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Emeritus Professor Ian Hunter

Emeritus Professor

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
i.hunter@uq.edu.au

Overview

Professor Ian Hunter is currently pursuing two research themes, one concerns the history of early modern political and philosophical thought, and the other concerns the history of theory in the modern humanities academy.

Ian Hunter is a distinguished international scholar working on the history of early modern political and philosophical thought, and on the emergence of theory in the 1960s humanities academy. His Rival Enlightenments appeared in 2001 and his most recent monograph is The Secularisation of the Confessional State: The Political Thought of Christian Thomasius (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007). In collaboration with Thomas Ahnert (Edinburgh) and Frank Grunert (Halle), he completed the first English translation of Thomasius’s works: Christian Thomasius: Essays on Church, State, and Politics (Liberty Fund, 2007). He has recently edited and introduced two volumes for the German edition of Thomasius's Selected Works.

Recently published articles include ‘Kant’s Religion and Prussian Religious Policy’, Modern Intellectual History, vol. 2, 2005, 1-27; ‘The History of Theory’, Critical Inquiry, vol. 33, 2006, 78-112; ‘The Time of Theory: The Return of Metaphysics to the Anglo-American Humanities Academy’, Journal of Postcolonial Studies, vol. 10, 2007, 5-22; and 'A Jus Gentium for America. The Rules of War and the Rule of Law in the Revolutionary United States', Journal of the History of International Law 14, 2012, pp. 173-206. Recent book chapters include 'Natural Law as Political Philosophy', in Desmond Clarke and Catherine Wilson (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Early Modern Europe, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 475-99; and 'Kant’s Political Thought in the Prussian Enlightenment', in Elizabeth Ellis (ed), Kant’s Political Theory: Interpretations and Applications, Pittsburg: Penn State Press, 2012, pp. 170-207.

He is currently working on the theme of the persona of the philosopher, and the intellectual history of 1960s humanities theory.

Research Interests

  • History of political thought
  • History of philosophy
  • History of the humanities

Qualifications

  • Academy of Humanities, Academy of Humanities
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Education, La Trobe University
  • Bachelor of Arts, La Trobe University

Publications

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Grants

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Supervision

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Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • The contested persona of the historian: on the origins of a permanent conflict

    Hunter, Ian (2019). The contested persona of the historian: on the origins of a permanent conflict. How to be a historian: scholarly personae in historical studies, 1800-2000. (pp. 15-35) edited by Herman Paul. Manchester, United Kingdom: Manchester University Press.

  • Theory and practice in the natural law of Christian Thomasius

    Hunter, Ian (2019). Theory and practice in the natural law of Christian Thomasius. Philosophy, rights and natural law: essays in honour of Knud Haakonssen. (pp. 169-195) edited by Ian Hunter and Richard Whatmore. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press.

  • The law of nature and nations

    Hunter, Ian (2014). The law of nature and nations. The Routledge Companion to Eighteenth-Century Philosophy. (pp. 559-592) edited by Aaron Garrett. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge.

  • The law of nature and nations

    Hunter, Ian (2014). The law of nature and nations. The Routledge companion to eighteenth century philosophy. (pp. 559-592) edited by Aaron Garrett. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315815558-36

  • The uses of natural law in early modern Germany: Christian Thomasius's reshaping of the legal persona

    Hunter, Ian (2014). The uses of natural law in early modern Germany: Christian Thomasius's reshaping of the legal persona. Reading and Writing History from Bruni to Windschuttle: Essays in Honour of Gary Ianziti. (pp. 125-140) edited by Christian Thorsten Callisen. Farnham, England: Ashgate.

