Call for Applications: c18 mechanics and matter theory

We are hereby inviting applications for up to 3 (three) subsidized places in the workshop, Mechanics and matter theory in the Enlightenment, to be hosted at Duke University, 16 to 18 November 2018. The event will bring together an international group of experts in 18th-century natural philosophy. The organizers are Katherine Brading (Duke) and Marius Stan (Boston College).

The only eligible applicants are doctoral candidates and junior scholars no more than three years from PhD. Paid expenses cover reasonable travel fare, accommodation, and meals on site. The language of the workshop will be English.

The workshop themes cover collision theory, 1700 to 1750; metaphysics of body in 18th-century Germany and France; the epistemic status of laws of motion; and the explanatory scope of mechanics ca. 1800. Primary figures include Christian Wolff, Émilie Du Châtelet, Jean d’Alembert, Leonhard Euler, Immanuel Kant, and Joseph-Louis Lagrange.

A complete application must include a cover letter; a current CV; and a research statement (1,200 words max.) explaining (i) the applicant’s relevant qualifications, e.g. foreign language command, training in philosophy or history of science; and (ii) how attending the workshop would benefit their research, whether current or proximate.

To apply, send the above materials (as a single PDF file) to <marius.c.stan@gmail.com>. In the subject line, please enter “Duke workshop application.” The deadline for applications is 30 May 2018. For further inquiries, contact <katherine.brading@duke.edu> or <marius.c.stan@gmail.com>.