In commemoration of the 275th anniversary of the American Philosophical Society’s founding in 1743 and the birth of its long-time President, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826, APS 1780, President 1797-1814), the APS Library, along with the National Constitution Center and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, are organizing a daylong symposium that aims to explore the history of science, knowledge production, and learning during the Age of Jefferson (1743-1826). The meeting will convene at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia on June 7-8.
The program committee is currently seeking papers for the symposium. Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
- The role and influence of the American Philosophical Society and other learned societies during the Age of Jefferson
- The circulation of ideas during the Enlightenment
- The work of scientists and other innovators involved in science, technology, exploration, and experimentation in the “Age of Wonder”
- The relationship between science and religion in the mid-18th and early 19th century
- Jefferson’s successes and failures as a scientist, intellectual, educator, and visionary
The event also will feature a special panel on the topic of science and religion during the mid-18th to the early 19th centuries sponsored by the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania as part of their 2017-2018 theme, “Nature Between Science and Religion: Jewish Culture and the Natural World.”
Applicants should submit a title and 250-word proposal along with a C.V. by December 15 via Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/46930. Decisions will be made by February 2018. All presenters will receive travel subsidies and hotel accommodations. Accepted papers will be due a month before the conference and pre-circulated to registered attendees. Papers should be no longer than 15 double spaced pages. Presenters may also have the opportunity to publish revised papers in the APS’s Proceedings, one of the longest running scholarly journals in America.
Please email any questions to Adrianna Link, Head of Scholarly Programs, at [email protected].