International Seminar for Young Eighteenth-Century Scholars 2004

The International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ISECS) invites applications from scholars in all fields of eighteenth-century studies to participate in the International Seminar for young eighteenth-century scholars, co-organized by the German (DGEJ) and the Swiss (SGEAJ/SSEDS) Societies. The Seminar will be held 12 – 17 September 2004 in Basel, Switzerland (Schloss Beuggen) under the direction of Andres Kristol (University of Neuchâtel) and Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink (University of Saarbrücken). The theme of the seminar will be:

Multilingualism and multiculturalism in the Age of Enlightenment

The eighteenth century sees a dramatic intensification of the relations between the different languages and cultures in Europe as well as between Europe and other non-European nations, especially on the level of the cultural elite. This development allows us to speak of a “European republic of letters” which also contains a transatlantic dimension. According to the Abbé Henri Grégoire, the notion of a “republic of letters” describes both an unfolding reality and a vision of things to come. The seminar proposes to look at cases of multilingualism and multiculturalism from a number of different angles:

• - Multicultural and multilingual spaces and societies: the seminar will analyse the evolution of geographical and socio-cultural spaces marked by a plurality of cultures and languages such as France (e.g. the Alsace, but also her continuous cultural exchange with England), Switzerland, large parts of the Holy Roman Empire, Poland, Russia, Denmark etc. This section will look at their development during a period marked by both the intensification of intercultural relations and the emergence of new collective, (proto-)national identities brought about by the dissemination of national languages in rural areas.
   
• - Multicultural and multilingual biographies: numerous eighteenth-century writers, philosophers, journalists and scientists, such as Georg Forster, Carlo Goldoni, Voltaire, Albrecht von Haller, Leonard Euler, Alexander von Humboldt or Charles de Villiers, were bilingual, if not multilingual. The aim is to study the history and structure of their multilingualism, the intercultural experiences on which this phenomenon is based and the intercultural and multilingual social context within which their intellectual development took place.
   
• - Multicultural and multilingual media: pamphlets and periodicals were often published in two languages (e.g. Latin/French, German/French, French/Spanish). Even those ‘European’ journals which were published in French included information about various European cultures. Other examples are the periodicals that were published by the same editor for a similar public and according to identical editorial guidelines but in different languages, such as the numerous popular almanacs and journals in Switzerland and North America.
   
• - The seminar wants to study the effect that the contact between different cultures had on the existing local languages and how this contact is reflected in the change of political, intellectual, and “European” philosophical vocabulary.
   
• - Finally, attention will be paid to the learning and teaching of foreign languages by studying the institutions as well as the manuals and other (auto-didactic) teaching material.

The seminar is limited to 15 participants. Lodging and meals will be provided. Subject to funding, some travel assistance may also be available.

The proposals (approx. five pages long) should be based on an original research project (e.g. a Doctoral Dissertation) that deals with one of the aspects mentioned above. Preference will be given to scholars who are at the beginning of their academic career (PhD or equivalent after 1998). The official languages are French and English.

Applications should include the following information:

• - A short curriculum vitae with date of PhD (or equivalent)
• - list of principal publications and scholarly presentations
• - a brief description of the proposed paper (5 pages)
• - a statement about proficiency in foreign languages

- one letter of recommendation

All applications should be sent by post to one of the following addresses. Deadline is 29 February 2004 :

(this deadline may be extended)