Paolo Mancosu

Paolo Mancosu is the Willis S. and Marion Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley. In his work, Mancosu pursues the philosophy of mathematics and logic. He has been pivotal in reorienting the philosophy of mathematics towards a discipline more attentive to mathematical practice itself. His contributions include the study of mathematical explanations, diagrammatic reasoning, purity of methods and the concept of mathematical infinity.

Across Mancosu's body of work, he combines perspectives drawn from the history and philosophy of logic and mathematics as well as from contemporary mathematics and mathematical logic. Beyond philosophy, he has also written several books uncovering the publication history of Doctor Zhivago, drawing on archival research to illuminate the novel’s complicated journey through the Cold War era.

During his career he has taught at Stanford, Oxford, and Yale. He has been a fellow of the Humboldt Stiftung, of the Wissenschaftskollegzu Berlin, of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and of the Institut d'Études Avancées in Paris. He has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NSF, and the CNRS.

Mancosu received a Laurea degree from the Catholic University of Milan and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stanford University.