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. His Ph.D. dissertation (Marburg, 2021), which will be published with De Gruyter in 2024, focuses on contemporary discussions among Arab intellectuals. It proposes new ways of understanding Arab thought through different conceptualizations of time, authenticity, and modernity.

While he continues to be interested in current trends in Arab thought,, Harald also cultivates an interest in philosophy and intellectual history in Arab and Muslim societies. Some topics that are of particular interest within this field are: ethics, animal rights, education of ethics and philosophy, conceptualizations of Islam, and conceptual history.