Intellectual History Commons^™

The Intelligentsia Without Revolution: The Culture Of The Silver Age, Andrei Ariev

Russian Culture

The most effective definition of "the intelligentsia" might read: “Russian intellectuals who are generally opposed to the government.” But even Russia’s traditionally powerful government has collapsed at times, leaving a vacuum of authority. This was precisely the historical situation at the beginning of the twentieth century. It made an indelible impression both upon thinkers, such as Rozanov, and on politicians, such as Lenin.

Mythological History, Identity Formation, And The Many Faces Of Alexander The Great, James Mayer

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

Alexander the Great, ruler of Macedonia and conqueror of much of the eastern Mediterranean world in the fourth century BCE, figures prominently in folklore for centuries afterward.  This paper analyzes several stories about Alexander to explore the intersections among history, myth and identity.  By looking at accounts of Alexander written by Jews living in Alexandria in the Roman period, by early Byzantine Christians and by medieval Persian Muslims, I demonstrate that communities from all over the Mediterranean used myths about Alexander to redefine their identity in response to catastrophic changes.

Philosophy, Science, And Belles-Lettres In Syriac And Christian Arabic Literature: A Gentle Introduction And Survey, Adam C. Mccollum

HMML Lectures

It might be assumed that the genres of Syriac and Christian Arabic literature are made up exclusively (or almost so) of sacred topics (Bible, commentary, liturgy, asceticism, hagiography, theology, etc.), the writers, scribes, and readers in these communities often being monks, presbyters, deacons, and bishops. A broad look at the surviving evidence of this literature, however, shows an immense interest in subjects not directly connected to the church, monastery, or Christian life at all, among them philosophy, science, and belles-lettres. This paper offers a basic overview of these subjects as Syriac and Christian Arabic authors dealt with them, especially from …

Forging Literary History: Historical Fiction And Literary Forgery In Eighteenth-Century Britain, Anne H. Stevens

English Faculty Research

In this essay, I wish to explore a similar dialectic of historical positivism and skepticism in eighteenth-century Britain. Over the course of the century, but particularly in the second half, new and more scientific standards of historical investigation developed, with practitioners expressing a greater confidence about their ability to know the past. During these years, a series of monumental achievements in historiography appeared: David Hume’s History of England (1754–62), Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), and William Robertson’s History of Scotland (1759), to name just three of the most celebrated. As part of this increased interest …

The Nobel Effect: Nobel Peace Prize Laureates As International Norm Entrepreneurs, Roger P. Alford

Journal Articles

For the first time in scholarly literature, this article traces the history of modern international law from the perspective of the constructivist theory of international relations. Constructivism is one of the leadings schools of thought in international relations today. This theory posits that state preferences emerge from social construction and that state interests are evolving rather than fixed. Constructivism further argues that international norms have a life cycle composed of three stages: norm emergence, norm acceptance (or norm cascades), and norm internalization. As such, constructivism treats international law as a dynamic process in which norm entrepreneurs interact with state actors …

Matthew S. Weinert On Human Security And The Un: A Critical History By S. Neil Macfarlane And Yuen Foong Khong. Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press, 2006. 341pp., Matthew S. Weinert

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Human Security and the UN: A Critical History by S. Neil MacFarlane and Yuen Foong Khong. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006. 341pp.

History Of Mathematics, An Intuitive Approach, Alejandro R. Garciadiego

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

The main goal of this essay is to discuss, informally, an intuitive approach to the history of mathematics as an academic discipline. The initial point of departure includes the analysis of some traditional definitions of the concept of 'history' taken from standard dictionaries. This concise dissection attempts to suggest the complexity of the discipline.

Limits Highlights From Over 2000 Years Of Developments In Calculus Limits, Lauri A. Nevalainen

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Book Review Forum On Nicholas Thomas's Out Of Time: History And Evolution In Anthropological Discourse, Richard J. Parmentier, Jonathan Friedman, David Hanlon, Bradd Shore

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Leopold Von Ranke, His Library, And The Shaping Of Historical Evidence, Edward Muir

The Courier

This article describes the life and collection of the famous historian Leopold von Ranke, whose collection is now housed in the Syracuse University Special Collections. Von Ranke was instrumental in developing what he saw as the most objective form of history possible, adhering to primary sources and straying from moral judgments. The thousands of documents that make up the Ranke Library are an invaluable source for the study of history.

