Learning objectives

The Seminar will deal with questions of the inter-relation of the spatial category of islands with intellectual phenomena linked to the Enlightenment with regard to different dimensions:

• Island Literatures of the 18th Century and beyond: the Early Modern Genre of Island Utopias is continued and transformed in the 18th Century and forms a wide-spread genre in the different European contexts (beginning with Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” and its European reception in works such as J.G. Schnabels “Insel Felsenburg” leading to Denis Diderots “Supplement au voyage de Bougainville” in France or Wilhelm Heinses “Glückselige Inseln” in Germany). Connected to this are crucial discourses of the Enlightenment on social and economic reforms, questions of colonialism and Euro-centrism etc.
• Political significance of Islands and the Haitian Revolution: in the (colonial) system of World Powers islands played a crucial role. The Haitian Revolution of 1790ff. is the major event which inspired questions on the relation of Enlightenment and colonialism until today.
• In the philosophical discourses of the Enlightenment the “island” understood in a broader metaphorical sense is a central motive on different levels (epistemology, political philosophy, social philosophy, economy etc.) These are ranging from indigene cartographies from the Pacifics up to the methodological individualism in Adam Smith’ “The Wealth of Nations”. The aim of the Summer School is to bring together the various research clusters at the EDUC partner universities. At least at the universities of Potsdam, Cagliari, and Paris Nanterre there are existing internationally visible research foci related to the topic which promise fruitful synergies and we invite further EDUC partner universities to participate.

Three main topics have been defined so far:

1. Island Literatures The participants will learn about European literatures of the 18th Century and the crucial position of islands for the development of Enlightenment's genres (from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe on).

2. Island Epistemologies The participants will learn to reflect the role of islands (as a topographical concept as well as in a metaphorical sense) for epistemological models of the Enlightenment (from Bacon's Nova Atlantis to Adam Smith's methodological individualism)

3. Island Politics: The participants will learn about the role of Islands in the colonial system of the 18th Century and their significance as contact zone of European and extra-European cultures in the development of key concepts of the Enlightenment (like in Diderot's writings on Tahiti or in the Haitian Enlightenment)

Details of the learning scenario:

This learning offer is a blended research summer school, which means eight weeks of online learning with one live session per week plus one week of on site-program at the university of Potsdam.

Please consider a total workload of: 90 hours.

The minimum technical requirements you need to participate are: e.g.: Zoom account.

Schedule/Timetable of the learning offer

Virtual phase:

• Starting: 6 May 2024
• End: 24 June 2024
• One online session per week (Mondays from 4-6 p.m)*

On site-week

• Dates: From 1 to 5 July, 2024
• Schedule: Mo-Fr: 10:00-18:00 🗎 First draft of on site-program

Application & Scholarships:

Students in this program receive an EDUC scholarship from their home university to finance their participation in the on site week. The amount of the scholarship is based on the Erasmus+ mobility rates and varies depending on the home university.

Therefore, students apply directly at their home university using one of the application links below:

✍️ Application Process

Accommodation:

Students in this program are housed in a small hotel near to the campus. Depending on availability and your own preferences, you can choose between a single room (75€/night), two-bed room (60€/night) or three-bed room (50€/night), optional breakfast for 7€/day. Details will follow.

*Changes may still occur depending on the availability of teachers from the EDUC partners