  • The Tolerationist Programs of Thomasius and Locke

    Hunter, Ian (2013). The Tolerationist Programs of Thomasius and Locke. Natural law and toleration in the early enlightenment. (pp. 107-137) edited by Jon Parkin and Timothy Stanton. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.5871/bacad/9780197265406.003.0005

  • Vattel in revolutionary America: from the rules of war to the rule of law

    Hunter, Ian (2013). Vattel in revolutionary America: from the rules of war to the rule of law. Between Indigenous and Settler Governance. (pp. 12-22) edited by Lisa Ford and Tim Rowse. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203085028

  • Vattel in revolutionary America: from the rules of war to the rule of law

    Hunter, Ian (2013). Vattel in revolutionary America: from the rules of war to the rule of law. Between Indigenous and settler governance. (pp. 12-22) edited by Lisa Ford and Tim Rowse. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203085028-8

  • Kant's political thought in the Prussian Enlightenment

    Hunter, Ian (2012). Kant's political thought in the Prussian Enlightenment. Kant's political theory: interpretations and applications. (pp. 170-207) edited by Elisabeth Ellis. University Park, PA USA: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

  • Kant's political thought in the Prussian enlightenment

    Hunter, Ian (2012). Kant's political thought in the Prussian enlightenment. Kant's political theory: interpretations and applications. (pp. 170-207) edited by Elizabeth Ellis. University Park, PA, United States: Pennsylvania State University Press.

  • Theory time: on the history of poststructuralism

    Hunter, Ian (2012). Theory time: on the history of poststructuralism. Taking stock: the humanities in Australian life since 1968. (pp. 75-114) edited by Mark Finnane and Ian Donaldson. Nedlands, WA, Australia: University of Western Australia Press.

  • Libertad religiosa y coaccion racional. Thomasius y Locke sobre la tolerancia

    Hunter, Ian (2011). Libertad religiosa y coaccion racional. Thomasius y Locke sobre la tolerancia. Forjadores de la tolerancia. (pp. 116-140) edited by Ma José Villaverde and John Christian Laursen. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Tecnos.

  • Natural law as political philosophy

    Hunter, Ian (2011). Natural law as political philosophy. The Oxford handbook of philosophy in early modern Europe. (pp. 475-499) edited by Desmond M. Clarke and Catherine Wilson. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199556137.003.0023

  • Die geschichte der philosophie und die persona des philosophen

    Hunter, Ian (2010). Die geschichte der philosophie und die persona des philosophen. Die Cambridge School der Politischen Ideengeschichte. (pp. 241-283) edited by Martin Muslow and Andreas Mahler. Berlin, Germany: Suhrkamp Verlag.

  • Global justice and regional metaphysics: On the critical history of the law of nature and nations

    Hunter, Ian (2010). Global justice and regional metaphysics: On the critical history of the law of nature and nations. Law and politics in British Colonial thought: Transpositions of empire. (pp. 11-30) edited by Shaunnagh Dorsett and Ian Hunter. New York, U.S.A.: Palgrave Macmillan.

  • The man and the citizen: The pluralization of civil personae in early modern German natural law

    Hunter, Ian (2010). The man and the citizen: The pluralization of civil personae in early modern German natural law. Security, state and subject formation. (pp. 16-35) edited by Anna Yeatman and Magdalena Żółkoś. New York, U.S.A.: Continuum International Publishing Group.

  • The shallow legitimacy of secular liberal orders: The case of early modern Brandenburg-Prussia

    Hunter, Ian (2009). The shallow legitimacy of secular liberal orders: The case of early modern Brandenburg-Prussia. Secularism, religion and multicultural citizenship. (pp. 27-55) edited by Geoffrey Brahm Levey and Tariq Modood. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

  • Introduction

    Hunter, Ian, Ahnert, Thomas and Grunert, Frank (2007). Introduction. Essays on church, state, and politics. (pp. ix-xxi) edited by Knud Haakonssen. Indianapolis, U.S.A.: Liberty Fund.

  • Introduction

    Gaukroger, S., Hunter, Ian and Condren, Conal (2006). Introduction. The philosopher in early modern Europe: The nature of a contested identity. (pp. 1-16) edited by Conal Condren, Stephen Gaukroger and Ian Hunter. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

  • Sacrilege: From public crime to personal offence

    Hunter, Ian (2006). Sacrilege: From public crime to personal offence. Negotiating the sacred: Blasphemy and sacrilege in a multicultural society. (pp. 109-117) edited by Elizabeth Burns Coleman and Kevin White. Canberra, Australia: ANU ePress.

