Dr. Howard Hotson

Biography

Professor Howard Hotson's research focuses on Early Modern Intellectual History, specifically in Central Europe and the international Reformed world from 1550 to 1660. His interests include the gradual expansion of reform movements during the post-Reformation period, culminating in the pansophism of Comenius and the universal reform programme of Samuel Hartlib, as well as the ambitious philosophical projects of Leibniz. He has engaged with educational reform, ecclesiastical irenicism, political theory, and the quest for new philosophies, particularly within the politically and confessionally fractured context of the Holy Roman Empire. Hotson's work integrates digital technology into historical research, directing projects such as Cultures of Knowledge, which seeks to enhance collaboration among scholars and resources in early modern correspondence. His notable publications include “The Reformation Common Learning: Post-Ramist Method Reception New Philosophy, 1618-1670,” forthcoming with Oxford University Press, and various edited volumes that explore the intellectual exchanges during the Renaissance and Reformation periods. He also teaches history, covering topics from European World History to the Scientific Movement during the seventeenth century. In his role as Principal Investigator, he currently leads a project funded by the AHRC that applies quantitative network analysis to correspondence data, furthering the understanding of the Republic of Letters.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses