Intellectual History

The Language of Mineralogy: John Walker, Chemistry and the Edinburgh Medical School (2008)

by Matthew Daniel Eddy

Author: Matthew Daniel Eddy.

'Matthew D. Eddy succeeds in making a significant contribution to [the] recent and more nuanced approach to... more 'Matthew D. Eddy succeeds in making a significant contribution to [the] recent and more nuanced approach to post-Kuhnian history of science… Students of eighteenth-century Scottish culture and medicine will find much of value here, as will students of eighteenth-century geology and chemistry.’

American Historical Review


Classification is an important part of science, yet the specific methods used to construct Enlightenment systems of natural history have proven to be the bête noir of studies of eighteenth-century culture. One reason that systematic classification has received so little attention is that natural history was an extremely diverse subject which appealed to a wide range of practitioners, including wealthy patrons, professionals, and educators. In order to show how the classification practices of a defined institutional setting enabled naturalists to create systems of natural history, this book focuses on developments at Edinburgh's medical school, one of Europe's leading medical programs. In particular, it uses the career of the influential naturalist Rev Dr John Walker, the school's professor of natural history, to reconstruct the cultural and scientific basis of early environmental science.

Walker was a traveller, cleric, author and advisor to extremely powerful aristocratic and government patrons, as well as teacher to hundreds of students, some of whom would go on to become influential industrialists, scientists, physicians and politicians. This book explains how Walker used his networks of patrons and early training in chemistry to become an eighteenth-century naturalist. Walker's mineralogy was based firmly in chemistry, an approach common in Edinburgh's medical school, but a connection that has been generally overlooked in the history of British geology. By explicitly connecting eighteenth-century geology to the chemistry being taught in medical settings, this book offers a dynamic new interpretation of the nascent earth sciences as they were practiced in Enlightenment Britain. Because of Walker's influence on his many students, the book also provides a unique insight into how many of Britain's leading Regency and Victorian intellectuals were taught to think about the composition and structure of the material world.

William Paley's Natural Theology: Or, Evidence of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature (2006; Reprinted, 2008)

by Matthew Daniel Eddy

Editors: Matthew Daniel Eddy and David M. Knight.

Natural Theology (1802) is the classic statement of the argument for the existence and goodness of God from the world... more Natural Theology (1802) is the classic statement of the argument for the existence and goodness of God from the world He has created. It begins with the famous analogy of the world, and the various creatures in it, to a watch: clearly the fruit of design and contrivance. Using memorably clear language, Paley took examples especially from medicine, natural history and Newtonian physics to establish how organisms were beautifully adapted for their environment, and how enjoyable life was. Although Paley died two hundred years ago his book is frequently mentioned by modern authors. It is even sometimes supposed that Paley invented the argument from Design to a Designer; and that when Charles Darwin published the Origin of Species in 1859 Paley's book became obsolete. In fact, he was part of a long, successful tradition of British natural theology that stretched from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. But his approach did have critics, within the churches as well as from opponents of organised religion: the book was always controversial.

In this new edition based on the original 1802 text, Matthew D Eddy and David Knight consider what made the book so effective, and tie it to key issues in evolutionary science, theology, and philosophy. It provides a helpful introductory essay that explains the relationship between nature and religion with reference to the social, literary, scientific and theological context of the Enlightenment and Victorian era. It also contains a chronology of Paley’s life, a bibliography of critical studies and over 20,000 words of explanatory notes that identify and unpack key concepts, authors, and publications that Paley used to build his argument.

'The Origins and Development of Mountaineering and Rock Climbing Tourism in the Lake District, c.1800-1914' In: The Making of a Cultural landscape: the English Lake District as Tourist Destination, 1750-2010. Ashgate, London.

by Jonathan Westaway

Book chapter, in press 2012.
Author preprint.
Copyright: Jonathan Westaway

Modern Pluralism: Anglo-American Debates Since 1880

by Mark Bevir

Pluralism is among the most vital intellectual movements of the modern era. Liberal pluralism helped reinforce and... more Pluralism is among the most vital intellectual movements of the modern era. Liberal pluralism helped reinforce and promote greater separation of political and religious spheres. Socialist pluralism promoted the political role of trade unions and the rise of corporatism. Empirical pluralism helped legitimate the role of interest groups in democratic government. Today pluralism inspires thinking about key issues such as multiculturalism and network governance. However, despite pluralism’s importance, there are no histories of twentieth-century pluralist thinking. Modern Pluralism fills this gap. It explores liberal, socialist, and empirical ideas about diversity in Britain and the United States. It shows how pluralists challenged homogenous nations and sovereign states, often promoting sub-national groups as potential sites of self-government. In it intellectual historians, political theorists, and social scientists collectively explore the historical background to present institutions and debates. The book serves to enrich our understanding of the history of pluralism and its continuing relevance.

