• Alumni
  • Parents
  • News
  • Event Calendar
  • Library
  • Business Office
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Quick Links
Austin College Logo

Sherman, Texas

Visit

Apply

Scholarships

Get Info

MENU
  • About
    • Fast Facts about Austin College
      • Mission
      • History
      • Kangaroo Mascot
      • Austin College Page Plaid
    • Major Grant Projects
    • Office of the President
      • About President O’Day
      • Contact the President
      • Essays & Speeches
      • Past Presidents
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Administration
    • Board of Trustees
      • Trustee Profiles
    • Institutional Marketing & Communications
      • Media Kit
      • IMC Professional Internship Program
    • News & Events
      • College News
      • College Calendar
      • Signature Events
        • Adams Observatory Star Parties
        • Lessons & Carols
        • MLK Day Celebration 2023
        • Posey Leadership Award
        • TEDxAustinCollege
      • ‘Roos in the News
      • Media Kit
      • Campus Photo Gallery
      • Confronting Racial Violence and Resistance Convening
    • Campus & Visitor Information
      • North Texas Area
  • Admission & Aid
    • Scholarships and Financial Aid
      • Scholarships for New Students
      • Scholarships for Current Students
      • Applying for Aid
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Federal Verification of FAFSA Data
      • Forms & Documents
      • Policies
      • Tuition & Payments
      • VA Education Benefits
      • Financial Aid Staff
      • Net Price Calculator
      • Financial Aid FAQ’s
      • Financial Wellness
    • Apply Now
      • Freshmen Students
      • International Students
      • Transfer Students
        • BSC to AC
      • Application Dates & Deadlines
    • International Students
      • Requirements
      • Scholarships & Financial Assistance
      • Admitted International Students
    • Transfer Students
      • How to Apply
      • Transfer Scholarships
      • Transfer Student Orientation
    • Visit Campus
    • Meet Your Counselor
      • Meet the ‘Roo Navigators
    • Why Choose Austin College?
      • College Planning for 11th Grade Students
      • Making the Most of Summer
    • Austin College en Español
      • Solicitud
      • Apoyo Financiero
    • Admitted Students
      • Discover Austin College
      • Key Contacts on Campus
      • New Student Information
        • Links of Interest
        • Language Placement Exams
    • Austin College Advantage
    • The Word on AC
    • The Finish in Four Guarantee
    • After AC
    • Refer A Student
  • Academics
    • Majors, Minors & Programs
      • Social Justice and Community Engagement Program
    • Applied Learning
      • AC Climate Ambassadors at the UN Climate Change Conference
    • Centers & Programs
      • Center for Career & Professional Development
        • Handshake
        • Career Exploration
        • Internships
        • Job/Internship Search
        • Employer Services
        • Graduate/Professional School
        • Graduate Outcomes
        • Online Resources
        • Career Center Events
        • Career Alumni Connections
        • Contact Us
      • Center for Community & Regional Development
      • Center for Environmental Studies
      • Center for Southwestern & Mexican Studies
      • Faculty Development
        • Sabbatical Series
        • Thursday Lunch Topics
        • Reading Groups
        • Johnson Center Activities
        • Additional Resources
      • First-Year Experience
        • Mission Statement
        • First-Year Seminar
        • Peer Mentors
        • First-Year Information (FYI)
      • Office of International Programs
        • International Education Week 2021
        • Global Living Learning Community (GLLC)
        • Support Services for International Students
      • Posey Leadership Institute
      • Student Research
        • ENSURE Program
        • Sciences Summer Research Program
        • Student Research Dissemination Awards
        • ACUMEN
        • Responsible Conduct of Research
        • Student Scholars Conference
        • Scarbrough Summer Research
      • Writing Center
    • Faculty
    • Center for Student Success and Access Services
      • Tutoring Services
        • Resources and Links
        • Review Sessions & Workshops
        • Meet Our Tutors
        • Become a Peer Tutor
      • Student Success
        • First-Generation Students
      • Access Services
    • Fellowships & Scholarships
      • Honors Convocation
        • Homer P. Rainey Award
      • Departmental Honors Program
        • Honors Program Nomination Procedures
