Aaron French

My general area of focus is the history of science, religion, and esotericism during the 19th century in Central Europe, particularly Germany. I am interested in how cultural and epistemological boundaries separating different types of knowledge — for example, science, religion, and esotericism (broadly speaking) — were constructed during the period referred to as “modernity” in European intellectual history. The tentative title of my dissertation is "Reimagining Religion, Science, and Nature in Germany and Switzerland, 1875-1925." By highlighting two early 20th-century German intellectuals — Max Weber (1864-1920) and Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) — my research draws out the underappreciated influence of esotericism and Asian religious philosophy on the development of scientific and religious thought in fin-de-siècle Europe.

In addition to my academic work, I am a writer and editor in the speculative fiction genre. I have edited several genre-fiction anthologies focusing on supernatural and science fiction themes and have published many short stories, novellas, and a novel. More information about my work in mainstream publishing and speculative fiction can be found at my author website Exegeting the Mystery.