I’m an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, York University, Toronto, Canada.

My research interests lie at the intersection of philosophy of mind and action, cognitive science, and ethics.

In my recently published monograph, Naturally Free Action (2021, Oxford University Press), I develop a naturalistic approach to free will, a.k.a. the ability to act freely. (Here’s a 2024 review by Terry Horgan of my book in the journal Ethics.)

From 2020-24, I was a DECRA Fellow and Lecturer (≈ Assistant Professor) in the Department of Philosophy at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia (on leave of absence from York). From 2017-19, I was a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Monash University, Australia. From 2016-17, I was a Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Florida State University. From 2014-16, I was a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at The University of Arizona. In 2013-14, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Montreal. I completed my Ph.D. in philosophy in 2013 at the University of British Columbia.

I also work on issues (including ethical issues) related to artificial intelligence. In November 2019, I was awarded a DECRA (Discovery Early Career Researcher Award) by the Australian Research Council for a project on agency and artificial intelligence, which I pursued at Macquarie University from 2020-23. Here’s an interview I did in 2019 on the AI Australia podcast on the topic of bias in machine-learning systems. Here’s a talk I gave with Katherine Bailey at the Responsible AI Meetup in Melbourne, Australia in May 2019. Here’s a (remote) presentation I gave on “Intelligence in humans, non-human animals, and machines,” at CogSci 2020. Finally, here’s an interview I did with Mark Alfano about ethics and artificial intelligence in 2022.

When I’m not philosophizing, you’ll find me under the water. I’m an avid GUE (Global Underwater Explorers) Cave and Technical Diver, TDI (Technical Diving International) and IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) Trimix Diver, and a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) professional Divemaster. I also take photographs underwater—see some of them here.

Note:
‘Oisín’ is pronounced Oh-Sheen. Just say “Sheen,” as in “Martin Sheen,” then stick an “Oh” in front.