Rate My Professor Alexander Gillett

Dr. Alexander Gillett serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy within the School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University. He completed his PhD in Philosophy of Cognitive Science at Macquarie University in 2018, with a dissertation entitled "A Pluralistic Approach to Distributed Cognition: Tasks, Mechanisms, and Practices." He also holds an MA in European Philosophy and a BA in Philosophy. Throughout his career at Macquarie, Gillett has transitioned from PhD candidate to lecturer, delivering courses including Critical Thinking (PHIX1037), Ethics, Business and Work (PHIL2010), What is Science (PHL232), Body and Mind (PHL262), and Philosophy and Cognitive Science (PHL363). In 2020, he was named a finalist for the Vice-Chancellor's Learning and Teaching Award in the Early Career category within the Faculty of Arts, recognizing his innovative approaches to engaging students and fostering critical skills.

Gillett's research centers on philosophy of science, with a focus on philosophy of cognitive science, distributed and extended cognition, predictive processing, cultural evolution, epistemic virtues, and the influence of navigational technologies such as GPS on spatial cognition and wayfinding practices. He investigates how cultural practices, technologies, and environments shape human neurocognitive systems, skilled expertise in scientific teams, and collaborative practices. Affiliated with the Ethics and Agency Research Centre and the Minds and Intelligences Research Centre, his scholarship has accumulated 194 citations according to Google Scholar. Notable publications include "Are Markov Blankets Real and Does It Matter?" (2020, with R. Menary et al., 51 citations), "The Tools of Enculturation" (2022, with R. Menary, 38 citations), "Embodying Culture: Integrated Cognitive Systems and Cultural Evolution" (2016, with R. Menary, 33 citations), "How Navigation Systems Transform Epistemic Virtues: Knowledge, Issues and Solutions" (2019, with R. Heersmink, 31 citations), "Every Step You Take, We'll Be Watching You: Nudging and the Ramifications of GPS Technology" (2021, with W. Hebblewhite, 11 citations), and recent contributions such as "Measurement Validity and the Integrative Approach" (2024, with W. C. Higgins et al.) and "Rethinking Psychological Measurement: Validity Potential versus Realised Validity" (2026, with W. C. Higgins et al.). His work advances debates in enculturated cognition, metascience, and interdisciplinary cognitive studies.