Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies on Jewish Scepticism (MCAS-JS)

The central purpose of the MCAS-JS is to create an inspiring academic atmosphere in which distinguished and promising scholars from across the world will find the opportunity to develop and enhance new insights on (Jewish) scepticism, its complexity and impact. Focused on a shared thematic outline and on variable levels of participation, the MCAS-JS will pool resources of expertise from various disciplines and will encourage the exchange, examination and evaluation of knowledge.

The central aim of the MCAS-JS is the exploration and research of scepticism in Judaism in its dual manifestation of a purely philosophical tradition and a more general expression of sceptical strategies, concepts, and attitudes in the cultural field.

Fellowship Programme

The MCAS-JS considers the fellowship programme to be its central component. It will offer a flexible curriculum that allows internationally established scholars, as well as aspiring junior researchers, to participate over extended or shorter periods of time, with the option of returning to the MCAS-JS. The individual research projects presented by the fellows will contribute to the comprehensive textual and historical framework of the MCAS-JS.

Staff

The director of the MCAS-JS, along with two co-directors and five research associates forms the staff. As core of the research group, it provides the scientific environment and secures cohesion and continuity, It integrates own research and thereby actively shapes and consolidates the overall research objectives and take responsibility fort he successful implementation of the research programme.

Library

The Centre will build a specialist Library of Jewish Scepticism, a non-lending reference library that will provide visiting fellows and research staff with source texts, secondary literature, and specialist electronic databases. Library materials will be recorded in the local online public access catalogue and made available to members of the university. The librarian of the Centre, Silke Schaeper, will work in close cooperation with the library of the Department of Philosophy at the Universität Hamburg.