The Human Nature Tradition in Anglo-Scottish Philosophy:

Its History and Future Prospects

One of the most striking features of Anglo-Scottish thought from Hobbes to Mill and beyond is its concern with the study of “human nature.” Philosophers in this tradition not only engaged in the empirical study of human psychology and anthropology, but often saw this discipline as foundational with respect to other disciplines—not only morals, political theory and aesthetics, but mathematics, logic, natural science, and religion as well.

To mark the publication of the first complete Hebrew editions of Hobbes’ Leviathan (2009) and Hume’s Treatise on Human Nature (2010), the Shalem Center will be conducting a conference on “The Human Nature Tradition in Anglo-Scottish Philosophy: Its History and Future Prospects,” to be held in Jerusalem on December 14-17, 2009.

Historical and philosophical papers will address questions such as: What is the scope and content of this “human nature tradition” in philosophy? Why does this tradition emerge when and where it does? What is its relation to natural science? To the Bible and religion? To classical and medieval thought? What is its relation to philosophical currents on the Continent or in America? Why and how does this tradition begin to wane when it does? Finally, the conveners will be interested in papers that bring this tradition into dialogue with current trends in philosophy and science: Has Anglo-Scottish human nature philosophy now been rendered obsolete by cognitive science, as many seem to believe? Or does this tradition still have something significant to contribute to philosophy or natural science?

Speakers to include:

Thomas Ahnert  (University of Edinburgh)

Roger Ariew  (University of South Florida)

Stephen Darwall  (Yale University)

Samuel Fleischacker  (University of Illinois)

Daniel Garber  (Princeton University)

Aaron Garrett  (Boston University)

Michael Gill  (University of Arizona)

Knud Haakonssen  (University of Sussex)

James Harris  (University of St. Andrews)

Yoram Hazony  (Shalem Center)

Michael Heyd  (Hebrew University)

Daniel Jacobson  (University of Michigan)

Joseph Mali  (Tel Aviv University)

Susan Manning  (University of Edinburgh)

David Owen  (University of Arizona)

Fania Oz-Salzberger  (University of Haifa)

Robert Pasnau  (University of Colorado)

Jesse Prinz  (CUNY Graduate Center

Paul Rahe  (Hillsdale College)

Frederick Rosen  (University College, London)

Geoffrey Sayre-McCord  (UNC - Chapel Hill)

Gordon Schochet  (Rutgers University)

Silvia Sebastiani  (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris)

The proceedings will be interdisciplinary in character. The conference organizers welcome participants from the fields of philosophy, political theory, history, cognitive science, and allied disciplines.

Registration for the conference is now closed, we look forward to seeing you at our next event. The conference will take place at the Konrad Adenauer Center in Mishkenot She'ananim, Jerusalem.

The proceedings will be interdisciplinary in character. The conference organizers welcome participants from the fields of philosophy, political theory, history, cognitive science, and allied disciplines.

To view the conference schedule click here.

Please note that the conference program may shift without prior notice. Please check the conference program closer to the conference date for exact information on session times and dates.

The organizer reserves the right to change the conference program without prior notice.

For further details or questions please contact Kate Deutsch kated@shalem.org.il.

Face of Woman with Curly Hair 1946 @ Succession Picasso, Paris 2009