: Q1).
2.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2021) “A Review of L.B. Briskman A Sceptical Theory of
Scientific Inquiry”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 51,
pp. 512-516 (Journal Ranking: Q1).
3.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2013). “A Review of John, H. Sceski Popper,
Objectivity and the Growth of Knowledge, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 43, pp. 397-400, (Journal Ranking: Q1).
4.
Bar-Am Nimrod (2009).
“In Search of a Better Tradition: A Review of John Wettersten’s Whewell’s
Critics: Have they Prevented him from Doing Good?”, Philosophy of the
Social Sciences, 39:2, pp. 336-340, (Journal
Ranking: Q1).
5.
Bar-Am Nimrod (1999). A
Review of S. Guttenplan, The Languages of Logic [1986] 1997” Pragmatics
& Cognition 7, pp. 239-242, (Journal
Ranking Q3).
Unrefereed
Professional Projects
1. Bar-Am
Nimrod (under the pen name Tsipor Ben-Yom) (2025) Fifty: Here be Sea-Serpents
and Daisies, a collection of essays and a memoir.
2. Bar-Am Nimrod (2023) “Can there
be Democracy with Occupation” Occupation and Democracy, Ilan Sheinfeld
(ed.) [both Hebrew and English versions] https://www.tiktakti.co.il/catalog/ilan-sheinfeld/occupation-and-democracy/
3. Bar-Am Nimrod (2017)
"Mahem Media Uma Hem Lo", Haayin Hashviit, 03/07/2017
[Hebrew].
4. Bar-Am
Nimrod (2010). “Theories of Myth Considered as Communication Theories”, in:
Myth and Meaning, by C. Lévi-Strauss, an annotated Hebrew translation, Tel-Aviv:
Babel, (128 pp.). [Hebrew]
a. Presentations and Invited Talks
“Game Theory and Critical Rationalism.”
The 9th Popper Zoom Conference, Online, 2025. Invited Speaker.
“The Social Demarcation of Science.” Karl
Popper and 21st Century Philosophy of Science, HKUST, Hong Kong, 2024.
Speaker.
“Ethics and Ethical Ambivalence in
Popper.” Popper and Ethics Workshop, Online, 2024. Invited Speaker.
“Is Critical Rationalism Analytic
Philosophy? Part II: From Positivism to Ordinary Language Philosophy.” The
8th Popper Zoom Conference, Online, 2024. Invited Speaker.
“Is Critical Rationalism Analytic
Philosophy? Part I: From Frege to Wittgenstein.” The 7th Popper Zoom
Conference, Online, 2024. Invited Speaker.
“Politics in a Divided Society.” Israeli
Democracy in Crisis, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 2023. Speaker.
“Putting the Epistemological Trilemma
into Practice.” The 5th Popper Zoom Conference, Online, 2023. Invited
Speaker.
“Popper, Shannon, and The Metaphysics
of Communication.” The 4th Popper Zoom Conference, Online, 2022. Invited
Speaker.
“The Open Society and Its History.” The
3rd Popper Zoom Conference, Online, 2022. Invited Speaker.
“Metaphysical Perspectives and Their
Role in Science.” Symposium in Honor of Joseph Agassi, International
Zoom Conference, 2021. Organizer, Host and Invited Speaker.
“Introduction to the Logic of
Research.” Is There Any Room for Criticism, Please?, Tel-Aviv
University, 2017. Invited Speaker.
“Science, Technology and the Social
Sciences.” From the Laboratory to the Market and Back: Historical and
Critical Explorations of the Interchange between Academia and Industry, Ben-Gurion
University / Jacques Loeb Center and the National Institute for Biotechnology
in the Negev, 2017. Invited Speaker.
“Incommensurability Within Our
Ontologies.” Incommensurability 50, National Taiwan University, Taipei,
2012. Organizing Committee and Invited Speaker.
“Communication, Emergence and the
Unification of Science.” The 14th International Congress of Logic,
Methodology and Philosophy of Science, University of Lorraine, Nancy, 2011.
Speaker.
“Extensionalism: The Breakthrough in
Computational Reasoning.” 6th Conference on Computability in Europe:
Programs, Proofs, Processes, Azores University, Ponta Delgada, 2010.
Invited Speaker.
“Proof Vs. Sound Inference.” Rethinking
Popper, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, 2007. Speaker.
“Boole Contra Aristotle.” The 12th
International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Oviedo
University, Oviedo, 2003. Speaker.
“Anti-essentialism in Boole and
Popper.” The Karl Popper 2002 Centenary Congress, Vienna University,
Vienna, 2002. Speaker.
b.
Organization of Conferences
Symposium in Honor of Joseph Agassi.
International Zoom Conference, 2021. Producer-organizer, Host, Referee, and
Invited Speaker.
Incommensurability 50. National Taiwan
University, Taipei, 2012. Organizing Committee, Referee, and Invited Speaker.
Invited
Lectures and Colloquium Talks (selected)
“The Psychology and Sociology of Revenge and
Retribution.” The Webinar of the Communication Department at Sapir College, Online,
2023.
“How and Why Was the Nazi Propaganda So
Successful?” Der Stürmer as Parable, Heichal Yahadot Wolyn, 2023.
“Joseph Agassi’s Contribution to the Philosophy
of Science.” The 22nd Annual Conference of the Israeli Society for the
History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Science, Tel-Aviv University, 2023.
“What Modern Democracy Can Learn from Ancient
Democracy.” Colloquium, Department of Communication, Sapir Academic
College, 2022.
“Reflections on the Birth of Political
Experimentalism.” Colloquium, Department of Communication, Sapir
Academic College, 2018.
“Introduction to the Logic of Research.” Is
There Any Room for Criticism, Please?, Tel-Aviv University, 2017.
“Science, Technology and the Social Sciences.” From
the Laboratory to the Market and Back, Ben-Gurion University, 2017.
“Incommensurability Within Our Ontologies.” Incommensurability
50, National Taiwan University, 2012.
“Notes on Quine’s Philosophy of Logic.” Colloquium,
Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, 2010.
“Extensionalism from Boole to Quine.” Colloquium,
Department of Philosophy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2010.
“Communication and Emergence.” Communication
Colloquium, IMT School of Advanced Studies, Lucca, 2010.
“Falsehood.” Colloquium, Department of
Philosophy, Tel-Aviv University, 2006.
“Probability and Induction in Boole.” The
Dibner Institute Colloquium, Dibner Institute, MIT, 2003.
“Plato, Socrates and the Birth of the
Beautiful.” Colloquium, Department of Philosophy, Haifa University,
2001.
“Introduction to the Introduction to
Aesthetics.” Colloquium, Department of Philosophy, Ben-Gurion
University, 2001.
“Logic Between Epistemology and Methodology.” Colloquium,
Department of Philosophy, Ben-Gurion University, 1999.
“Logic Between Epistemology and Methodology.” Colloquium,
Department of Philosophy, Haifa University, 1999.
“Logic Between Epistemology and Methodology.” Colloquium,
Department of Philosophy, Tel-Aviv University, 1999.
Scholarships,
Awards and Prizes
2003-2004: Post-Doctoral Scholarship, The
Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology, MIT, Cambridge MA,
U.S.A. (70,000$)
2001-2002: Post-Doctoral Scholarship,
Philosophy Department,
1997-2000: Nathan
Rotenstreich Scholarship for Ph.D. Students, Tel-Aviv University. (180,000 IS).