Contact:

Sara Monoson

Associate Professor of Political Science
601 University Place, Room 241

Evanston, IL 60208-2208

e-mail: s-monoson@northwestern.edu

phone: 847-491-8047

Program Description
The academic field of “Classics” is a longstanding model of interdisciplinary research in which different sorts of knowledge can be used together to form the bases of argument and new knowledge. Classics models, in an especially successful way, how interdisciplinary research across fields of history, political theory, myth, philosophy, art, literature and more, can be productive.  In addition, it bears little doubt that the Classical world and its literature, its philosophy, its art, and its myths have exerted unparalleled influence on all fields of humanistic studies.  Increasingly today, moreover, classical Greek and Latin sources command interest not only for their influence and legacy but for their capacity to invigorate critical work on 21^st century realities.  The Classical Traditions Cluster offers students an opportunity to include exploration of these traditions and possibilities in their graduate training and to acquire additional training of great intellectual and professional value.

In particular, affiliation with the Classical Traditions Cluster offers several opportunities to students pursuing degrees in various disciplines whose interests include aspects of Greek and Roman antiquity and/or its reception from medieval through contemporary times. Students can include in their graduate training (1) focused study of selected but representative texts and problems in a range of classical studies  (2) an introduction to philological methods of analysis necessary for the practice of close reading and (3) training in the theoretical approaches to reception studies.

Students in philosophy, French, English, Italian, and German literatures, comparative literature, history, art history, political theory in political science, religion, rhetoric in communication studies, theatre and drama, and performance studies are encouraged to find a second intellectual “home” in this interdisciplinary cluster.

Participating Faculty

Kathryn Bosher (Classics, Theatre and Drama Advisory Board)

Marianne Hopman (Classics, Comparative Literature, French and Italian)

Daniel Garrison (Classics)

Reginald Gibbons (English, Classics, Center for the Writing Arts)

Robert Hariman (Communication Studies)

Cecily Hilsdale (Art History)

Richard Kraut (Philosophy, Classics)

Michael Loriaux (Political Science, French and Italian)

Susan Manning (English, Theatre and Drama)

Sara Monoson (Political Science, Classics)

Ed Muir (History)

Martin Mueller (English, Classics)

Helmut Muller-Sievers (German, Classics, Comparative Literature)

Barbara Newman (English, Classics, Religion)

Ken Seeskin (Philosophy)

Robert Wallace (Classics)

William West (English, Comparative Literature)

John Wynne (Classics, Philosophy)