CRASSH/Mellon Early Career Workshop Series: Comparatism

Description

Comparatism 1: Practices and theories of writing. Wednesdays 2.00-4.00pm, 8 meetings starting on 24 January  2018.

Every society uses comparison. When comparison becomes a self-conscious and theoretically self-reflective practice, we have comparatism. Many academics are concerned with the practice and methods of comparison; and the need for a cognitively robust relativism is an integral part of a mature historical self-placement.

Course directors:
Michael Puett (Professor of Chinese, Harvard),
Caroline Humphrey (Professor of Anthropology, Cambridge)

This course will look at how different theories and practices of writing and interpretation have developed at different times in different cultures. Michael Puett is currently working on a book on writing and interpretation in early China, Carrie Humphrey has worked on writing systems and theories of interpretation in Mongolia – but this is a course setting such detailed analyses in a global comparative frame to explore the social, intellectual and political contexts and consequences of practices of interpretation. Early career scholars are invited to apply to participate in what will be eight weekly seminars of two hours each. Participants will be expected to present material for discussion. Early career academics are defined as graduates who are in their third year and beyond, post-docs, junior research fellows, or any academic within seven years of their PhD. Applicants are welcome from any department or faculty in the university, especially from those with an interest in the problems of comparative method.

If you would like to apply, click here for further information and to apply online. The deadline is 12.00pm (GMT) Thursday 18 January 2018.

The second series of workshops will take place in Michaelmas 2018. Further information will be posted at a later date.

Comparatism II.

Course Directors
Phillipe Descola (Professor of Anthropology, Sorbonne);
Renaud Gagné (Reader in Classics, Cambridge)