Paolo Rossini is a new postdoc at Erasmus School of Philosophy. We would like to welcome Paolo in the ESPhil community and would like to introduce him.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Ruvo di Puglia, a small town in the south of Italy not far away from Bari, the main city of the Apulia region.
Where did you do your studies/What did you study?
I received my Bachelor and Master from the university of Milan. I graduated in the history of philosophy.
Why did you choose Erasmus School of Philosophy to do your postdoc?
At ESPhil I run an EU-funded project entitled Cartesian Networks. I was awarded a Marie Curie individual fellowship specifically to carry out my project in Rotterdam. I chose ESPhil for my postdoc because the history of philosophy is a major point of emphasis at the department.
What is your research about?
In my project, I combine quantitative network analysis and close reading of historical sources to study the diffusion of Descartes' innovative ideas throughout 17th century Europe. The underlying idea is that the spread of Cartesianism can be regarded as a "social epidemic" -- when ideas and products become popular quickly and widely -- and thus can be analysed using models and tools borrowed from the newly established science of networks.
What are your expectations of the postdoc?
Besides exchanging ideas with students and colleagues on how to use digital tools in philosophical research, I am looking forward to collaborating with Han van Ruler, Erik-Jan Bos and the team of the Decoding Descartes project. I think that both projects can benefit from this synergy, and I believe that the presence of Decoding Descartes at ESPhil is one of the main reasons why I was awarded the Marie Curie fellowship.
What are your first impressions of the Erasmus University and the city Rotterdam?
Unfortunately I did not get to see much of EUR due to the coronacrisis, but I know the city of Rotterdam quite well and I like it very much. As everyone, I hope to be on campus as soon as possible so that I can make up for the lost time.