Why did the West come to dominate the globe? How does social development decide the fate of nations? And how has war had a positive effect on the course of human history? These are among the issues explored by the latest academic to take up the Philippe Roman Chair at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Professor Ian Morris, a renowned historian and award-winning author, will succeed Professor Matthew Connelly as the holder of the chair in history and international affairs for 2015-16.
Currently a professor in the Department of Classics at Stanford University, Ian Morris’s research studies long-term trends in history to understand contemporary issues facing the world today. As such, he engages with fields such as archaeology, linguistics, and genetics to analyse 15,000 years of human history.
He has authored a number of wide-ranging and award-winning books, including Why the West Rules… For Now, which has been translated into 13 languages since its publication in 2010. This was followed by The Measure of Civilization, a history of social development through 15 millennia, and War! What Is It Good For?: conflict and the progress of civilization from primates to robots, a provocative study of how war has changed human society over the course of history – for the better. It was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times in 2014. His next book, Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels: how human values evolve, will appear this year.
The Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs is based at LSE IDEAS, the centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy, part of the new Institute of Global Affairs (IGA). It enables LSE to bring eminent historians from another part of the world to the School for a year of research, teaching and discussion.
Professor Ian Morris said: ‘I am delighted to be taking up this post. My work aims to offer new ways of thinking about the history, and future, of human history, and I look forward to exploring these issues with academics and students during my year at LSE.’
Professor Michael Cox, Director of LSE IDEAS, said: ‘Professor Morris’s work raises challenging questions about what history is and how our understanding of the past can shape our knowledge of the present and future world. It is a great pleasure to welcome him to LSE IDEAS as our next Philippe Roman Chair.’
Professor Morris is the ninth eminent historian to take up the Philippe Roman Chair at LSE. He follows in the footsteps of Professors Matthew Connelly, Timothy Snyder, Anne Applebaum, Ramachandra Guha, Naill Ferguson, Gilles Kepel, Chen Jian and Paul Kennedy.
He will take up the post in October 2015, and as part of the role will give four public lectures over the course of the year[1]. He will also teach one Masters-level course in the Department of International History, entitled ‘Long-term History: The Patterns of the Past and the Shape of Things to Come’.
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Contact:
Jess Winterstein, LSE Press Office, 020 7107 5025, j.winterstein@lse.ac.uk
Luc Brunet, LSE IDEAS, 020 7849 4950
Notes:
[1] Professor Morris’s lectures will be entitled:
1. A theory of everything: evolution, history, and the shape of things to come
2. Each age gets the governments it needs: 20,000 years of international relations
3. Each age gets the bloodshed it needs: 20,000 years of violence
4. Each age gets the inequality it needs: 20,000 years of hierarchy
18 March 2015