The Austin College Western Intellectual Tradition Program presents Enlightenment Week 2019 with several sessions scheduled February 12 and 14.
On Tuesday, February 12, at noon, Max Grober, Dean of Humanities and Professor of History, will present “Darwin and the Heritage of the Enlightenment” in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. His lecture is co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program.
Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., faculty Terry Hoops of Anthropology, Daniel Nuckols of Economics, and Elizabeth Terry-Roisin of History will address “Enlightenment, Economy, and Revolution in the Atlantic World” in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. Hoops will present “Consorting with the Medieval: The Temptations of Latin America’s early 19th Century Revolutionary Movements.” Nuckols, the John T. Jones Chair of Economics, will address “The Age of Sensibility and Its Effect of Economic Thought,” and Terry-Roisin will discuss “Enlightenment, Economy, and Revolution in the Atlantic World.”
On Thursday, February 14, at 11:30 a.m., faculty Colin Foss, French; Wolfgang Lueckel, German; and Randi Tanglen, English, will consider “Re-Imagining the Enlightenment in Today’s Classroom: Race, Revolution, Environment. The session, in Wright Campus Center, Room 231, is co-sponsored by the Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching. Foss will present Enlightenment, Imperialism, and the Haitian Revolution;” Lueckel, “’Grüne Gläser’ and Seeing the World in Green—Teaching the Enlightenment Through Its Critic Heinrich von Kleist;” and Tanglen, “African Voices of the Enlightenment: Olaudah Equiano and Phyllis Wheatley.”
At 4 p.m. Thursday, the Austin College Grand Avenue Trio will perform “Enlightened Music by Mozart, Haydn & Others” in Johnson Gallery of Wright Campus Center. The trio consisting of faculty Ricky Duhaime, cello; Alex Garganigo, flute; and Cathy Richardson, violin, will perform 18th century works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, and other composers of the era. Garginigo is a member of the English faculty. Duhaime and Richardson teach in the Music Department.
The recital precedes the keynote lecture of the week’s events, “What is Beauty Good For? An Enlightenment Story,” by Simon Grote, a member of the History faculty at Wellesley College. His presentation begins at 4:30 p.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231.
The Western Intellectual Tradition Program also has presented Medieval & Renaissance Week (2018, 2015), and Ancients Week (2017). An Enlightenment Week also was held in 2016.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with 46 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. This year, the campus recognizes 100 years of co-education and has had several opportunities to recognize the history of women and accomplishments of current alumnae. Austin College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.