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The University of Notre Dame Australia has launched its new Centre for the History of Philosophy, which promises to explore the deepest and oldest questions facing humanity.
The centre has been established to build on one of Notre Dame’s core research strengths – the history of philosophy – and aims to be a leading Australian research group in the field.
It is backed by $1.3 million in funding from the Australian Research Council and internal funding from Notre Dame’s Big Ideas pitch scheme, which creates an innovation pipeline for ambitious research partnerships.
The team behind the centre will produce world-class publications, secure research funding, host high-impact events, build partnerships and mentor the next generation of scholars in the history of philosophy.
A partnership has been secured with the renowned History of Philosophy Forum at the University of Notre Dame USA to deliver co-sponsored events, joint research projects and visiting scholar programs.
Centre for the History of Philosophy Co-Director Nathan Lyons said the researchers would look to the past to address the questions that we care about today.
“The motto for the centre is exploring the deepest and oldest questions,” Dr Lyons said.
“That sounds pretty grand, but that is what the discipline of philosophy tries to do. It tries to ask the questions that lie at the back of other disciplines, such as what is the nature of reality, or what is knowledge?
“We study the texts, thinkers and traditions from the past, but we’re also interested in what we can learn from these past thinkers to address the questions that matter to us now.”
The Centre for the History of Philosophy is made up of elite researchers who are experts in ancient, medieval and early modern periods.
These researchers hold multiple Australian Research Council fellowships, which are highly prestigious and reflect the level of work planned for the centre.
Notre Dame Pro-Vice Chancellor Research, Aron Murphy, said the University was delighted to celebrate the launch of the Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy.
“This new Centre is a reflection of the exceptional quality of research being undertaken at Notre Dame Australia and an indication of the trajectory we are on with regards to research excellence, innovation and global partnerships,” Professor Murphy said.
“We are particularly pleased to be partnering in this new centre with the University of Notre Dame USA and its History of Philosophy Forum, which is a preeminent research group in the field.
“Led by outstanding researchers and supported by brilliant local and international collaborators, the Centre for the History of Philosophy is poised to make a major impact in the humanities research landscape in Australia.”
The centre officially launched on 21 October with a lecture by Associate Professor Therese Scarpelli Cory from Notre Dame USA titled ‘The Mind as Part of Nature in Thomas Aquinas’.
Held on Notre Dame’s Broadway Campus in Sydney, the lecture offered insightful perspectives into one of the most influential philosophers of the medieval period.
Pictured: Centre co-directors Dr Nathan Lyons and Associate Professor David Bronstein.
(Source: The University of Notre Dame Australia)