  • The university philosopher in early modern Germany

    Hunter, Ian (2006). The university philosopher in early modern Germany. The philosopher in early modern Europe: The nature of a contested identity. (pp. 35-65) edited by Conal Condren, Stephen Gaukroger and Ian Hunter. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

  • Thomasius on the toleration of heresy

    Hunter, Ian (2005). Thomasius on the toleration of heresy. Heresy in Transition; Transforming ideas of Heresy in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. (pp. 155-167) edited by Ian Hunter, John Christian Laursen and Cary J. Nederman. Hants, UK: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

  • Christian Thomasius' treatise on the right of protestant princes regarding Heretics

    Hunter, Ian (2004). Christian Thomasius' treatise on the right of protestant princes regarding Heretics. Eighteenth Century Thought. (pp. 57-98) edited by J.G. Buickerood. New York: AMS Press Inc.

  • Multiple enlightenments: Rival Aufklarer at the University of Halle 1690 - 1730

    Hunter, Ian (2004). Multiple enlightenments: Rival Aufklarer at the University of Halle 1690 - 1730. The Enlightenment world. (pp. 576-595) edited by Martin Fitzpatrick, Peter Jones, Christa Knellwolf and Iain McCalman. New York, USA: Routledge.

  • Introduction

    Saunders, David and Hunter, Ian (2003). Introduction. Samuel Pufendorf: The whole duty of man, according to the law of nature. (pp. ix-xviii) edited by Ian Hunter and David Saunders. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund.

  • The love of a sage or the command of a superior: The natural law doctrines of Leibniz and Pufendorf

    Hunter, Ian (2003). The love of a sage or the command of a superior: The natural law doctrines of Leibniz and Pufendorf. Early modern natural law theories: Context and strategies in the early Enlightenment. (pp. 169-193) edited by T. J. Hochstrasser and P. Schroeder. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  • Introduction

    Hunter, Ian and Saunders, David (2002). Introduction. Natural Law and Civil Sovereignty: Moral Right and State Authority in Early Modern Political Thought. (pp. 1-10) Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/9781403919533

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Law, war, and empire in early modern protestant Jus Gentium: the casuistries of Gentili and Vattel

    Hunter, Ian (2014). Law, war, and empire in early modern protestant Jus Gentium: the casuistries of Gentili and Vattel. Convegno XIV Giornata Gentiliana, Milan, Italy, 24-25 September 2010. Milan, Italy: Giuffrè.

  • Theory time: on the history of poststructuralism

    Hunter, Ian (2009). Theory time: on the history of poststructuralism. The 40th Annual Symposium of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, Canberra, Australia, 19-20 November 2009. Canberra, Australia: The Australian Academy of the Humanities.

  • Introduction

    Condren, Conal, Gaukroger, Stephen and Hunter, Ian (2006). Introduction. International Workshop on the Persona of the Philosopher in Early Modern Europe, Brisbane Australia, Jul 07-08, 2004. CAMBRIDGE: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511490460.001

  • The university philosopher in early modern Germany

    Hunter, Ian (2006). The university philosopher in early modern Germany. International Workshop on the Persona of the Philosopher in Early Modern Europe, Brisbane Australia, Jul 07-08, 2004. CAMBRIDGE: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511490460.003

  • Arguments over obligation: Teaching time and place in moral philosophy

    Hunter, Ian (2003). Arguments over obligation: Teaching time and place in moral philosophy. Teaching the New Histories of Philosophy: A Conference, Princeton, NJ, United States of America, 4-6 April 2003. Princeton, NJ, United States of America: University Center for Human Values, Princeton University.

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Completed Supervision

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ORCID: 0000-0001-8813-2857

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