Philhellenism in 19th-century Poland, Eastern and Western Europe. The Greek Ancient Humanism as a Pathway to European National Identities

PhD Advisor: Prof. Maria Kalinowska

Philhellenism means, on the one hand, fascination with Greek cultural heritage; on the other, it refers to the solidarity with Greek nation fighting for independence in the 1820s. Perceived in this dual way philhellenism undoubtedly raises the question of frontiers between European culture and the Orient. Moreover, this research field crosses many disciplinary boundaries, since the rediscovery of Greece included archeology, collections of works of art, topographic research, folklore, and the history of travels in Greece. Such cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach to philhellenism will allow you, as doctoral student, to research Philhellenic anthropological models in their different aspects: ethical (for instance the concepts of bravery, freedom and sacrifice); social (social responsibility, national identity, collective violence); and aesthetic (the conceptualizations of poetry and of the poet). This approach implies, among others, the study of travel literature written by Europeans exploring Greece; the analysis of philhellenism as a political phenomenon and a concept from the history of ideas; the research in philhellenic motives in Greek and European literatures. It also entails perfecting your knowledge of modern Greek, extending your knowledge of Greek culture, and of history preceding the 19th century.

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

The Institute of Neohellenic Research (INR), National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens
Along with other research centers of the National Hellenic Research Foundation such as The Institute of Byzantine Research and The Institute of Greek and Roman Antiquity, The Institute of Neohellenic Research (INR) studies modern Greek society and culture from the 15th century to the present. The Institute's research activities are organized in four sections: History of Ideas, Science and Arts; Economic and Social History (15th-19th c.); History of Institutions; Political and Social History. INR offers a series of useful research tools on Greek cultural and social history: thematic or chronological bibliographies, inventories of archives, indexes of important sources, collections of microfilms of rare editions, maps and visual evidence from the activities of foreign travelers in Greece, portraits of Greek scholars from the 15th century to the present, a database of Greek religious painters after the Fall of Constantinople, etc. You will work under the supervision of Prof. George Tolias. For more information, see:
http://www.eie.gr/index-en.html