Race, Remembering, and Jim Crow's Teachers

by Hilton Kelly

Dinko Zavorović: A humanist and historian from Šibenik / Dinko Zavorović: šibenski humanist i povjesničar

by Iva Kurelac

Published by Gradska knjižnica "Juraj Šižgorić", Šibenik, 2008.

A link to a book review published in Prilozi za istraživanje hrvatske filozofske baštine, vol. 36, no.1-2 (71-72),... more A link to a book review published in Prilozi za istraživanje hrvatske filozofske baštine, vol. 36, no.1-2 (71-72), 2010, pp. 174-175; written by Željka Metesi Deronjić.

The Challenge of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Making a Difference in Contemporary Academic Settings

by Jean Ehret

co-edited with Erwin Möde

What is the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT)? What can be its beneficial impact on life in all its aspects, on... more What is the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT)? What can be its beneficial impact on life in all its aspects, on education, and on research at the beginning of the 21st century? - Nine contributions, written by scholars from Asia, Europe, North and South America, show that the CIT is by no means a traditionalist reaction to a secular, globalized world. Addressing contemporary economic, social, managerial, educational, religious, philosophical, and theological issues, at a local or global level, they also draw on the Judeo-Christian heritage as it has been and is still preserved, transmitted, and developed in the Catholic Church. They show that the CIT is a powerful, creative imagination able to make a life fostering difference in today's world.

Sparta in Modern Thought

by Stephen Hodkinson

Newly-published!

Edited by Stephen Hodkinson and Ian Macgregor Morris (The Classical Press of Wales, Swansea 2012). ISBN 978-1-905125-47-0.

The attached file contains the volume's Prelims (inc. Table of Contents) and Introduction.

Images of ancient Sparta are irrepressible in Western thought. A powerful model of excellence in the middle ages and... more Images of ancient Sparta are irrepressible in Western thought. A powerful model of excellence in the middle ages and Renaissance, in the Enlightenment and French Revolution Sparta was invoked by radical thinkers as a model for the creation of an ideal republic. Since the 19th century Sparta has been viewed as the opposite of liberal and industrial democracies: shunned – or hailed – as the model for 20th century totalitarian and militaristic regimes such as the Third Reich. Intelligence analysts in the United States used Sparta as an analogy to predict the performance of the Cold War Soviet Union. But positive views of the Spartans flourish in contemporary democratic culture and digital media, most strikingly in popular fiction, graphic novels and film.

This book is the first to focus exclusively on Sparta’s impact in modern times. Eleven international experts take readers across ten centuries from the 12th century Renaissance to 21st century digital culture. Exploiting hitherto untapped sources, from medieval political tracts to declassified CIA documents and YouTube video clips, they reveal many previously unknown aspects of Sparta’s impact on modern politics and culture.

Modern Greek coins. State and Ideology from the Greek Revolution to the Interwar Period

by Catherine Brégianni

In Greek

Political power and social hierarchies in the Ionian Islands during the 19th century

by Catherine Brégianni

Research project in progress (Academy of Athens)

Richard Bentley: Poetry and Enlightenment

by Kristine Haugen

Harvard University Press, 2011

Abrasive, arrogant, and widely ridiculed by his English contemporaries, Bentley (1662-1742) was also Europe's most... more Abrasive, arrogant, and widely ridiculed by his English contemporaries, Bentley (1662-1742) was also Europe's most famous classical scholar. How could the most significant figure in scholarship between Joseph Scaliger and the German nineteenth century fail so signally to impress the reading public at home? Actually, Bentley's career involved one experiment after another in seeking out broader audiences, beginning with his very first publications, which attempted to escape from the relatively obscure ecclesiastical studies that dominated the England of his youth. But as he pioneered more accessible, attractive forms of publication, Bentley also developed an overweening, hectoring critical persona that hearkened back to Renaissance Latin models on the one hand while harmonizing uneasily with the rise of the English critic on the other. If Bentley's methodological innovations were less dramatic than those of other humanists, he nonetheless transformed scholarship in England and galvanized his contemporaries abroad: both his strengths and his glaring missteps discernibly belonged to the early Enlightenment.

Ovidiu Ghitta (coord.) - Istoria Universitatii Babes-Bolyai, published by Editura Mega, Cluj-Napoca, 2012, 394 p, ISBN 978-606-543-222-2.

by Ana-Maria Stan

co-authored with a team of colleagues.
I have partially authored the chapter on interwar university life (1920-1940) and I have coordinated the chapter on university life after 1989.

It is an illustrated history of Cluj academic life and traditions, from 1581 until 2010. In Romanian. It is an illustrated history of Cluj academic life and traditions, from 1581 until 2010. In Romanian.

