Mindful of the challenges facing young scholars working in the history of philosophy, the Board of Directors of the Journal of the History of Philosophy has established a program of Master Classes in the History of Philosophy.  The central idea of the program is that a senior scholar who works primarily in some area of the history of philosophy would undertake to direct an intensive week of master classes for the benefit of a small group of recent Ph.D.s whose main research and teaching are in the relevant area.  Normally, the classes will focus on one or more texts that are typically not part of material that the participants would have studied as graduate students.  The goal of the program is the enhancement of the expertise and understanding of the young scholars in their area of specialization.

Those chosen for the classes will be reimbursed for their the travel and living expenses up to $1500 each.  It is proposed that the number of participants will normally be between four and six, though it is possible that a slightly higher number can be accommodated.

All of the participants in the classes will be asked to provide within thirty days of its completion a letter describing their views about the success of the classes and any thoughts they may have about how to improve future classes. 

2013 Classes

Instructor: Daniel Garber (Princeton University)

Topic: Hobbes and Spinoza: Metaphysics, Politics, and Religion

Dates: July 29 to August 2

Course Description:

Hobbes and Spinoza are hardly neglected thinkers. But Hobbes is usually studied for his political thought, even though he was also very important for his natural philosophy and his materialistic conception of the human being. And Spinoza is usually studied for his metaphysics, though he was also very important for his politics. Though both were very skeptical of traditional religion and are considered atheists by some readers, religion is very important to both of their systems of thought. In this Master Class, we will examine the interconnections between metaphysics and natural philosophy, politics and religion in these two thinkers. We will be reading selections from the writings of both of these thinkers, including sections of Hobbes' Leviathan, Elements of Law, De cive, and De corpore, and sections of Spinoza's Ethics, Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, and Tractatus Politicus. Information about specific editions and passages to be read and discussed will be distributed before the seminar. Participants will be expected to do the reading before they come to Princeton. We will meet all day for each of the five days. In addition to the sessions on Hobbes and Spinoza, participants will be given an opportunity to present some of their work in progress to the group.

Eligibility: Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in philosophy awarded in 2008 or later.  The classes are intended primarily for those who specialize in the subject area of the classes broadly conceived.

Application: Those interested in participating in the master classes for 2013 are asked to send an e-mail expressing their interest in participating in the classes, a one-page description of their current research plans and interests, and a complete curriculum vitae to the chair of the JHP committee overseeing the project, Lloyd Gerson (lloyd.gerson@utoronto.ca). 

Deadline for submission: November 15, 2012.  It is anticipated that an announcement of the committee’s selection from among applicants will be made in early January, 2013.

2014 Classes

Instructor: Verity Harte (Yale University)