Dr. Michael Edwards

Biography

Michael Edwards is a historian specializing in early modern Britain and Europe, with particular interests in intellectual and cultural history, the philosophy of history, and political thought. His academic journey began at the University of Cambridge, where he studied History and later pursued an M.Phil and PhD. He has held a Junior Research Fellowship at Christ’s College, Cambridge, and is currently a Fellow of Jesus College, serving as a Graduate Tutor. Edwards has co-edited the journal Early Science Medicine and has held research fellowships at the University of Oklahoma and CRASSH in Cambridge. His published works include research on early modern psychology, natural philosophy, and the Aristotelian scholastic traditions in relation to Hobbes and Descartes. Notably, he published a translation of a newly discovered manuscript of René Descartes's Regulae ad directionem ingenii. His current research explores the cultural and financial history of enslavement in the early modern Atlantic world and the connections between various networks in this period. In terms of teaching, Edwards supervises Ph.D. and M.Phil. students, covering a range of topics in intellectual history, and lectures on Early Modern Britain and the Politics of Knowledge. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).

Research Interests

Experience