HENRY MORE (1614-1687): A Conference to Mark the Fourth Centenary of his Birth
5 December 2014, The Warburg Institute
Despite being one of the most important thinkers in seventeenth-century British philosophy, Henry More has been denied the status of proper philosopher that his contemporaries Hobbes and Locke have long enjoyed. More’s work deserves to be recognized as a significant contribution to early modern philosophy. He was a figure who relentlessly engaged with the most pressing issues of his time. He intervened in the debate about the new science of nature and medicine, contributed in an original way to the recovery of Platonism and various elements of the classical tradition, left a lasting impact on the literary scene, played a role in the contemporary religious controversies and, finally, demonstrated a remarkable ability in identifying and reacting to the major cultural trends of the period.
This conference will take advantage of More’s centenary to engage in a one-day reappraisal of his legacy. It will do so against the background of a more nuanced and historicized understanding of early modern philosophy, theology and science, which have resulted in a more positive consideration of Renaissance theories of universal animation, a reassessment of the meaning of early modern experimental knowledge, the acknowledgment of the productive interplay of philology and philosophy advocated by the humanist movement, and, finally, a more balanced attitude towards the role that religious and theological arguments play in shaping metaphysical and logical ideas.
Speakers: Alan Gabbey (Barnard), Guido Giglioni (Warburg Institute), Douglas Hedley (Cambridge), Sarah Hutton (Aberystwyth), David Leech (Bristol), Cecilia Muratori (Warwick), Jasper Reid (KCL).
For further information and to register, please click here.
