Professor MOGENS LAERKE

Professor MOGENS LAERKE The University of Aberdeen School of Divinity, History & Philosophy Personal Chair pref m.laerke@abdn.ac.uk pref Department of Philosophy University of Aberdeen Old Brewery Old Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UB Scotland, UK

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Biography

Born 1971 in Denmark. PhD in philosophy from the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne in 2003. Post-doctoral fellowships from the Carlsberg Foundation in Denmark and from the Israel Science Foundation. Has been a visiting scholar at Rice University (Houston), École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, New York University, Princeton University and Tel Aviv University. From 2007 to 2009, before coming to Aberdeen, Harper Fellow and Collegiate Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. Marie Curie Research Fellow at the ENS de Lyon 2011-2013.

CURRENTLY ON LEAVE

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Research Interests

Early Modern Philosophy (17th and 18th Century), The Enlightenment, The Methodology of Intellectual history and the History of Philosophy , Philosophy of religion, History of Political Philosophy, History of Science, Leibniz, Spinoza.

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Abstract and Praise of Leibniz lecteur de Spinoza, Paris: Champion 2008

Leibniz lecteur de Spinoza offers a new global interpretation of one of the richest encounters in the history of philosophy. In the introductory part, I argue for the advantages of the genetic and comparative methodology I have adopted in the study. I also provide a thorough survey of the history of reception, from the early eighteenth century until today. In the first part of the book, I reconstruct the confrontation of the two philosophers on issues concerning theology and politics: miracles, true religion, natural right, the relations between Church and State, and the principles of biblical exegesis. In the second and third parts I follow step by step the evolution of Leibniz’s reception of Spinoza’s philosophy from his cautious goodwill towards it in the 1675-1676 fragments called De summa rerum to the decisive rejection we find in his 1678 comments on Spinoza’s Ethics. These two parts contain detailed interpretations of the two philosophers’ systems on themes such as the use of language in philosophy, the nature of substance, the existence of God, the theory of causality, and modal philosophy. The final part explores a series of comparative interpretations of Spinoza that Leibniz developed from 1679 onwards, in particular in relation to Descartes and Cartesianism, to the branch of Jewish mysticism called cabbalism and to the moderate form of skepticism defended by Pierre Bayle.

“With this massive, painstakingly researched, and lucidly argued study, Mogens Lærke leaves no stone unturned in his critical discussion of the complex encounter of Leibniz with Spinoza. […] A masterful study, which displays an impressive command of two of the most challenging and powerful systems of thought.” Maria Rosa Antognazza, Kings College London, in The Leibniz Review

“The standard account for some years to come.” Daniel Garber, Princeton University, in Leibniz: Body, Monad, Substance, Oxford UP 2009

“This book is a significant accomplishment, and for now the most comprehensive intervention in a debate that has been more than three hundred years in the making […] it is a rigorous, dense, and, most importantly, a just treatment of the authors themselves, whose own words often belie the roles in which they would posthumously be cast […]. Lærke has thoroughly mastered the entire history of commentary […]—a mastery that lends his work a depth of field much greater than that of some of the recent scholarship (mostly English-language) he cites in the spirit of thoroughness.” Justin Erik Halldor Smith, Concordia University, in Journal of the History of Philosophy

“This great book, in all meanings of this term, returns to the question […] of the relations between Leibniz and Spinoza but also renews it entirely […]. All we have left to do is ordering it for the nearest library and go reading it right away, for no serious student of Spinoza or Leibniz can afford not to.” Jacqueline Lagrée, Université de Rennes, in the Archives de Philosophie

“[…] a monumental synthesis on the delicate and dangerous question of the relations between Leibniz and Spinoza […] a study attempting to say to all there is to say and which from now on will be the work of reference on this controversial question […]. The clarity and the precision of the analyses are not the least of the qualities that contribute to make this a gripping study.” Frédéric Manzini, Université de Paris – Sorbonne, in XVIIe Siècle

“[…] a set of analyses grounded in excellent knowledge of the secondary literature that is destined to become, and certainly to remain, the new work of reference on the question of the complex relations between Leibniz and Spinoza.” Jean-Pascal Anfray, École Normale Supérieure, in Études philosophiques

