Cohabitation and the Collapse of Multiculturalism on the Iberian Peninsula between the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

PhD Advisor: Prof. Ewa Łukaszyk

Cultural and religious pluralism of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages, as well as the reception of the political thought of the Greek and Roman Antiquity created a fertile ground for reflection on the social nature of humanity, the organization of the ideal state, and the function of the intellectual. Medieval culture acknowledged the plurality of religious and cultural communities. It formulated and practiced concrete solutions referring to the limits of their autonomy, conditions of their coexistence and relations with the power of the state. Independently of cultural barriers, there existed a relatively cohesive community of Iberian intellectuals, participating in a vivid exchange of ideas and inspirations. Nevertheless, this supra-religious community of intellectuals could not prevent the collapse of the pluralistic Iberian world when the expulsion of Jews and Muslims took the form of the first modern large-scale ethnic cleansing. As doctoral student, you will be invited to reflect on this turning point in the Iberian history by studying possible alternative forms of participation of the intellectuals in the state, as well as the clash between the legitimization of purge and the legitimization of tolerance.

If you choose this field of doctoral research you will complete your fellowships abroad at the following Partner Institution:

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is an institution specializing in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. It has on its faculty roster the largest concentration in Europe of scholars combining a very unique interdisciplinary nexus of language scholarship, disciplinary expertise with a distinctive regional focus and global relevance (more than 300 academics). SOAS has about 100 postgraduate programs in social sciences, humanities and languages. The Library contains over 1.2 million items and extensive electronic resources for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. You will work under the supervision of Prof. Hugh Kennedy. For more information, see:
http://www.soas.ac.uk/about/