Gilberto Freyre e os estudos latino-americanos (Pittsburgh: IILI, 2006)

by Malcolm McNee

Co-edited with Joshua Lund

Isaiah Berlin: the journey of a Jewish liberal

by Arie Dubnov

Från kungligt galleri till nationellt museum. Aktörer, praktik och argument i svensk konstmuseal diskurs ca 1814–1845

by Per Widén

Under första hälften av 1800-talet öppnades stora konstmuseer i snart sagt alla europeiska huvudstäder, från Rom till... more Under första hälften av 1800-talet öppnades stora konstmuseer i snart sagt alla europeiska huvudstäder, från Rom till London, från S:t Petersburg till Paris. I Sverige togs frågan om ett nationalmuseum upp i riksdagen flera gånger från 1810-talet men det dröjde ända till 1845 innan ett positivt beslut togs. Under dessa drygt trettio år drevs debatten av en grupp engagerade personer som enträget arbetade med frågan.

Denna debatt, som utgör början på en svensk kulturpolitik, presenteras här för första gången. Vilka argument gavs för behovet av ett statligt konstmuseum, vad ansågs konsten ha för nytta för samhället, hur gick opinionsbildningsarbetet till och vilka personer var inblandade, är frågor som besvaras.

The Limits of Optimism: Thomas Jefferson's Dualistic Enlightenment

by Maurizio Valsania

    ISBN-13: 9780813931449
    Publisher: University of Virginia Press
    Publication date: 7/27/2011
    Pages: 224
    Sales rank: 827.749
    Series: Jeffersonian America Series
    Product dimensions: 6.20 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 0.90 (d)

The Limits of Optimism works to dispel persistent notions about Jefferson's allegedly paradoxical and sphinx-like... more The Limits of Optimism works to dispel persistent notions about Jefferson's allegedly paradoxical and sphinx-like quality. Maurizio Valsania shows that Jefferson's multifaceted character and personality are to a large extent the logical outcome of an anti-metaphysical,
enlightened, and humility-oriented approach to reality. That Jefferson's mind and priorities changed over time and in response to changing circumstances indicates neither incoherence, hypocrisy, nor pathology.

Valsania's reading of Jefferson, the Enlightenment, and negativity helps to make sense of the many paradoxes typically associated with that eighteenth-century thinker. At the same time, it provides a corrective to the common though erroneous equation of Enlightenment thinking with rationalism and shallow optimism.

Słowianofilstwo czeskie i rosyjskie w ujęciu porównawczym [Czech and Russian Slavophilism in Comparison]

by Adam F. Kola

Łódź: Ibidem 2004, pp. 160 [PL]

Europa w dyskursie polskim, czeskim i chorwackim. Rekonfiguracje krytyczne Europe in Polish, Czech and Croatian Discourse. Critical Reconfigurations]

by Adam F. Kola

Toruń: NCU Press 2011, pp. 432 [PL with ENG summary - as an attachment]

As an attachment As an attachment

Global Academe: Engaging Intellectual Discourse

by Burke Gerstenschlager

Silvia Nagy-Zekmi is a professor of Hispanic and Cultural Studies and Director of the Cultural Studies Program at Villanova University. She has published widely on postcolonial and cultural studies. Her latest publications include: Perennial Empires; and Colonization or Globalization? Postcolonial Exploration of Imperial Expansion, both with Chantal Zabus; Moros en la costa: Orientalismo en América Latina; and Paradoxical Citizenship: Edward Said.

Karyn Hollis is Director of the Concentration in Writing and Rhetoric in the English Department at Villanova University. She has published Liberating Voices: Writing at the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers as well as articles on writing for community organizations, literacy campaigns in Latin America, and feminist pedagogy.

The representation of the economic, political, cultural and, more importantly, global interrelations between agents... more The representation of the economic, political, cultural and, more importantly, global interrelations between agents involved in the process of intellectual activity is at the core of the inquiry in this volume that scrutinizes a distinct transformation occurring in the modalities of intellectual production also detectable in the changing role of academics themselves. In our transitional era, due to a worldwide political and economic crisis since 2008, world powers are slowly shifting into different positions of authority making the debate concerning intellectual contributions to public discourse timelier than ever. This is the second edited volume on the topic by Silvia Nagy-Zekmi and Karyn Hollis. In 2010 they co-editedTruth to Power: Public Intellectuals in and Out of Academe.

"Contesting Richard Posner's neoliberal valorization of lawyers and politicians as the proper public intellectuals, and advancing Edward Said's advocacy of humanistic academics as providing society a dissenting voice in conflicts with authority, Nagy-Zekmi and Hollis offer a stimulating collection of essays defending them as producers of knowledge rather than as teaching professionals who merely transmit it. In suggesting that digital media and the internet offer avenues for a transnational conversation with academics that has a chance of circumventing corporate-owned media, contributors to this important discussion provide a timely forum on the vibrancy of scholarship as a refreshing, disturbing, and necessary voice in the public forum." –John C. Hawley, co-editor, The Postcolonial and the Global

Corrado Neri, Florent Villard (eds.), Literatures, Limits, Borders, Lyon, Publication IETT, Université de Lyon (Jean Moulin), 2011.

by Florent Villard