The 7th Immanuel Kant International Summer School
“Enthusiasm and History in the Kantian Perspective”
Kaliningrad, Russia
28 July – 2 August 2025
Academia Kantiana, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University
Forum “Petersburger Dialogue”
Forum “Sochi Dialogue”
Arrival: 27 July, Departure: 03 August
General information
The issues of Kant’s philosophy of history, presented in his minor works and occasionally in larger ones, did not immediately attract the attention of researchers. However, Kant’s original views on history played an essential role both for his own philosophy and for his contemporaries and philosophical successors. The focus of the summer school is Kant’s concept of enthusiasm. With reference to textual sources, it will explore what Kant and other Enlightenment thinkers called ‘enthusiasm,’ discuss the role of this and other feelings in the historical process, their relationship to reason in Kant’s philosophy and in the doctrines of his early opponents, and examine the possibilities of Kantian philosophy in interpreting some of the more recent varieties of technological enthusiasm.
The summer school consists of lectures, seminars, and readings. Within the framework of the summer school there will also be a scientific conference, in which participants will give their own presentations on a research topic related to Kant’s philosophy, and discuss it with colleagues from different universities of Russia and the world.
The aim of the school is to to discuss little-studied issues of Kant’s philosophy of history, its reception and influence, such as the concept and phenomenon of enthusiasm, the relationship between reason and feelings in Hamann and Jacobi, the meta-critique of reason, the history of concepts and metaphors in the German Enlightenment, and contemporary techno-enthusiasm in the light of Kant’s philosophy of history.
The school’s objectives:
to analyse Kant’s concept of enthusiasm, its place in Kant’s philosophy of history, in the doctrines of Kant’s followers and opponents, and in the modern world;
to improve skills in working with primary sources;
to broaden the intellectual horizons of young scholars by immersing them in contemporary research debates;
to establish professional ties between young scholars;
to share and popularise the research outcomes in Kantian philosophy.
Target audience: advanced bachelor students, master students, PhD students, recent postdocs (with PhD received not before 2023).
Working language: English
Scientific Supervisor:
Prof. Dr Vadim A. Chaly
Professor of Philosophy, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Guest Lecturer:
Prof. Dr Jürgen Stolzenberg
Professor em., Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Corresponding Member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, Germany
Scientific Assistant:
Dr. Andrey S. Zilber
Research Fellow, Academia Kantiana, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia
Head Organiser:
Prof. Dr Nina A. Dmitrieva
Scientific Director of the Academia Kantiana, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia; Professor of Philosophy, Moscow Pedagogical State University, Russia; Corresponding Member in Abroad of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
HOW TO APPLY
School participants are selected on a competitive basis, no more than 20 people.
The selection of participants will be conducted in two stages.
Stage 1: written application in English
Application requirements:
application form;
proof of affiliation;
motivation letter (350–400 words);
abstract of a paper on the topic of your own research project related to Kant’s practical philosophy* (1200–1400 words, including a list of references).
* In the competitive selection process, all other things being equal, preference will be given to applications in the philosophy of history or Kant’s political philosophy.
Deadline for written applications: 2 June 2025 (inclusive)
Announcement of first stage results: 9 June 2025
Stage 2: online interview in English
Interview dates: 10–14 June 2025
Announcement of selection results: 16 June 2025
Contacts
E-mail (Q&A): kant.summer.school@gmail.com
Support:
Travel (within Russia, as well as from/to European and Asian countries) and meals are provided free of charge.
Accommodation is provided free of charge in the new hostel of the Kant Baltic Federal University (four-bed rooms), with access to the Student House with a co-working space.
Participation in the summer school is free of charge.
At the end of the summer school, participants will receive a certificate.