“People have had phantasms about it for three hundred years: two titans from the seventeenth century conversing in front of the fire place. With this monumental study, the phantasm has turned into a dense and precise study.” Jean Hurtin, in Le Magazine Littéraire

“There is indeed hardly any stone that remains unturned through the thousand and ninety two pages of this careful and comprehensive study. […]. No Spinoza or Leibniz scholar can afford to ignore a book as informative and stimulating as this one.” Ohad Nachtomy, Fordham University, in British Journal for the History of Philosophy

“Lærke’s careful discussion of this huge amount of material is profound and provides great insight into the development of Leibniz’s philosophical system. The book is a major achievement in Leibniz research and is highly recommended to anyone doing further work, not only on Leibniz’s relation to Spinoza but moreover on the development of Leibniz’s philosophical argument.” Ursula Goldenbaum, Emory University, in Studia Leibnitiana

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Recent and Upcoming Talks

 

• “Partners in Invention. Leibniz on Encyclopedic Education.” ISIH International Conference: The Importance of Learning: Liberal Education and Scholarship in Historical PerspectivePrincetonUniversity, June 2013. 

• “The Great Confusion. Formal Essences and Actual Essences in Spinoza.” Yearly Conference of the British Society for the History of Philosophy (BSHP): “The Actual and the Possible.” University of York. April 2013.

• “The Great Confusion. Formal Essences, Actual Essences, and Non-Existent Modes in Spinoza.” Spinoza Workshop at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan. December 2012.

·“Is Spinoza the Anti-Calvin? Religious perspectives on the TTP.” Author Meets Critics workshop on Susan James’ Spinoza on Philosophy, Religion, and Politics: The Theologico-Political Treatise, University of Ghent. December 2012.

·“Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Pantheismusstreit: The hidden heritage of Johann Georg Wachter.” Departmental Seminar. Manchester Metropolitan University. November 2012

·“Henry More, Spinoza, et le double statut de la Cabale.” International conference: Spinoza et les anglais, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. October 2012.

·“Leibniz, l’encyclopédie, et le Dictionnaire historique et critique de Bayle.” International Conference: Leibniz et Bayle, University of Paris – Sorbonne. September 2012.

·“Leibniz, la maïeutique et la critique de la méthode géométrique.” International Conference:I Congreso Iberoamericano Leibniz, San Juan, Costa Rica, July 2012.

·“More mathematico ordinata, ordine naturali exposita. Leibniz, the encyclopedia, and the natural ordering of experimental knowledge.” International Conference. Leibniz Universität, Hanover. June 2012.

·“Pigros semper festinare. Leibniz et les libertins, la dernière des sectes.” International Conference: Philosophes et libertines à l’âge classique. École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. June 2012.

·“Leibniz on Spinoza’s Monism. “ Invited Lecture. Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. June 2012.

·“Sufficit talibus placuisse. Leibniz et la controverse avec Régis en 1697.” Leibniz-Workshop, Université de Paris I – Sorbonne. March 2012.

·“Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant and the Intellectual attitude of Enlightened Thought.” Departmental Colloquium, New School for Social Research, New York City. February 2012.

·“Spinoza’s Language. On Speaking Divinely of Human Things” Departmental Colloquium, Princeton University, New Jersey, February 2012.

·“Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant and the Intellectual attitude of Enlightened Thought” Departmental Colloquium. VillanovaUniversity, Philadelphia. February 2012.

·“Audacity or Moderation? Intellectual attitudes of the Enlightenment.” Departmental Colloquium, Johns Hopkins University. February 2012.

