CV

Present affiliation:

Professor with habilitation at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Szeged [=USz]

Previous positions

September 2008/                 associate professor, Department of Philosophy, USz

2004-2008                           senior lecturer, Department of Philosophy, USz

1997-2004                           teaching assistant, Department of Philosophy, USz

Degrees

2019           Doctorate at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Doctor Scientiae). Title of dissertation: The perception of the infinite in the Early Modern Age.

2011           Habilitation, ELTE Doctoral School of Philosophy. Title of disseration: Blaise Pascal. A természettudománytól a vallási apológiáig. (Blaise Pascal: From natural science to religious apology), classroom presentation: Test és lélek viszonya a kora újkori racionalista filozófiákban. Academic presentation: Le problème de la certitude chez Descartes et Pascal. Result: 100%.

2003           PhD, Université de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris IV, doctorate in Philosophy with the dissertation titled: La force de la raison selon Pascal (The power of reason in Pascal). Supervisor: Prof. Emer. Pierre Magnard. Defence: 100%, “mention très honnorable avec félicitation du jury à l’unanimité” (summa cum laude).

1997             MA in French, Attila József University (University of Szeged), Faculty of Arts, Szeged.

1997             Université de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris IV, degree in Philosphy (Diplôme d’Études Approfondies) with the dissertation titled: “Ordre et raison dans la pensée du XVIIe siècle; Descartes, Malebranche, Pascal”. Supervisor: Prof. J.-L. Marion.

1996             MA with teacher training component in Philosophy and in Hungarian, Attila József University (University of Szeged), Faculty of Arts, Szeged.

Grants and scholarships

2006             Hermes grant of the Fondation de la Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (Paris) postdoctoral research grant, 4 months, host institution: A CHSPM (Centre d’Histoire des Systèmes de la Pensée Moderne), Université de Paris I – Sorbonnne.

2005-2008    János Bolyai research grant of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

2004             Eötvös grant by the Hungarian Grant Committee, three months, host institution: Freie Universität, Berlin.

1998-2001    French government grant, three times six months for doctoral study, host institution: Université de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris IV.

1996-1997    French government grant for graduate study, one year, host institution: Université de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris IV. (degree in philosophy: D.E.A.)

1994             Tempus grant for MA study for six months, host institution: Université de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris III.

RESEARCH

Area of study

  • Philosphy
  • History of philosphy

Organiser of conferences:

2015 Nov. 20-22      International conference in English and French organized by the Department of Philosophy at USz and the Centre Universitaire Francophone, with the assistance of the Agence Universitaire Francophone titled “Philosophy and Science: Unity and Plurality in Early Modern Age; Philosophie et science: unité et pluralité à l’âge classique”.

2014 Jan. 23-24       International conference in French at the French Institute in Bp., with Hungarian, French and Rumanian participants titled “Descartes est-il cartésien? Descartes et son interprétation”.

2012 May 11            Conference and workshop organized by KUFIM at the Institute of Philosophy, ELTE titled “The problem of the Infinite in Early Modern philosophy“.

2011 Oct.                 International conference in French at the French Institute in Bp., with Hungarian, French and Rumanian participants titled “L’amour de la sagesse et la sagesse de l’amour chez Pascal”.

2010 Oct.                 Interdisciplinary conference in Hungarian, at the University of Szeged, Faculty of Arts, titled “Perspective in philosophy, mathematics and the arts” with the participation of historians of philosophy, aesthetes, art historians, mathematicans.

2003 Sept.               International conference in French, University of Szeged, titled “Imagination et connaissance dans la pensée du XVIIe siècle”

2003 March             Conference at the Hungarian Institute of Paris titled “Le jugement théorique et moral en question au XVIIe siècle”

2001 March             Conference at the Hungarian Institute of Paris titled “Les significations du corps dans la pensée classique”

Research grants and projects

Program director:

2017-2021   OTKA/NKFI K 125012 research project: “The Cartesian Mind between Extension and Cognition.” With the Early Modern Philosophy Workshop.  (Gross amount: 21 477 000 Ft)

2005-2009    OTKA F 049472 (individual for young researcher) research grant titled “The translation and philosophical reconstruction of Pascal’s Pensées”.

Participant:

2018-2022   OTKA/NKFI 129261, “Existence and interpretation”

2010-2014   OTKA K 81165, “Perspective and epistemology in Early Modern philosophy”

2006-2010   OTKA K 62957, “Modern Philosophy monograph series”,

2007-2011   OTKA K 62798, “Early enlightenment at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries”

2003-2006   OTKA T 043561, “History of Philosophy in the 16th and 17th centuries”

2001-2005   OTKA T 034139, “Time and Timeliness: Henri Bergson’s Philosophy”

1999-2002   OTKA T 029493, “The Golden Age of Reason: Groundworks of 17th c. philosophy”

2000-2005    Joint French-Hungarian research project in the history of philosophy with the cooperation of the Hungarian Philosophy of the Modern Age research group and two French research groups, CERPHI (Institut d’histoire de la pensée classique de l’Humanisme aux Lumières, Lyon) and CHSPM (Centre d’Histoire des Systèmes de la Pensée Moderne, Paris) titled “Les facultés de l’âme dans la philosophie classique.”

