Project Description

Home / Members / Graduate Students / Kardelen Kucuk

RESEARCH AREAS:

  • Philosophy of Science

  • Philosophy of Psychiatry

  • Philosophy of Psychology

CONTACT:

KARDELEN KUCUK

Doctoral Student;
Department of Philosophy, Western University

I am a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario. My research focuses on dynamical systems perspectives in psychiatry, with a particular emphasis on dynamical models. By studying how these models are applied in psychiatry, I explore how scientific models work more generally and what they can reveal about the phenomena they aim to explain. This, in turn, helps me tackle broader questions in the philosophy of science. Specifically, my work examines the metaphysical commitments involved in model construction, the explanatory role of dynamical models, and how different models can complement one another in understanding psychiatric disorders. I joined Western in 2021 after earning an MA in Philosophy from Bilkent University and a BA in Philosophy from Middle East Technical University, both in my home country, Türkiye. My studies have also included time abroad as a visiting graduate student at the Australian National University and as an Erasmus exchange student at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

Publications:

Richmond, A., Bowen, J. G., Kayssi, L. F., Küçük, K., Ravikumar, V., Şahin, M. Y., & Anderson, M. L. (2024). Imposing vs finding unity. Cognitive Neuroscience, 15(3–4), 122–123.

Küçük, K., Keven, N. (2021). How to Carve Emotions at their Joints? Ejser 7th International Symposium on Social Sciences Proceedings Book. 102-114. Astana.

Conference Presentations:

Küçük, K. (2025). Network Models and Explanation in Psychiatry. The Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science (CSHPS) Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Küçük, K. (2025). Network Models and Explanation in Psychiatry. Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry (AAPP) 36th Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, United States.

Küçük, K. (2024). Bridging Network Models and Causal Explanations in Psychiatry (Poster Presentation). Autumn School: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Connectivity, Tübingen, Germany.

Küçük, K. (2024). Explaining through Dynamics: Why the Mechanist Account Isn’t Enough. Canadian Philosophical Association (CPA) Congress, Montreal, Canada.

Küçük, K. (2024). Explaining through Dynamics: Why the Mechanist Account Isn’t Enough. Philosophy Colloquium, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye.

Küçük, K. (2023). Realism for Realistic People—Interview with Prof. Hasok Chang. Rotman Dialogue, Western University, London, Canada.

Küçük, K. (2023). A New Framework for Emotion Research: Lessons from the Mechanistic Debate (Poster Presentation). Philosophy of Science Association (PSA) 28th Biennial Meeting, Pittsburgh, United States.

Küçük, K. (2022). Representationalism about Moods: In Defense of the Hybrid View. Atlantic Region Philosophers’ Association (ARPA) Meetings, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

Küçük, K., & Keven, N. (2021). How to Carve Emotions at Their Joints. Ejser 7th International Symposium on Social Sciences, Antalya, Türkiye (held online due to COVID).

Küçük, K. (2018). Can a Brain Scan Tell What’s on Your Mind? II. Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye.

  • Co-Instructor with Prof. Tracy Isaacs, Western University – Winter 2025
  • Teaching Assistant, Western University

Understanding Science – Fall 2024

Ethics, Law, and Politics – Winter 2024

Reasoning and Critical Thinking – Fall 2023

Introduction to Philosophy – Fall-Winter 2022-2023

Introduction to Philosophy of Mind – Winter 2022

Scientific Search for the Mind – Fall 2021

  • Marker, King’s University College                                                             

Finding Happiness: A Journey Through Philosophy – Winter 2021-2025

  • Marker, Huron University College

Globalization and Theories of Justice – Winter 2024

  • Teaching Assistant, Bilkent University

Intermediate Logic – Fall 2018