Research at Notre Dame
Institutes and initiatives
Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy

Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy

Exploring the deepest and oldest questions.

The Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy (CHOP) is a leading venue for History of Philosophy research in Australia. Our researchers have expertise especially in the ancient, medieval, and early modern periods in the Western intellectual tradition, and we host a number of externally-funded projects in these areas. We publish History of Philosophy research in leading academic journals and book presses, supervise research Masters and PhD students, host events and visiting scholars, and collaborate with Australian and international partners in our research projects.

CHOP’s research strengths include:

Ancient philosophy: ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.
Philosophy of nature: diverse conceptions of nature in the Western intellectual tradition, and relations between nature and culture, nature and science, and nature and value.
Philosophy and religion: creative interaction between the history of philosophy and the history of theology/religion, especially in the medieval period.

Meet our people

Associate Professor David Bronstein
CHOP Co-Director, Associate Professor in Philosophy

Associate Professor Nathan Lyons
CHOP Co-Director, Associate Professor in Philosophy

Professor Peter Harrison
Professorial Research Fellow in Science and Religion

Dr Silvianne Aspray
Adjunct Research Fellow

Dr Arthur J. Keefer
Adjunct Research Fellow

International partners

We are proud to be partnering with the University of Notre Dame (Indiana) to co-host two international History of Philosophy conferences in 2024 and 2025.

Meet our partners

Professor Therese Cory
John and Jean Oesterie Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies
Director, History of Philosophy Forum

Professor Sean Kelsey
Rev. John A. O'Brien College Professor of Philosophy
Steering Commitee, History of Philosophy Forum

Externally Funded Projects

Virtue with Aristotle: Recovering an Ancient Ethical Theory for Our Time

This project aims to show how Aristotle’s theory of virtue can guide our individual and collective attempts to live good human lives in challenging times. Learn more.

Principal investigator: David Bronstein
Funded by: ARC Future Fellowship
Funding: $786,404

Nature-Culture Continuities in Medieval Philosophy and Theology

This project will provide the first sustained historical study of nature-culture continuities in medieval Latin philosophy and theology, examining the areas of: cognition, language, semiotics, ethics and politics, animality, ecology, metaphysics, and God. Learn more.

Principal investigator: Nathan Lyons
Funded by: ARC Discovery Early Career Award
Funding: $416,213

Events

Reading Group on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
February-November 2024. A once per month reading group, meeting in person and online, and organised in partnership with UNDA’s Institute for Ethics and Society and School of Philosophy and Theology.
Becoming Good: Virtue and Moral Development in Ancient Ethics
1-2 August 2024. Conference in partnership with UNDA’s Institute for Ethics and Society. Keynote speakers: Roger Crisp (Oxford), Margaret Hampson (St. Andrews), Sukaina Hirji (Penn), Marta Jimenez (Emory), Rachana Kamtekar (Cornell), and Rachel Singpurwalla (Maryland).
Notre Dame Winter School on Aristotle’s Ethics
5-7 August 2024. Masterclass in partnership with UNDA’s Institute for Ethics and Society. Instructors: Roger Crisp (Oxford), Margaret Hampson (St. Andrews), Sukaina Hirji (Penn), Marta Jimenez (Emory), Rachana Kamtekar (Cornell), and Rachel Singpurwalla (Maryland).
Centre for the History of Philosophy Launch Evening
21 October 2024. CHOP Launch event featuring an inaugural lecture by Associate Professor Therese Cory (Notre Dame USA).
Nature in the History of Philosophy
21-22 October 2024. Conference co-hosted with Notre Dame USA’s History of Philosophy Forum. Keynote speakers: Therese Cory (ND USA), Sean Kelsey (ND USA), Calvin Normore (UCLA), Deborah Brown (Queensland), Alexander Hampton (Toronto). Dalia Nassar (Sydney), and Jacqueline Broad (Monash).
Aristotle and Aquinas on Mind Masterclass
23 October 2024. Taught by Sean Kelsey (ND USA) and Therese Cory (ND USA).
Plato’s Open Metaphysics – Gerd van Riel (Leuven)
November 2024 – date to be confirmed. Seminar paper by Gerd van Riel (Leuven).