Ranke And The Venetian Document Market, Ugo Tucci

The Courier

This article discusses Leopold von Ranke, the seminal historian, specifically his times in Venice, where he developed his thorough objective historical method, under the influence of Venetian ambassadorial writings, or relazioni. He was also in the perfect situation to amass an impressive manuscript and rare book collection, as the Republic was falling at the time, and entire library and art collections were being liquidated. His vast collection is now part of the Syracuse University's Special Collections.

Ranke's Favorite Source: The Relazioni Of The Venetian Ambassadors, Gino Benzoni

The Courier

This article describes how certain administrative documents written in Venice during the Holy Roman Empire, dubbed relazioni, had a profound effect on the famous historian Leopold von Ranke, and the development of his extremely objective historiography. Von Ranke collected many of these relazioni, and they can be found in the Ranke Library at Syracuse University.

Erasmus And Luther: Precursors Of A Mass Movement, Martha Reinmuth

Graduate Student Research Papers

In his book, The True Believer, Eric Hoffer, with Machiavellian detachment, sets forth a theory on the nature of mass movements. This paper will be primarily concerned with the aspect of Mr. Hoffer' s theory that deals with the setting of the stage for a mass movement--specifically, the temperament, needs, and motives of the men who perform this prerequisite act. Though many and influential were the contributions of other men to the preparation for the final act of church reform in the sixteenth century, it is generally conceded that Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther's names stand out in the boldest …

1. Carl Becker On Progress, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold L. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart

Section XXIV: Historical Meaning

The first selection was written by Carl L. Becker (1873-1945), for many years professor of history at Cornell University (1917-1941), and one of the most highly respected members of his profession. One of his particular interests was the Enlightenment, about which he wrote a famous book: The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth Century Philosophers (1932). But while he clung to his fascination with the Enlightenment, Becker was in revolt against the "scientific history" which it had largely fostered. The ideal of scientific history, he thought, was noble enough, but unattainable and useless. Influenced by pragmatism, Becker asked the question: Can …

Xxiv. Historical Meaning, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold L. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart

Section XXIV: Historical Meaning

Philosophers and theologians have not been alone during the present age of crisis in trying to solve, or at least to illuminate, the riddle of human existence. In their attempts to find meaning for the life of man, they have been joined by many historians who are convinced that it is also an essential part of their task to discover some clue to whatever destiny might be in store for the human species. As a result, the past quarter of a century has seen the appearance of a host of books, pamphlets, and articles devoted to the subject of meaning …

3. Kenneth Scott Latourette And The Christian Understanding Of History, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold L. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart

Section XXIV: Historical Meaning

The third and final selection in this chapter is an attempt by a contemporary historian to present a Christian interpretation of history. Written more than 1500 years after Augustine, it perhaps gains in profundity what it lacks of the saint's assurance that one can readily identify the will of God in history. The selection is indicative of a larger and more serious interest among intellectuals than at any time since the Enlightenment in the possible insights of Christian thought into the meaning of history. The author, Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884), taught in China, Oregon, and Ohio before going in 1921 …

A Check List Of Maine Local Histories, Almer J. Huston

Maine Collection

A Check List of Maine Local Histories. Compiled by Almer J. Houston.

Listing of Town Histories, Regimental Histories, County Histories, County Atlases, State Histories, State Atlases, Historical Societies, Collections of Historical and Genealogical Magazines, Ecclesiastical Histories and Statutes and Session Laws.

A.J. Huston, 92 Exchange Street, Portland, Me., 1915.

1901 Ruby Yearbook, John Alexander, William Samuel Keiter, Ursinus College Junior Class

The Ruby Yearbooks, 1897-2020

A digitized copy of the 1901 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.