Dr. Joel Isaac

Associate Professor

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Biography

Joel Isaac is a historian of modern social and political thought focusing particularly on American and British traditions of social thought. His earliest research examined the theories of knowledge that drove important changes in the human sciences during the twentieth century. His work is encapsulated in his book, Working Knowledge: Making Human Sciences Parsons Kuhn, which received the Gladstone Prize from the Royal Historical Society, UK. Currently, he is writing a book on the relations between economics and social thought from the late nineteenth century to the present, aiming to explain how modern economics has shaped social theory and political thought in various contexts. His major research interests include the diffusion of rational choice theory in the human sciences and the reception of Enlightenment thought in politics and markets. Joel has previously held academic positions at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary, University of London.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

— Present

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

Associate Professor in the Department of History with a focus on social thought and history.

Lecturer

— Present

Queen Mary, University of London • London

Lecturer in intellectual history, focusing on philosophy and its evolution.

Research Fellow

— Present

University of Cambridge • Cambridge

Research fellow with a concentration on American and British social thought.

Requirements for University of Chicago

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:26
Reading
Required:26
Writing
Required:26
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:104
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree Writing sample Candidate statement
Application Checklist
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  • Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Writing Sample
  • Application Fee
Specialization Notes

Department of Philosophy