About Me
Hi, I’m Chenyu Bu—a philosopher by training, a musician in spirit, and a structuralist at heart. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m currently a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, working primarily under the supervision of Kathleen Higgins, Jon Litland, and Robbie Kubala. My research lies at the intersection of metaphysics and aesthetics (esp. the philosophy of music), informed by mathematics and music theory. My dissertation centers on the idea that musical and mathematical objects share structural and metaphysical affinities, the understanding of which can shed light on the nature of abstract entities as well as their role in our philosophical inquiry.
Before coming to Austin, I graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I triple-majored in philosophy, music composition, and mathematics. Before that, I grew up in Beijing, China.
Though most of my days are spent with arguments and abstractions, I remain a (somewhat laid-back) composer and cellist. I’m also an occasional dancer.
Look around to learn more about my work (and non-work).
If anything here sparks your interest, feel free to reach me at
chenyubu988 [at] gmail [dot] com