Intellectual Humility and Historical Thinking: Joseph Manning
May 20, 2024
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Yale professor Joseph Manning discusses historical climate change, impact of volcanism in Ancient Egypt, and intellectual humility in historical thinking. He explores Nile River's role in shaping ancient civilizations and emphasizes the importance of analytical frameworks in historical analysis.
Joseph Manning's early fascination with ancient Egypt sparked a lifelong commitment to studying its history, driven by a classmate's presentation triggering his intense interest.
Manning's research on Hellenistic Egypt focuses on historical climate change's impact on pre-modern societies, emphasizing the Nile River's crucial role and the project supported by the National Science Foundation.
Deep dives
Interest in Ancient Egypt Sparked by Childhood Rivalry
The guest, Joseph Manning, shares that his fascination with ancient Egypt began in sixth grade due to a rivalry with a classmate who presented a slideshow about Egypt, triggering Manning's intense interest in studying the subject seriously. His initial exposure to Egyptian artifacts at museums solidified his passion for the history of Egypt, leading him to pursue this interest consistently from a young age.
Early Devotion to Historical Studies and Strive for Academic Excellence
From the age of 10, Manning devoted himself to studying ancient Egyptian history. His determination to pursue this passion further propelled him to meticulously plan his academic journey, including aspirations to attend the University of Chicago for Egyptology. Despite some initial academic detours, his unwavering commitment ultimately led him to specialize in Greco-Roman Egypt and the study of demographic languages.
Focus on Hellenistic Egypt and Collaboration on Climate Change Study
Manning's research shifted towards Hellenistic Egypt due to its social and economic intricacies, which he found particularly fascinating. His work delves into historical climate change's impact on pre-modern societies, emphasizing Egypt's dependence on the Nile River's variability. Manning's project, supported by the National Science Foundation, focuses on volcanic activities, hydrology, and their repercussions on social conflicts in Hellenistic and Roman-era Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Challenges in Historical Analysis and Pursuit of Academic Rigor
Manning grapples with applying modern analytical frameworks to ancient historical contexts, acknowledging criticisms about potential anachronisms in his approach. Through his descriptive historical research, Manning aims to engage in a broader dialogue with fellow historians, emphasizing the importance of academic humility and openness to critiques. He reflects on the evolving landscape of historical studies and the necessity of robust scholarly exchanges to foster intellectual growth and rigor.
This is another of our series of conversations on intellectual humility and historical thinking.
With me today is Joseph Manning. He is the William K. and Marilyn Milton Simpson Professor of Classics and History, Professor in the Yale School of the Environment, and Senior Research Scholar in Law.
Manning has a specialized historical focus on Hellenistic history, with particular focus on the legal and economic history of Ptolemaic Egypt. His research focus over the last ten years has concentrated on historical climate change and its impact on premodern societies more widely. He is the principal investigator of the US National Science foundation project: “Volcanism, Hydrology and Social Conflict: Lessons from Hellenistic and Roman-Era Egypt and Mesopotamia.” He is also on the editorial boards of Studia Hellenistica (Leuven) and the Palgrave Studies in Ancient Economies.
He has coedited several volumes, and is the author of numerous monographs, the most recent of which is The Open Sea: The Economic Life of the Ancient Mediterranean World from the Iron Age to the Rise of Rome (Princeton University Press, 2018), which was the subject of a conversation in Episode 164 of Historically Thinking. He is now at work on a major new work on historic climate change and its impact since the last Ice Age.
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