Heidi Ravven
Encyclopedia
Heidi Ravven is Professor of Religious Studies
at Hamilton College. She specializes in ethics
and philosophy
and the intersection between neuroscience
and emotions.
at Brandeis University
, Ravven is now an expert on ethics
and philosophy
, specializing on the 17th century philosopher, Baruch Spinoza
, and on the medieval Jewish philosopher, Moses Maimonides. She has also published on Jewish feminism
and on the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. Her work on Spinoza has led her to explore how contemporary neuroscience
, especially the neuroscience
of the emotions, affects common notions of ethics.
With a four-year grant from the Ford Foundation
, Ravven is currently writing a book called What Happened to Ethics: Searching for Ethics in a New America, in which she intends to explore how the philosopher Baruch Spinoza
's ethics
can provide a more humane ethical vision that could enable us to rethink American identity and values. She is investigating the history of the way standard philosophy
and Western culture in general approaches ethics
, its shortcomings, and how it could be improved.
Recently Ravven has argued that recent neuroscience
largely confirms Spinoza's theory of the emotions and the ethical and political theories that Spinoza built upon that basis. Neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, systems theorists, and psychoanalysts have been eager to learn more about Spinoza. Ravven is published widely in interdisciplinary journals and has spoken at conferences around the world. As one of the founding members of the philosophical association, The Society for Empirical Ethics, Ravven has been helping to develop a dialogue between philosophers and neurobiologists and other scientists about ethics
.
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
at Hamilton College. She specializes in ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and the intersection between neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
and emotions.
Biography
Although originally trained as a historian of medieval and early modern philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, Ravven is now an expert on ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, specializing on the 17th century philosopher, Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
, and on the medieval Jewish philosopher, Moses Maimonides. She has also published on Jewish feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and on the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. Her work on Spinoza has led her to explore how contemporary neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, especially the neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
of the emotions, affects common notions of ethics.
With a four-year grant from the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, Ravven is currently writing a book called What Happened to Ethics: Searching for Ethics in a New America, in which she intends to explore how the philosopher Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
's ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
can provide a more humane ethical vision that could enable us to rethink American identity and values. She is investigating the history of the way standard philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Western culture in general approaches ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, its shortcomings, and how it could be improved.
Recently Ravven has argued that recent neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
largely confirms Spinoza's theory of the emotions and the ethical and political theories that Spinoza built upon that basis. Neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, systems theorists, and psychoanalysts have been eager to learn more about Spinoza. Ravven is published widely in interdisciplinary journals and has spoken at conferences around the world. As one of the founding members of the philosophical association, The Society for Empirical Ethics, Ravven has been helping to develop a dialogue between philosophers and neurobiologists and other scientists about ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
.
Books
- Jewish Themes in Spinoza's Philosophy (State University of New York Press 2002)
- The Self Beyond Itself: An Alternative History of Ethics, the New Brain Sciences, and the Myth of Free Will (The New Press, forthcoming 2012)
Articles
- "A Time for Emil Fackenheim, a Time for Baruch Spinoza." in The Philosophy of Emil Fackenheim. Ed. James A. Diamond, E.J. Brill, 2007.
- "What Spinoza Can Teach Us About Embodying and Naturalizing Ethics." in Spinoza. Ed. Genevieve Lloyd, Moira Gatens, 2006.
- "What Can Spinoza Teach Us Today About Naturalizing Ethics? Provincializing Philosophical Ethics and Freedom without Free Will," in Cognitive, Emotive, and Ethical Aspects of Decision Making in Humans and in Artificial Intelligence 3. (2005)
- Introduction of Benedict de Spinoza: 'Ethics' and ‘On the Improvement of the Understanding. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2005.
- "Spinoza's Systems Theory of Ethics." in Cognitive, Emotive, and Ethical Aspects of Decision Making in Humans and in Artificial Intelligence 3. (2004)
- "Was Spinoza Right About Ethics? A Look at Recent Discoveries in the Neurobiology of the Emotions," in Studia Spinoza 14. (2004)
- "Spinoza's Ethic of the Liberation of Desire." in Women and Gender in Jewish Philosophy. Ed. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, 2004.
- "Spinoza’s anticipation of contemporary affective neuroscience," in Consciousness & Emotion 4. (2003)
Further reading
- Spinoza: Logic, Knowledge and Religion (Ashgate Publishing 2007)
- The Myth of Free Will (Café Essays 2007)
- Spinoza's Revelation: Religion, Democracy, and Reason (Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
2004) - Women and Gender in Jewish Philosophy (Indiana University Press 2004)
- Spinoza's Book of Life: Freedom and Redemption in the Ethics (Yale University PressYale University PressYale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
2003)