        • Honors Program Requirements
        • Honors Thesis Formatting
      • Phi Beta Kappa
        • Membership Archive
        • Membership Criteria
      • Fulbright Grants
      • Peace Corps Prep Program
        • How to Apply
        • PCPP Benefits
        • PCPP Curriculum
        • PCPP Campus Committee
        • Peace Corps Alumni
    • Academic Affairs
    • Registrar’s Office
    • Grad School Opportunities
      • Physician Assistant (PA) Program
      • Health Science Programs
        • Texas Tech Early Decision Program
        • Health Professions Advising Guides
        • Health Sciences Scholarships
        • FAQ’s About Health Sciences
        • Health Sciences Advising
        • Resources
      • Law
      • Engineering Pathways
      • Ministry
      • TTU Grad Program
      • Gateways to Grad School
        • Partner Programs
        • Partner Universities
        • Texas Tech Health Sciences Programs
    • Graduate Teacher Program
      • About the ATP
      • Teaching/Course Certification Requirements
      • ATP Advising Forms & Documents
      • ATP Advisors
      • Noyce STEM Program
        • Noyce STEM Summer Internships
        • Noyce STEM Scholarships
      • Field Supervisor’s Forms & Documents
      • Thinking Camps
    • January and May Term 2024
      • Travel JanTerm/MayTerm | Liability Release
      • January Term 2023 Expo
      • Travel JanTerm/MayTerm | Medical Release and Info
      • Travel JanTerm Scholarships
        • Travel JanTerm 2024 Scholarship Application
      • January Term Photo Galleries
    • Military and Veteran Services
      • Veterans OnwardTM*
    • Summer Term
  • Campus Life
    • Campus Police & Safety
      • Campus Emergencies
      • Severe Weather
      • Rules & Regulations
      • Crime Prevention
      • Campus Police Staff
    • Campus Services
      • Campus Bookstore
      • Dining Services
      • Post Office
      • Information Technology
    • Career Center
    • Counseling Services
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Scope of Care
      • Counseling Center
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Web Resources
      • Contact Us
      • Texoma Resources
      • Student Wellness
        • By Choice Students
        • Greek Organizations
        • FAQs About MSB
    • Health Services and Treatment
      • Austin College Community Health
        • COVID-19 Fall 2022 Protocols
        • COVID-19 Dashboard
        • Information for Visitors
      • Clinic Hours & Health Services
      • Immunizations
      • Health Forms
      • Student Insurance
      • After Hours Assistance
    • Religious Life
      • Presbyterian Traditions
      • AColyte
      • Worship & Bible Study
      • Many Spiritual Traditions
      • ACtivators
      • Religious Life Staff
    • Residence Life on Campus
      • Room Selection
      • Living on Campus 2022-2023
      • First-Year Experience
      • Student Staff
      • Important Dates for Residence Life
    • Student Emergency Resources
    • Student Life
      • Campus Activities
      • Clubs & Organizations
        • ACtivators
        • Esports
        • Recreational Sports
      • Documents & Links
      • Greek Life
        • Potential Members
        • Greek Life Events
        • Greek Life Forms
        • Greek Sponsors
        • Greek Council
        • Order of Omega
      • Student Life Staff
      • Student Life Publications
      • Student Publication
        • AC Observer Job Descriptions
      • Transportation Opportunities
    • Service Station
      • Board Profiles
      • Great Day of Service
      • JanServe
      • First We Serve
      • Aramark Appreciation
      • Alternative Spring Break
      • Austin College Tutoring (ACT)
      • Tostan
      • Thrift Store Drive
      • RooBound
      • Servant of the Year
    • Student Assembly
      • Student Assembly Representatives
      • Student Development Fund
      • Resolution Database
    • Title IX Office
      • Mandatory Student Training
      • Reporting
      • Policy Definitions
      • Grievance Procedures
      • Texas Compliance
      • Title IX Staff Training
    • Student Awards
    • Student Photo Gallery
  • Athletics
    • acroos.com
    • Legends
    • Athletics “A” Association
    • Support Athletics
  • Giving
    • Make a Gift
    • Annual Giving
    • Estate Planning
      • Oscar & Anna Laura Page Meditation Garden
    • Donor Resources
    • Contact Us
Info For...
  • Alumni
  • Parents
  • News
  • Event Calendar
  • Library
  • Business Office
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Quick Links
Home » Staff Directory » Dr. Max Grober

