Yitzhak Melamed
Office: STU 231A
Email: ymelamed@uchicago.edu
Assistant Professor of Philosophy: Early Modern Philosophy
Ph.D. from Yale University in 2005
M.A. (in History & Philosophy of Science) from Tel Aviv University in 1996
Background:
The main focus of my current work is Spinoza's metaphysics, though I have a deep interest in most other early modern philosophers, as well as in German Idealism, and some aspects of contemporary analytic metaphysics. My primary study is Early Modern Philosophy, with some German Idealism and metaphysics. I am also interested in a variety of aspects in Jewish Studies. I come from an orthodox background, so I've trained in rabbinic texts and primary sources. Rabbinics, and post-modern readings of rabbinic thoughts. But officially my area is Modern Jewish Thought. I am also interested in issues related to Jews in power, Zionism, and gender.
I received my masters at Tel Aviv University. It was in logic. Then I spent nine years at Yale. I have also done some work on Salomon Maimon, who is probably the best modern Jewish philosopher. After that I came here.
What are you feelings on the Committee:
In my mind when you have a separate department with separate Jewish studies programs, the main problem might be ghettoization. In U.S. the main problem of Jewish studies is that it is taken as a family business. So to that extent if you have people trained in other departments it benefits.
What type of student would benefit working with you:
A student interested in Early Modern Jewish Philosophy: Spinoza, Kant, or Jews around him; especially Salmon Maimon.
What advise would you give incoming students:
People should be trained in languages, but we should have resources to support the students.
What courses are you teaching:
Now I am teaching a Seminar on Spinoza and History of Philosophy II: Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy. In the Spring of 2007: The Principle of Sufficient Reason in Early Modern and Continental Philosophy. As well as Early Modern Philosophy Workshops throughout the year.
What are you working on:
A dozen articles at various stages on Spinoza. And two or three articles on Salmon Maimon. I also have some book reviews, and plan to enlarge my dissertation on Spinoza's Metaphysics and Theological-Political Treatise.
Publications:
- Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise: A Critical Guide, eds. Yitzhak Melamed and Michael Rosenthal (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2008). Under contract. - "The God of the Theological Political Treatise", in Melamed and Rosenthal (eds.), Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise: A Critical Guide (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Under contract.
- "Introduction" in Melamed and Rosenthal (eds.), Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise: A Critical Guide (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Under contract (Co-author: Michael Rosenthal).
- Review of Abraham P. Socher, The Radical Enlightenment of Solomon Maimon: Judaism, Heresy, and Philosophy (Stanford University
Press 2006). Journal of Religion. In preparation. - "Salomon Maimon" (thoroughly revised entry), The Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
Summer 2007. (Co-author: Peter Thielke). In preparation. - "The Principle of Sufficient Reason", The Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL=http://plato.stanford.edu/. In preparation.
- Review of Steven Nadler, Spinoza's Ethics - An Introduction (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006). Ethics. Forthcoming.
- Review of Michael Quante, Hegel's Concept of Action (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004). The Philosophical Review. In preparation (Co-author: Oded Schechter).
- Review of Graeme Hunter, Radical Protestantism in Spinoza's Thought (Burlington: Ashgate, 2005). Journal of the History of Philosophy. Forthcoming. January 2007.
- Review of H. B. Nisbet (ed.), Lessing: Philosophical and Theological Essays (Cambridge University Press, 2005) in Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. February 10th, 2006.
- Review of Carraud, Vincent, Causa sive ratio: La Raison de la cause de Suarez à Leibniz (Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 2002) in The Leibniz Review 15 (December 2005), 163-8.