 

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Conferences and Workshops I have organized

• Co-director of the Scottish Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy IV, May 2013. In collaboration with Beth Lord.
• Director of the Scottish Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy III, May 2012.
• Director of the Scottish Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy II, March 2011.
• Initiator and Co-director of the Scottish Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy I, University of Aberdeen, March 2010. In collaboration with Stephen Gaukroger.
• Co-director of the Midwest Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy, University of Chicago. May 2009. In collaboration with Daniel Garber and Lea Schweitz.
• Co-director of the Early Modern Philosophy Workshop, University of Chicago, academic year 2007-2008. Sponsored by the Council of Advanced Studies. Bi-monthly presentations by graduate students, faculty, and invited lecturers. In collaboration with Yitzhak Melamed.
• Co-Director of the international conference Leibniz and Spinoza II, Princeton University, 27-30 September 2007. In collaboration with Daniel Garber, Pierre-François Moreau, and Mark Kulstad.
• Co-Director of the international conference Leibniz and Spinoza I, École Normale Supérieure – Lettres et sciences humaines (Lyon), 15-17 March 2007. In collaboration with Pierre-François Moreau, Mark Kulstad and Daniel Garber.
• Director of the international conference The Use of Censorship from the Age of Reason to the Enlightenment / L’Usage de la censure de l’Âge classique aux Lumières, University of Copenhagen, 11-13 May 2006.
• AssistantDirector of the Young Leibniz Conference, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 15 -18 April 2003. Special responsibility for Leibniz-Spinoza affairs and European coordination. In collaboration with Mark Kulstad.

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Grants and Awards

Awards:

• 2011. Journal of the History of Philosophy Article Prize.

• 2009. Winner of the Leibniz Society of North America annual essay contest.

Major Grants:

• 2011. Marie Curie Foundation. Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development. Two years.

• 2007. Danish Research Council (FKK).

• 2007. Israel Science Foundation. Fellowship. Tel Aviv University. Five months.

• 2006. AarhusUniversity Research Fund. Publishing Grant.

• 2004. Carlsberg Foundation. Three-year post-doc.

• 2004. AarhusUniversity Research Fund. Publishing Grant.

• 2000. Danish Research Agency. Three-year Ph.D. scholarship.

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Publications

Contributions to Journals

Articles

• Laerke, M. (2013). 'Spinoza and the Cosmological Argument According to Letter 12'. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol 21, no. 1, pp. 57-77.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/09608788.2012.696052
• Laerke, M. (in press). 'Spinoza's Language'. Journal of the History of Philosophy.
• Laerke, M. (2011). 'Leibniz's Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God'. Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, vol 93, no. 1, pp. 58-84.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1515/AGPH.2011.003, /March/2011
• Laerke, M. (2011). 'Spinoza's Cosmological Argument in the Ethics'. Journal of the History of Philosophy, vol 49, no. 4, pp. 439-462.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1353/hph.2011.0085
• Laerke, M. (2011). 'A Conjecture About a Textual Mystery: Leibniz, Tschirnhaus, and Spinoza's Korte Verhandeling'. The Leibniz Review, no. 21, pp. 33-68.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'The Problem of Alloglossia: Leibniz on Spinoza's innovative use of philosophical langauge'. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol 17, no. 5, pp. 939-954.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/09608780903135048
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'Monism, Separability and Real Distinction in the Young Leibniz'. The Leibniz Review, vol 19, pp. 1-29.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'Immanence et l'exteriorite absolue: Sur la theorie de la causalite et l'ontologie de la puissance de Spinoza'. Revue Philosophique de la France et de l'Étranger, vol 134, no. 2, pp. 169-190.
• Laerke, M. (2008). 'Leibniz et la tolerance'. Bulletin de l'institut de l'histoire de la Reformation, vol 28, pp. 29-47.
• Laerke, M. (2007). 'Les sept foyers du libertinage selon G.W. Leibniz'. La Lettre Clandestine, vol 15, pp. 269-297.
• Laerke, M. (2007). 'Leibniz, la censure et la libre pensée'. Archives de philosophie, vol 70, no. 1, pp. 273-288.
• Laerke, M. (2007). 'La storia nell’esegesi biblica in Leibniz e in Spinoza'. Quaderni Materialisti, vol 6, pp. 265-280.
• Laerke, M. (2007). 'Contingency, Necessity and the Being of Possibility: Leibniz’s Modal Ontology in Relation to his Refutation of Spinoza'. Revue roumaine de philosophie, no. 51, pp. 39-62.
• Laerke, M. (2006). 'A la recherche d'un homme égal à Spinoza: Leibniz et la Demonstratio Evangelica de Pierre-Daniel Huet'. XVIIe Siècle, no. 232, pp. 388-410.
• Laerke, M. (2005). 'Jus circa sacra: Elements of theological politics in 17th Century Philosophy: From Hobbes and Spinoza to Leibniz'. Distinktion. Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory, vol 6, no. 1, pp. 41-64.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/1600910X.2005.9672902
• Laerke, M. (2003). 'Si hæc mentis imaginandi facultas libera esset...: Spinozas begreb om imaginationen i Ethica og Tractatus Theologico-politicus'. Agora, no. 2-3, pp. 241-275.

