Franke|Shulman Seminars

The Franke Seminars and Lectures are intended to present important topics in the humanities to a wide and general audience, and to tie interdisciplinary undergraduate education to the work of distinguished visiting scholars. Made possible through the generosity of Richard and Barbara Franke, this series of lectures is organized in conjunction with Yale College courses (the Franke Seminars) and develops an annual theme of broad interest to the community.

The Shulman Seminars and Lectures , on the model of the Franke Seminars and Lectures, focus on the convergence of the arts and sciences. In recognition of his roles as a Founding Fellow of the Whitney and as an unwavering supporter of the integration of scientific study and the humanities, the series is named after Robert Shulman, Sterling Professor Emeritus of chemistry, molecular biophysics and biochemistry, and senior research scientist in diagnostic radiology.

This year’s Franke and Shulman Seminars:

We explore the possibility of a ‘cognitive metaphysics’ where each field is enriched by the other. Topics include the ways in which we understand the nature of space, time, objects, events, causality, persistence, and possibility.

Spring 2022

T 3:30pm-5:20pm

An investigation of the experience and purposes of mass incarceration in the Soviet Union and the United States in the twentieth century. Incarceration is a crucial aperture into basic questions of values and practices.

Fall 2021

Th 9:25am-11:15am