Susan Neiman
Encyclopedia
Susan Neiman is an American
moral philosopher, cultural commentator, and essayist. She has written extensively on the juncture between Enlightenment moral philosophy, metaphysics, and politics, both for scholarly audiences and the general public. She currently lives in Germany, where she is the Director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia
, Neiman left home as a teenager to join the anti-Vietnam War movement. Later she studied philosophy at Harvard University
, earning her Ph.D. under the direction of John Rawls
and Stanley Cavell
. During graduate school, she spent several years of study at the Free University of Berlin
. Slow Fire, a memoir about her life as a Jewish woman in 1980s Berlin, appeared in 1992. From 1989 to 1996 she taught philosophy at Yale University
, and from 1996 to 2000 she was an associate professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University
. In 2000 she assumed her current position at the Einstein Forum.
Neiman has been a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton, a Research Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation
Study Center in Bellagio
, and a Senior Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies
. She is now a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
. Her books have won prizes from PEN
, the Association of American Publishers
, and the American Academy of Religion
. Her shorter pieces have appeared in The New York Times
, The Boston Globe
, The Globe and Mail
, and Dissent
. In Germany, she has written for Die Zeit
, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, and Freitag
, among other publications.
~ from Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists
~ from “It’s the Metaphysics, Stupid,” The Boston Globe, February 28, 2008
~ from Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
moral philosopher, cultural commentator, and essayist. She has written extensively on the juncture between Enlightenment moral philosophy, metaphysics, and politics, both for scholarly audiences and the general public. She currently lives in Germany, where she is the Director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Neiman left home as a teenager to join the anti-Vietnam War movement. Later she studied philosophy at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, earning her Ph.D. under the direction of John Rawls
John Rawls
John Bordley Rawls was an American philosopher and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. He held the James Bryant Conant University Professorship at Harvard University....
and Stanley Cavell
Stanley Cavell
Stanley Louis Cavell is an American philosopher. He is the Walter M. Cabot Professor Emeritus of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value at Harvard University.-Life:...
. During graduate school, she spent several years of study at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
. Slow Fire, a memoir about her life as a Jewish woman in 1980s Berlin, appeared in 1992. From 1989 to 1996 she taught philosophy at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and from 1996 to 2000 she was an associate professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
. In 2000 she assumed her current position at the Einstein Forum.
Neiman has been a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton, a Research Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
Study Center in Bellagio
Bellagio
Bellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
, and a Senior Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
. She is now a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften is the academy of sciences of the German states Berlin and Brandenburg. As the word "Wissenschaft", in German includes both the natural sciences and the humanities, the academy's title is best translated as Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of...
. Her books have won prizes from PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
, the Association of American Publishers
Association of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP has more than 300 members, including most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly...
, and the American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
. Her shorter pieces have appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, and Dissent
Dissent
Dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or an entity...
. In Germany, she has written for Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
, and Freitag
Freitag
Freitag is the German word for Friday.It can also refer to:* Freitag, a German weekly newspaper published in Berlin* Freitag, the fifth opera of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Licht cycle.People with the surnames Freitag or Freytag:...
, among other publications.
Quotes
Books
- Slow Fire: Jewish Notes from Berlin, 1992, New York: Schocken.
- The Unity of Reason: Rereading Kant, 1994, New York: Oxford University Press.
- Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy, 2002, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Zum Glück, co-editor, 2004, Berlin: Akademie Verlag.
- Fremde sehen anders: Zur Lage der Bundesrepublik, 2005, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
- Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists, 2008, New York: Harcourt.
External links
- Official Website Provides biography along with publications and appearances.
- Einstein Forum Profile
- Interview NOW with Bill Moyers, PBS (January 2, 2004).
- Lecture "Beyond Belief," Conference at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA (November 6, 2006).
- Interview Tavis Smiley Show, PBS (May 13, 2008).
- Roundtable Discussion Progressive Book Club (July 2008).
- On Religion and Reason Video for Big ThinkBig ThinkBig Think is an online knowledge forum, founded in 2007, that features interviews, multi-media presentations, and roundtable discussions with major intellectuals from a wide range of fields....
(Uploaded June 5, 2008). - Making Progress: Rethinking Enlightenment Lecture, RSA (July 1, 2009).
- Susan Neiman interview on New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
(July 2008). - Review of Moral Clarity in Slate Magazine
- Review of Moral Clarity on the Guardian.co.uk