Andrew Y. Lee

Assistant Professor of Philosophy
University of Toronto
email
andrewy.lee@utoronto.ca
profiles
PhilPeople Scholar X
cv
Curriculum Vitae
phd
New York University, Philosophy, 2019
committee
David Chalmers (chair), Ned Block, Thomas Nagel
undergrad
Brown University, 2013
Philosophy (AB, AM) & Cognitive Science (ScB)
postdocs
Rice University, 2019–20
University of Oslo, 2020–22
Australian National University, 2022–23
I work on
philosophical questions
about consciousness
and structure.
Andrew Y. Lee

My research investigates the structure of consciousness, the ethics of consciousness, mathematical metaphysics, and perception and representation. My philosophical interests extend across mind, metaphysics, value, epistemology, language, science, and mathematics.

My work has appeared in The Philosophical Review, Noûs, and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. I have won two Marc Sanders Prizes, in Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Mind. I was awarded a SSHRC Insight Grant for my work on the structure of consciousness, and am Principal Investigator for the upcoming Artificial Consciousness Initiative at the University of Toronto.

research projects

For an overview of my research, see my Research Statement. For a complete inventory of my work, see articles and works in progress.

The Structure of Consciousness

I investigate how structural concepts—such as degrees, dimensions, parts, wholes, continuity, discreteness—can be applied to the study of consciousness. My work combines analytic metaphysics, formal tools, and consciousness science to develop frameworks for modeling conscious experiences.

selected papers
Modeling Mental Qualities Degrees of Consciousness Objective Phenomenology Consciousness & Continuity
The Ethics of Consciousness

I argue that consciousness ought to play a central role in both ethics and metaethics. But I also argue that consciousness itself is neither intrinsically valuable nor disvaluable. Some of my work also addresses topics in formal ethics beyond the ethics of consciousness.

selected papers
Consciousness Makes Things Matter Metaethical Experientialism
Mathematical Metaphysics

I examine a variety of metaphysical kinds—including dimensions, quantities, locations, and substrates—that can be clarified using formal tools. My work in this project provides conceptual tools for more systematic theorizing about consciousness, value, and representation.

selected papers
A Puzzle about Sums Dimensions as Quotients
Perception & Representation

My work examines questions about format and structure concerning both mental and non-mental representation. This includes work on analog and iconic representation, as well as work on the nature of perception and introspection.

selected papers
The Structure of Analog Representation A Theory of Sense-Data