NEWTON:MILTON, TWO CULTURES

22-25 July 2009
University of Sussex
Brighton, UK

Newton:Milton, Two Cultures? is co-hosted by the Centre for Intellectual History and the Centre for Early Modern Studies at the University of Sussex. The international conference aims to bring together experts in the fields of English Literature, History of Science and general History to consider a number of questions relating to the work and careers of Isaac Newton and John Milton.

The conference will represent a unique opportunity for specialists in the work and careers of these extraordinary figures to meet and to learn from each other. Participants are particularly encouraged to seek connections between the writing and thought of Newton and Milton, although we are also interested in receiving proposals for papers that offer relevant material relating to social, political, theological and intellectual contexts in relation to either figure. We are especially keen to invite doctoral and postdoctoral students to give papers at the conference or to attend the conference.

Keynote speaker: Barbara Lewalski, (Professor of History and Literature and of English Literature, Harvard University)

Other speakers include:

Jed Buchwald (Professor of History, California Institute of Technology), Justin Champion (Professor of History, Royal Holloway), Rosanna Cox, (Lecturer, University of Kent), Brian Cummings (Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex), Matthew Dimmock, (Reader in English Literature, University of Sussex), Moti Feingold (Professor of History of Science, California Institute of Technology), Stephen Fallon (Professor of English Literature, University of Notre Dame), Andrew Hadfield (Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex), Margaret Healy (Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Sussex), Rebekah Higgitt, (Senior Curator, National Maritime Museum), Sarah Hutton (Professor of Intellectual History, University of Aberystwyth), Rob Iliffe (Professor of Intellectual History and History of Science, University of Sussex), Ken Knoespel, (Professor of History and Dean of Arts and Humanities, Georgia Institute of Technology), David Loewenstein, (Professor of English Literature, University of Wisconsin-Madison), Scott Mandelbrote (Perne Librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge University), Bill Newman (Professor of History of Science, Indiana University), John Rogers, (Professor of English Literature, Yale University), Jonathan Sawday, (Professor of English Literature, University of Strathclyde), Regina Schwartz, (Professor of English literature, Northwestern University), Nigel Smith, (Professor of English Literature, Princeton University), David Womersley, (Professor of English Literature, Oxford University), David Wootton, (Professor of Intellectual History, University of York), and Dr. John Young (Newton Project, University of Sussex).

We invite you to respond to the Conference Call for Papers. The deadline for abstract submission is 31 April. We are seeking 250-word proposals in the fields of English Literature, History of Science and general History relating to the work and careers of Milton and Newton under the following headings:

The specific themes of the conference include:

l University context/s;

l Social, political, religious and intellectual contexts;

l Theology and heresy (especially regarding the Trinity, predestination and prophecy);

l Metaphysical and scientific beliefs;

l Political ideas;

l Administrative careers;

l Attitudes to women, liberty and toleration;

l Relationship with the ‘occult’ traditions;

l Rhetorical techniques;

l Eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century reputations;

l Contemporary historiography;

l Literature and science;

l Religion and science.


An online proposal submission form and further details about the conference are available at the Conference website:

http://www.newton-milton2009.sussex.ac.uk/conference

We look forward to receiving your proposal and hope that you will be able to join us in Sussex in July 2009.