Comments and Debates

• Laerke, M. (2008). 'Response to Ohad Nachtomy on Possibilia in Leibniz, 1672-1676'. The Leibniz Review, no. 18, pp. 259-266.

Reviews of Books, Films and Articles

• Laerke, M. (2011). 'On O. Koistinen, A Reader on Spinoza's Ethics, Oxford UP 2009'. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol 19, no. 1, pp. 149-153.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1080/09608788.2011.533021

Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings

Chapters

• Laerke, M. (in press). 'Leibniz: lire les géomètres'. J Boulad-Ayoub, D Kolesnik-Antoine & A Torero-Ibad (eds), in: L'Art de Lire. Presses de l'Université Laval, Montreal.
• Laerke, M. (2013). 'Leibniz's Enlightenment'. W Li, H Poser & H Rudolph (eds), in: Leibniz und die Öcumene: Studia Leibnitiana Sonderheft 41. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart, pp. 227-250.
• Laerke, M. (2013). 'Le nouveau cartesianisme et le dernier novateur: Leibniz sur les rapports entre occasionnalisme et spinozisme'. D Kolesnik (ed.), in: What does it mean to be a cartesian?. ENS Editions, Lyon.
• Laerke, M. (in press). 'The Anthropological Analogy and the Constitution of Historical Perspectivism'. in: Philosophy and its History. Methods of Research in Early Modern Philosophy. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Laerke, M. 'La ley naturel en Leibniz y Spinoza'. L Cabanas & O Esquisabel (eds), in: Leibniz frente a Spinoza: Una interpretacion panoramica. Prometeo, Buenos Aires.
• Laerke, M. (in press). 'Leibniz on Spinoza's Tractatus de Intellectus Emendatione'. in: The Philoophy of the Young Spinoza. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Laerke, M. (2012). 'Deus quatenus: Sur l'emploi des particules reduplicatives dans l'Ethique'. PF Moreau, C Cohen Boulaki & M Delbraccio (eds), in: Lectures contemporaines de Spinoza. Presses Universitaires de Paris Sorbonne, Paris, pp. 261-275.
• Laerke, M. (2012). 'Leibniz on Spinoza's Political Philosophy'. D Garber & D Rutherford (eds), in: Oxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy. vol. VI, Oxford University Press.
• Laerke, M. (in press). 'Leibniz, Spinoza et la controverse sur le terminus extensionis'. in: Leibniz/Spinoza. ENS Editions, Lyon.
• Laerke, M. (2011). 'Spinoza's Monism? What Monism?'. P Goff (ed.), in: Spinoza on Monism. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Laerke, M. (2011). 'Leibniz et l'usage dialetique de la methode des geometres'. in: Natur und Subject: IX. Internationaler Leibniz Kongress. Leibniz Gesellschaft, Hanover, pp. 562-571.
• Laerke, M. (2010). 'The Golden Rule: Aspects of Leibniz's Method for Religious Controversy'. M Dascal (ed.), in: The Practice of Reason: Leibniz and his Contemporaries. Controversies, John Benjamins Pub., Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 297-321.
• Laerke, M. (2010). 'Leibniz's two readings of the Tractatus Theologico-politicus'. Y Melamed & M Rosenthal (eds), in: Spinoza's 'Theological-Political Treatise': A Critical Guide. Cambridge Critical Guides, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, pp. 101-127.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'Four Things Deleuze Learned from Leibniz'. S van Tuinen & N McDonnell (eds), in: Deleuze and the Fold: A Critical Reader. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, United Kingdom, pp. 25-45.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'De origine rerum ex formis: A quasi-spinozistic paraellism in De summa rerum'. in: The philosophy of the Young Leibniz: Studia Leibnitiana Supplementa 35. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany, pp. 203-220.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'Introduction'. M Lærke (ed.), in: The Use of Censorship in the Enlightenment. Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands, pp. 1-21.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'G.W. Leibniz : Moderation and Censorship'. M Laerke (ed.), in: The Use of Censorship in the Enlightenment. Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, E.J. Brill, Leiden, Germany, pp. 155-178.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'Leibniz et le libertinage: quatre fonctions theoriques'. A McKenna & P-F Moreau (eds), in: Le Libertinage at l'ethique a l'Age classique. vol. 11, Libertinage et Philosophie au XVIIe siecle, no. 11, Presses Universitaires de St. Etienne, pp. 267-285.
• Laerke, M. (2008). 'Entre l'enthousiasme et le naturalisme: Strategies argumentatives dans la conceptualisation leibnizienne des mysteres'. in: The Challenges of Modern Rationalism: Descartes, Locke and Leibniz. Academie Tunisienne des Sciences, des Lettres et des Arts, Carthage, Tunisia, pp. 313-326.
• Laerke, M. (2008). 'Apology for a credo maximum: On three basic rules in Leibniz's Method for Religious Controversy'. M Dascal (ed.), in: Leibniz: What kind of Rationalist?. Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science, Springer-Verlag, Dordrecht, Germany, pp. 397-407.
• Laerke, M. (2006). 'La réception de Spinoza au 17e et 18e siècles'. P-F Moreau & C Ramond (eds), in: Lectures de Spinoza. Ellipses, Paris, pp. 221-242.

