In the summer of 2015, Concepta, International Research School in Conceptual History and Political Thought, and partner institutions will organize the ninth Introduction to Conceptual History and Political Thought course (the course has previously been located at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and at Aarhus University, Denmark). An international team of distinguished scholars and visiting lecturers will help participants critically examine the chief concepts and thoughts in the humanities and social sciences from new perspectives. The goal is to illuminate the languages and arguments that are central to the operation of political and social life through the study of their migration, reception, translation, and diffusion through time and space. Analysis of concepts and thoughts involves looking at larger semantic, discursive, ideological and rhetorical settings in which they are given meaning and demands familiarity with a variety of linguistically oriented approaches to discourse and ideology, as well as to rhetoric.
The course has two main objectives. First, it introduces students to the fundamental aspects of the theory and methodology of conceptual history and political thought scholars such as Reinhart Koselleck, Quentin Skinner, John Pocock, and Michel Foucault), which they can then use as tools in their own research. Second, it explores contemporary trends in the field through case studies.
The course includes a series of lectures, a seminar and workshops. It is designed for Danish and international PhD and advanced Master’s degree students from various academic fields.
Teachers and Lecturers:
Professor Martin Burke, CUNY, New York
Professor Willibald Steinmetz, Bielefeld University
Senior Researcher Margrit Pernau, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin
Professor Helge Jordheim, University of Oslo
Postdoc Jani Marjanen, CENS, Helsinki University
Emeritus Senior Research Fellow Hans Erich Bödeker, The Max Planck Institute, Göttingen
Postdoc Sinai Rusinek, The Jerusalem Van Leer Institute
Assistant Professor Niklas Olsen, SAXO, KU
Associate Professor Jeppe Nevers, History, SDU
Professor Poul Duedahl, Dept. of Culture and Global Studies, AAU
Vice-Dean Jan Ifversen, ARTS, AU
Associate Professor Hagen Schulz-Forberg, Dept. of Culture and Society, AU
Professor Michal Krzyzanowski, Örebro University
Researcher Anton Jansson, Göteborg Universitet
Associate Professor Leo Catana, MEF, KU
Professor Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann, Department of History, UC Berkeley
Associate Professor Balázs Trencsényi, Department of History, CEU