Dr. Max Grober

Updated on: March 1, 2023

Dr. Max Grober

Professor of History

History / Academic

Office:
Sherman Hall 303
Mailbox:
61640
Phone:
903.813.2266

Education:

A.B., M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Faculty Bio:

What is history? Henry Ford said it’s more or less bunk. Voltaire said it’s a pack of tricks we play on the dead. I say it’s an investigation. Historians know things about the past because we’ve dug up evidence and we’ve had debates about what the evidence means. You can do that, too, and you really should. You can only know something about the past if you understand how you know it. That means learning how to investigate for yourself.

I’ve been teaching at Austin College for more than twenty years. I like to teach by discussion in a small classroom, and I like to bring in the broadest possible range of evidence, including literature, philosophy, religion, art, music, and science from past times. I mostly teach European history from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. I’ve also taught courses on US intellectual history, environmental history, the history of medicine, and the history of suicide. Historians – and history students – get to investigate anything that’s ever happened anywhere. History is everything.

Recent Courses:

  • History 350 “Darwin”
  • History 333 “Enlightenment and Revolutions”
  • History 332 “Renaissance and Reformation”
  • History 331 “Medieval Europe”
  • History 250 “The Heritage of European Thought” (Foundation Writing Course)
  • History 133 “Europe and the World to 1500”

Research Interests:

I do research on the history of ideas in eighteenth-century Europe. We call this the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason, but it was also an age of sentiment, an age of material progress, and an age of revolution. A lot of my research has focused on the history of the life sciences in this period, including the work of the experimental naturalist and philosopher Charles Bonnet. More recently, I’ve been studying the great philosopher and historian David Hume, and especially his essays, such as “Of Suicide,” “Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations,” and “Of National Characters.” What I like about Bonnet and Hume is that they were both broad-ranging thinkers who wanted to know what the methods of science could teach us about human nature and human society. They lived in a time when biology, economics, and psychology (as we now call them) were deeply interconnected, and often studied by the same people. That was still true in Darwin’s time, and I’d like to do some work on Darwin, as well, before too long.

Publications:

  • “‘A Steady Contempt of Life’: Suicide Narratives in Hume and Others.” Journal of Scottish Philosophy 10 (2012): 51-68
  • “Harmony, Structure, and Force in the Essai analytique sur les facultés de l’âme of Charles Bonnet.” Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 31 (1995): 34-50
  • “The Natural History of Heaven and the Historical Proofs of Christianity: La Palingénésie philosophique pf Charles Bonnet.” Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century 308 (1993): 233-55

Faculty Extras:

I’m also involved with several interdisciplinary groups. The one that’s dearest to my heart is the Western Intellectual Tradition program. WIT offers a minor on major works – great books, great art, great music – from the period before 1800. We’re talking Plato, Augustine, Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo, Shakespeare, and Mozart. It doesn’t get any better than that. Check it out.

Filed Under: Staff Directory

GET IN TOUCH

903.813.2000
Austin College
900 N. Grand Ave.
Sherman, TX 75090

Contact Us

GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

GET LINKED

  • Human Resources
  • Campus Offices
  • Faculty/Staff Directory
  • Outlook Email
  • Title IX Office
  • Campus Conduct Hotline
  • Health Services

GET CONNECTED

Subscribe

Connect to AC

Request Information

Copyright © 2021 - All rights reserved | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Consumer Information | Site by thrive-logo