Workshop "Appealing to Authorities"

On Friday 1 July 2022, the workshop “Appealing to Authorities” will take place in Leiden at the Hortus Botanicus. The workshop is organised in the framework of the research project Scholarly Vices: A Longue Durée History, funded by the Dutch Research Council.

The interactive one-day workshop aims to bring together scholars who are interested in the question of (scholarly) authority, including, but not limited to, the afterlives of prominent scholars, the creative appropriations of their ideas, and the rhetorical ways in which later scholars appealed to their authority. Other topics that are likely to be explored are: canon-formation, scholarly practices of referencing, scholarly self-fashioning, etc.

The programme for the day spotlights a handful of canonical scholars, whose ideas stood the test of time, and continued to appeal to the imagination. These scholars are: Augustine (paper by prof. dr. Arnoud Visser), Francis Bacon (paper by Edurne De Wilde), Isaac Newton (paper by dr. Patricia Fara), and Jules Michelet (paper by dr. Camille Creyghton). In their presentations, the speakers will unpack, interpret, and contextualise scholarly appeals to “their” authority. Concluding remarks will be made by dr. Roosmaryn Pilgram, who will reflect on the historical case studies from a rhetorical perspective.

After each presentation, there will be
ample time for questions and discussion. We have a limited number of spots open for participants to join the discussion. If you are interested in contributing to the workshop as a participant, please complete this application form before 1 June 2022. (Candidates will be informed by 6 June 2022.)

For any additional information about the workshop, please contact: e.de.wilde@hum.leidenuniv.nl

* = Input is required