JHP Announcements

Master Classes in the History of Philosophy Sponsored by The Journal of the History of Philosophy

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.

Dates: June 23–27, 2014
Topic: The Philosophical Psychology of Plato’s Philebus and Its Aristotelian Reflections
Instructor: Verity Harte

Course Description:

The philosophical psychology of Plato and Aristotle is hardly an under-explored topic. But treatments of Plato’s psychology often focus on tripartition at the expense of examining his understanding of specific psychological states or activities, such as memory, desire, or emotion. And treatments of Aristotle’s psychology often focus on his De Anima at the expense of other Aristotelian writings on soul, such as the writings collectively known as the Parva Naturalia, and of psychological material developed in the context of other projects, such as the treatment of emotion in the Rhetoric. In this Master Class, we will examine the detailed philosophical psychology developed in Plato’s Philebus, and its Aristotelian reflections in the De Anima, but also in the Parva Naturalia (especially De Memoria and De Insomniis) and in passages from other Aristotelian works (especially the Rhetoric). Information about editions of the works to be read and about specific passages for focus will be distributed before the seminar. Participants will be expected to do the reading before they come to Yale. All texts will be read in ancient Greek.

Eligibility: Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in philosophy awarded in 2009 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 2014 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).

Applicant must also submit a one-page description of their current research plans and interests.

Deadline for submission: November 15, 2013. It is anticipated that an announcement of the committee’s selection from among applicants will be made in early January, 2014.

The Kristeller-Popkin Travel Fellowships

The Board of Directors of the Journal of the History of Philosophy is pleased to announce the Kristeller-Popkin Travel Fellowships program for 2014.

The fellowships are in recognition of the scholarship and generous support that two of the founding members of the Board have given to the Journal: Paul Oskar Kristeller, the renowned Renaissance scholar, and Richard H. Popkin, the first editor of this journal and noted historian of skepticism.

Two awards of up to $4,000 (depending upon the project budget) are offered annually to young scholars in the history of philosophy to defray expenses while traveling to do research. Applicants must have received their Ph.D., but may not have...