Research group:

2017 Oct.                 A Centre d’Histoire de la Philosophie Moderne de la Sorbonne (HIPHIMO EA1451) co-researcher (membre associé, Paris, Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne.

2017. Oct.                Directing the research group: the History of Early Modern Philosophy Workshop (KUFIM) was awarded a four year grant under my direction reg. no.: OTKA/NKFI 125012. Since the setting out of the project, I have been directing the workshop. Since Oct. 2017, the research group was joined by Eszter Rembeczki PhD, who earned herdoctorate with my supervision, and who is now working for the Department of Philosophy as a teaching assistant.

2005 (Sept.)             In cooperation with Dániel Schmal (PPKE) and with the encoragement of Gábor Boros (ELTE) we founded the History of Early Modern Philosophy Workshop (KUFIM). The research group provides the framework for the cooperation of researchers from several Hungarian universities. Under the aegis of the group, peresentations and workshops are organized every two months, conferences on a less frequent basis, either in Budapest or in Szeged in the aera of Early Modern philosophy. The research group maintains good relations with international, especially French, research groups on the topic.

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Invited guest lecturer teching a full course at Hungarian and minority Hungarian universities (in Hungarian)

2012/2013 Fall                    ELTE Doctoral School of Philosophy, course: The concept of the infinite in phenomenology and in Early modern philosophy,

2009/2010 Spring                Eötvös Collegium Budapest, course: Pascal – from natural science to religious apology,

2009 (May)    University of Debrecen, Doctoral School for Philosophy, course: Interpreting Pascal’s Pensées,

2005 (Nov.)                          Partium Christian University, Nagyvárad, Department of Philosophy, Course: Order and orders in Pascal’s philosophy,

2000/2001 Fall                   Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy, course: Pascal’s philosophy and theology

2000 (Nov.)                         Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Department of Philosophy, course: Pascal’s philosophy.

Invited guest lecturer teaching a full course at foreign universities (in French):

2017 (Oct. 1-31)                  Université de Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne Department of Philosophy Course: La perception de l’infini à l’âge classique.

2015 (March 1-31)              Université de Bourgogne (Dijon) Department of Philosophy Course: Introduction à la philosophie moderne (La philosophie de l’infini à l’âge classique)

Guest lecturer at foreign universities (in French and English):

2000 (May)                         Université de Bourgogne, Dijon

2001 (Nov.)                         Université de Paris XII, Paris

2003 (March)                      Université de Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris I

2006 (May)                         Université de Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris I

2008 (Jan.)                          Université de Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris I

2011(March)                       Universitatea de West, department of Philosophy and Communication, Timisoara (Erasmus program)

2012 (March)                      Universitatea din Bucureşti

2013 (March)                     Université de Paul Valéry, Montpellier III (Erasmus program)

2014 (March)                     Université de Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris I

2014 (July)                          Bucharest-Princeton Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy, Bran (Romania) summer university “De rerum natura: naturalism, supernaturalism, unnaturalism”

2016 (March)                      Université de Lorraine (Metz), Département de philosophie, Erasmus program

2016 (Apr.)                         Université de Bourgogne (Dijon), Département de philosophie

2017 (Apr.)                         Université de Bourgogne (Dijon), Département de philosophie

2017 (Oct.)                         École Normale Supérieure, Paris, Rue d’Ulm host:MATHESIS research group

2017 (Oct.)                         Université de Paris 1 –Panthéon-Sorbonne

2017 (Oct.)                         École Normale Supérieure, Paris, Rue d’Ulm, Département de  philosophie

2017 (Oct.)                         Université de Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne, Département de philosophie

2018 (May)                         Institut Catholique de Toulouse

Editing journals:

  • 2000/ Editor in chief, Különbség journal of the Doctoral School of Philosophy, University of Szeged. ISSN 1785-7821, web: www.kulonbsegfolyoirat.hu
  • Thematic issues:
    • 2010 Hilary Putnam: Éanguge, Reference, Meaning
    • 2011 G. W. F. Hegel: Spirit, Pilitics, Religion
    • 2012 Niccolò Machiavelli: Politics, Rhetorics, Body
    • 2013 Interpretations of the infinite in the Early Modern Age
    • 2014 Personality, Subjectivity, Intersubjectivity
    • 2015 Blaise Pascal. The wisdom of love
    • 2016 Action, autonomy, responsibility
    • 2017 Art and praxis
    • 2018 VARIA
  • 2011/ Journal of Early Modern Studies (JEMS, ISSN 2285-6382, editor in chief: Vlad Alexandrescu and Dana Jalobeanu, Zeta Books, Bucharest) editorial board member
  • 2015/  Recherches Philosophiques (Toulouse) lector, Hungarian correspondent

Languages:

  • French: Proficiency C2
  • English: Advanced B2
  • German: Advanced B2
  • Latin: comprehension, reading. B1

Research areas:

  •  17th–century continental philosophy (Montaigne, Descartes, Pascal, Malebranche, Leibniz, Spinoza)
  •  Contemporary French phenomenology
  •  Metaphysics, cosmology, history of science
  •  Ethics, moral philosophy, political philosophy, religious philosophy

Full list of publications and references:

MTMT: https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=10031319&paging=1;100