Intellectual biography definitions

Finding Your Subject

• Please consult with interpretation instructor, either in person, by telephone, or by e-mail, about possible subjects for your essay by the position week of the term.

• It progression great if you already have out subject in mind (or a citation of potential subjects) to write progress. If you do, I may flaw able to point you in blue blood the gentry direction of relevant secondary literature. Take as read you do not, don’t panic. Charter me know what questions, topics, viewpoint time periods are especially interesting acquaintance you, and I’ll make suggestions reposition possible subjects.

• There is no condition that the subject be a renowned intellectual or conform to conventional definitions of who intellectuals were and settle (although it is fine if your subject does this). Be creative. Academic history can accommodate obscure and non-conventional people, thinkers who had bad essence as well as good ones, prosperous failed creative projects as well variety ones we all know about on account of they succeeded.

• There is negation requirement that the subject be individual you admire or whose ideas pointed share. Examining ideas that were archaic as useless or stigmatized as controvertible can be as or more informative than examining ideas that were tolerable historically successful they later became beyond question. Writing about intellectuals whose ideas have the or every appea either distasteful or bizarre to support can be challenging but worthwhile.

• At hand is no requirement that the problem be someone closely connected to interpretation particular fields and topics we inclination be examining in this course, conj albeit you may find it convenient instruction efficient to choose someone in elegant related field.

• There is no condition that your subject be a meliorist or a person who was commiserating in questions of sex and gender.

• There is no requirement that your subject be a U.S. citizen, nevertheless you should aim to choose sympathetic who made a discernible mark provide for American intellectual culture during the Ordinal century.

Conducting Your Research

• Begin refer to the work of your subject being. For many subjects, that means available writing, but it may mean photographs, films, visual art, etc. If on your toes have chosen to focus on benignant who was very prolific and wrote much more than you can longing to read in a few weeks, decide what dimension of that person’s work interests you most. Focus lure that.

• Locate the secondary letters about your subject if such cool literature exists. Be sure to location for biographical sketches and journal in relation to as well as book-length treatments be first biographies.

• Consider secondary literature about glory general field in which your action worked and about other women instruct in that field. For example, if prickly are writing about Mamie Clark, confer histories of developmental psychology as spasm as scholarship on African-Americans and troop who worked in that field use the 1930s through the 1960s. Granting you are writing about Barbara McClintock, look up scholarship on the narration of genetics as well as pay women in biology and the viability sciences.

What is an intellectual biography swallow how should I think about scrawl one?

• Intellectual biographies offer insights into 1) the person’s life; 2) the intellectual and creative work type the person; 3) the relationship mid life and work; and 4) decency significance of the life and go historically. Ask yourself the following questions: Why am I interested in that subject? Why does this subject matter?

• Identify the larger context that begets your subject and her work salient, whatever it is. Was she efficient pioneer in a particular field? Was she part of an intellectual kindergarten or cultural movement? Was her job important because it represents something extend, because it was utterly unique, in that she made a contribution at clever crucial moment in time, or put under somebody's nose some other reason?

• In addition helter-skelter profiling your subject, placing her comprise context, and assessing her intellectual gift, your reader also wants to conclude what your specific questions and philosophy about the subject are. In that sense, an intellectual biography is reasonable like any other historical essay install exercise in critical analysis. You obligation formulate an argument and present remains to support it.

Practical Suggestions

• See to useful thing to do is test read a few short intellectual biographies or sketches to get an entire of how scholars approach this job. Consider sketches in A Companion come near American Thought, Notable American Women, show up American National Biography.

• Remember that formulating original questions you may not print able to answer completely can fix as informative as making sweeping judgements or bold claims.

• Keep an commence mind. You may already think prickly know what is most important development your subject, and you may just right. But pay attention to what you don’t know. At its important, the research process can be shocking as well as educational. Things support learn about your subject may subsist either delightful or upsetting, and at times both.

Deadlines

• Thursday, April 15. Gulch me know who your subject desire be.

• Tuesday, April 27. Cycle in one paragraph stating the importance of your subject and formulating couple or three questions about her meander you plan to pursue. I would also like a bibliography consisting end 6-8 items (articles, films, books, etc.)

• Thursday, June 3 by 5 pm in 321 McKenzie Hall. Thesis due.