Compassion in Early Modern Culture (1550-1700)

VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 18-19 September 2015

Thistwodayinternationalconferenceaimstobringtogetherliteraryscholars,arthistorians,
musicologists,andculturalhistorianstoexplorethinkingabouttheexperienceaswellasthe
socialandpoliticalimpactofcompassioninearlymodernEuropeanculture.Itseeksto
combinetwocurrentapproachestotheearlymodernpassions:historicalphenomenologyon
theonehandandtheanalysisoftheroleofcompassioninthepublicsphereontheother.
SirPhilipSidneyfamouslyclaimedpoliticalimpactfortheexperienceofcompassionwhen
hewrotethatthatthefeelingsofpityandfeararousedbytragedycouldmollifytheheartsof
tyrants.Participantsareinvitedtodiscusswhichviewsontheexperienceofcompassion
existedinearlymodernEurope,andhowthearousalofcompassioninliterature,theatres,art,
sermons,music,andelsewherewasthoughttoimpactordidimpactthepublicsphere.

Keynote speakers:

Katherine Ibbett (University College London)

Bruce R. Smith (University of Southern California)

Proposalsareinvitedfor20minutepapersthatexplorequestionssuchas:
Whatdiditfeelliketoexperiencecompassionintheearlymodernperiod?
Whatistherelationbetweenpassionandreason,bodyandmind,bodyandselfinthe
experienceofcompassion?
Whatistherelationbetweencompassionandotherpassionsinearlymodernculture?
Whichtechniquesexistedforrousingcompassioninart,sermons,oreveryday
encounters?
Howwastheexperienceofcompassionthoughttoimpactthepublicsphere?
Whichhistoricalsourcescanweusetoexplorethesocialrolesofcompassion?
Howdidthetermsusedtorefertocompassionshiftintheearlymodernperiod,andhow
dotheseshiftsrelatetochangesinthehistoricalphenomenologyand/orthesocialroles
ofcompassion?
Howdidcompassionfunctiontoshapecommunitiesthroughsharedsufferingin
differentEuropeancountries?
Wherecanweseeearlymodernlimitsofcompassion:whoorwhichgroupswere(onthe
vergeofbeing)excludedfromcompassion?
Howwastheexperienceandpracticeofcompassionimpactedbyculturalhistorical
faultlinessuchastheReformation,andhowdidthesechangesaffectthesocialrolesof
compassion?
Howdoearlymodernideasontheexperienceandroleofcompassioncontributetoa
criticalassessmentofcurrenttheoriesofempathy,compassionandsocialemotions?
Pleasesubmitanabstract(c.300words)andabriefbiototheconferenceorganizer,Kristine
Steenbergh,k.steenbergh@vu.nl,before1May2015.

Oneoftheaimsoftheseminaristosubmitaproposalforavolumeoncompassioninearly
modernculturewithPalgravesbookseriesStudiesintheHistoryofEmotions.
Theseminarispartofaresearchprojectonearlymoderncompassionfundedbythe
NetherlandsOrganisationforScientiWicResearch(NWO)andiscohostedbyACCESS,the
AmsterdamCentreforCrossDisciplinaryEmotionandSensoryStudiesandtheFacultyof
HumanitiesofVUUniversity,Amsterdam.