Dr H.J. Viersen (Harald)

Harald Viersen specializes in contemporary Arab thought and in the intellectual history of the Arab world more generally. His academic background covers training in philosophy, law, and Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. He is currently finishing his Ph.D. project in which he focuses on discourse on authenticity and modernity in the Arab world, connecting the local concern with being authentic with a broader trend in modern society towards strongly emphasizing authenticity as a moral ideal for both the individual and society as a whole.
Possible post-doctoral projects could involve the study of conceptual history in the Arab world, of debates concerning the idea of religion (Islam in particular), and the conceptualization of historical time and how this affects not only the intellectual, but also the social and the political realm.