Conference Proceedings

• Laerke, M. (2006). 'Leibniz, Spinoza et la preuve ontologique de Dieu'. in: Einheit in der Vielheit: Akten des VIII. Internationaler Leibniz-Kongress. Leibniz Gesellschaft, Hanover, Germany, pp. 420-425, VIII. Internationaler Leibniz-Kongress, Hannover, Germany, 24-29 July.
• Laerke, M. (2001). 'Le réquisit et la raison suffisante: Sur la notion du réquisit de la Confessio Philosophi aux Primae Veritatis'. in: Nihil sine Ratione: VII. Internationaler Leibniz-Kongress. Leibniz Gesellschaft, Berlin, pp. 677-684.

Books and Reports

Books

• Laerke, M. (2008). 'Leibniz lecteur de Spinoza: La genese d'une opposition complexe'. Travaux de philosophie, no. 16, Librairie Honore´ Champion, Paris, France.
• Laerke, M. (2005). 'Kabbalismen i den Europaeiske Tanke: Fra Isak den Blinde til Johann Georg Wachter'. Modtryk, Aarhus, Denmark.

Scholarly Editions

• Laerke, M., Andrault, R. & Moreau, P-F (eds) (in press). 'Spinoza/Leibniz: Rencontres, controverses, réceptions'. Presses Universitaires de Paris Sorbonne, Paris.
• Laerke, M., Smith, JEH. & Schliesser, E. (eds) (in press). 'Philosophy and Its History: Aims and methods in the study of early modern philosophy'. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'The Use of Censorship in the Enlightenment'. E.J. Brill, Leiden.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'The Philosophy of the Young Leibniz'. Franz Steiner Verlag.
• Laerke, M., Nielsen, HB., Sørensen, JH., Sørensen, MP., Sørensen, PA. & Thorup, M. (eds) (2004). 'Spinoza'. Slagmark: Tidsskrift for Idéhistorie, vol. 39, Institut for Idéhistorie, Aarhus, Denmark.

Other Contributions

• Laerke, M. (2010). 'Compte rendu de M. Della Rocca, Spinoza'.
• Laerke, M. (2009). 'On P. Rateau, La Question du mal chez Leibniz'.

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