Faculty News

Robert Elliott Allinson –​ Professor of Philosophy

Professor of Philosophy, Robert Elliott Allinson’s single-authored article, ‘Nachman Krochmal and the Argument from Design,’ has been published in Judaica Petropolitana, No 7, 2018, pp. 19-33, by the Institute of Jewish Studies of St. Petersburg State University.  Founded in 1724, the University is the oldest university in Russia and one of the two most prestigious universities in Russia, particularly renowned for its achievements in the field of Philosophy.   

Nachman Krochmal (1785-1840) is famous for his Moreh Nevukhe ha-Zeman, The Guide for the Perplexed of the Modern Age, published posthumously (1851).  Sections of this work show the influences of Spinoza, Kant, Herder, Schelling, and Hegel. Professor Allinson discovers anticipations of Krochmal’s argument in Spinoza’s 32nd letter to Oldenberg and demonstrates the influences of Kant’s Third Critique on Krochmal.  He discusses the relationship of Krochmal’s argument to thinkers including Aristotle, Descartes, Darwin, Dawkins, Bertrand Russell and the contemporary Harvard philosopher, Rebecca Goldstein. 

Tetsushi Ogata – Visiting Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies

Professor Ogata published a co-authored chapter entitled, “Who is in Charge? Emerging National and Regional Strategies for Prevention,” in the new book Preventing Mass Atrocities: Policies and Practices (Routledge) edited by Barbara Harff and Ted Robert Gurr. The book compiles the contributions from members of the Genocide Prevention Advisory Network (GPANet), an informal and international network of scholars and experts on genocide and atrocity prevention, of which he is the convener. He also presented a paper, “Spectrum of apology and denial in Japan: Shifting narratives of the wartime responsibilities on sexual violence,” at the Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies, on 20 October, held at SUA. ​