السلام عليكم

Since beginning this blog in 2012, I have resolutely tried to avoid the sort of editorializing that — depending on your perspective — makes the blogosphere at once both delightful and abominable. My guiding editorial principle has been “just the news.” But the latest political currents in my country strike me as demanding some kind of response from all decent people. And although I don’t suppose that this blog goes very far toward that end, it is, I hope, better than nothing.

Perhaps significantly better, inasmuch as scholars of medieval philosophy are particularly well positioned, among academics, to explore through their research and teaching some of the great glories of Islamic civilization. Here, then, is a brief tour of some resources pertaining to Islamic philosophy.

• First, there are these recently announced jobs for editorial positions working on the Averroes edition at the Thomas-Institut. (There is a position for each of the three relevant languages: Arabic, Hebrew, Latin.)
• Second, I am pleased to announce that the Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy (edited by Richard Taylor and Luis Xavier López-Farjeat) is, as of this fall, available in print.
• Third, the Denver-Marquette conference series on Philosophy in the Abrahamic Traditions is scheduled for next July 6-8, at Marquette. It will focus on al-Ghazali.
• Fourth, if you are interested in bring more Islamic philosophy into your classes, but need suggestions on how to do this, help is at hand. I’ve asked a few leading scholars for their suggestions in this regard, and I’ve received syllabi, for classes of various sorts, from Jon McGinnis, Deborah Black, Sarah Pessin, and Richard Taylor’s. All of Richard’s teaching material is available – along with much more – on his website. I have collected the other syllabi in a dropbox folder. (If, by the time you discover this page, that folder is no longer accessible, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the above scholars. We’ll be glad to help.)

Finally, if what you really need is just cheering up, here’s Seth Meyers:  “A protester had to be escorted out of a Donald Trump rally last night for yelling, ‘Trump’s a racist.’ The protester was removed because the Trump campaign has that phrase copyrighted.”

 

 

Jobs in North America

It’s a grim year for jobs in medieval philosophy, at least in North America.  Joseph Stenberg has sent me the following account of what’s available. The deadlines for application have passed, which is intentional on my part, because I don’t want anyone relying on me to identify jobs in the field, but the list will, I think, be of interest to folk with only a casual interest in what’s available.

Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame

Mellon Junior Faculty Fellowship in Medieval Studies (Fixed term)

AOS: Medieval Philosophy

AOC: Medieval Philosophy

 

Cleveland State University

Assistant College Lecturer (Fixed term)

AOS: Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

AOC: History of Philosophy

 

University of West Georgia

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor

AOS: Ancient or Medieval and/or Philosophy of Religion

AOC: Ancient or Medieval and/or Philosophy of Religion

 

There are, of course, other positions that advertise an interest in history of philosophy more generally (see philjobs.org), but as far as medieval philosophy is specifically concerned, I’m afraid that this is it.  As for jobs elsewhere in the world, I post these if and when I hear about them. There is (still) still no centralized place to get this information.