Eli Philip Bernstein

Research Topic

The Art of Judgment: Philosophy and Rhetoric in Early Modern France

Supervisors: Professor Neil Kenny and Professor David Parrott

I am primarily interested in early modern intellectual history. My doctoral research examines how the reception of classical Greek and Roman guides to rhetoric in the sixteenth century informed the structure of early modern thinking and writing. In particular, I am exploring the concept of 'judgment' in Renaissance rhetoric and how this shaped the thought of French writers such as Michel de Montaigne and Jean Bodin, among others. My hope is to show how Renaissance rhetoric was more than an art of persuasion, but a fundamental tool for making sense of things in a more general, and perhaps metaphysical, way.

My secondary interest is in contemporary analytic philosophy. Here, I am thinking about problems related to the interpretation of literary texts and the idea of constructing past worlds.

Before starting the DPhil in History at Jesus College, Oxford (2020-present), I previously completed a BA in History at the University of Bristol (2015-2018), after which I did an MSt in History at Exeter College, Oxford (2018-2019). My MSt thesis won the Prize for Best Dissertation from the Oxford History Faculty, titled: 'Judgment is a tool to use on all subject': Rhetoric and Politics in the Essais of Michel de Montaigne (c. 1571-1592).

I am a member of the committee for the Oxford Centre for Intellectual History. If you have any ideas or events and looking for institutional support, please do get in touch. You can follow us on Twitter here for the latest news and updates.

My research is generously supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Clarendon Fund, and Jesus College, Oxford.

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