Biography
Sean Erwin is a Professor of Philosophy at Barry University. He received a BA in philosophy from Penn State and his MA and PhD from Vanderbilt where he studied French Critical Theory and Early Modern Philosophy with a focus on Spinoza.
Dr. Erwin investigates the body as a locus for "doxapoiēsis," analyzing the effects that shifts in disciplinary practices have for thought, values and identity at the level of individuals, institutions and regimes.
He currently serves as the Senior Editor of the Humanities and Technology Review, Program Chair for the Society of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, and as the co-founder and co-chair of the International Machiavelli Society.
He is the author of numerous articles and reviews and a book, A War of One’s Own: The Problem of Military Force in Machiavelli (Bloomsbury Academic) — release date May 2022.
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
2020 "Mixed Bodies, Agency and Narrative in Machiavelli and Lucretius," Époché: A Journal of the History of Philosophy, v. 24: 1, Spring 2020.
2018 "The Geo-logic of Immanence: Anselm Kiefer’s, Erdzeitalter ," Humanities and Technology Review , v. 37.
2015 "The Metabolism of the State: Instrumental and Aleatory Aspects of Auxiliaries in Machiavelli", Époché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy, 20:2.
2015 "Specters of Umori : Foucault’s Reading of Machiavelli in Sécurité, Territoire, Population ." Foucault Studies, 19 .
2013 "Machiavelli Facing the Challenge of Gouvernementalité ." (translation from French). Foucault Studies , No. 16, 104-115.
2010 "A War of One’s Own: The Theme of Arma alienis in Machiavelli’s, Principe ." British Journal of the History of Philosophy, v. 18:4, 541-574.
SELECTED BOOK REVIEWS
2019 Cognitio Obumbrata: Lo statuto epistemologico della profezia nel secolo XIII . Book review, Spring 2019, Speculum Metaphysica.
2018 Traduire Lucrèce: pour une histoire de la réception française du De rerum natura (XVI– XVIII siècle). Book review, Fall 2018 (v. 71, #4), Renaissance Quarterly.
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PRESENTATIONS
2020 "Digital Bodies and the Death of Ballet," Popular Culture Association, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, April 15 th -18 th.
2020 "The Commensurability of Forces: Proporzione in Machiavelli," American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, January 8 th -10 th.
2019 "Polyphonic Agents in Machiavelli," Annual Meeting, American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, Vancouver, CA, April 17-20.
2019 "Mixed Bodies, Agency and Narrative in Lucretius and Machiavelli," Renaissance Society of America, Annual Meeting, Toronto, CA, March 17-19.
2018 "Diagramming Void Space: Lucretius, Machiavelli and Aelianus Tacticus," Pacific Division, Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, March 28-31.
2018 "Atomic War: The Lucretian Agenda in Machiavelli’s Arte della guerra ," Renaissance Society of America, Annual Meeting, March 20-22.
2018 "Art as Prophetic Technology in Anselm Kiefer’s Seven Celestial Palaces ", Humanities and Technology Association, Annual Meeting, Newport, RI, November 2, 2018.
2017 "The Swerve of Simple Bodies: Machiavelli, Lucretius and Latent Temporalities," American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 12-15.
2017 "The Technology of Tactics: Machiavelli’s Arte della guerra ," Humanities and Technology Association, Annual Meeting, Newport, RI, November 5-7.
2016 "Spinoza’s Radicalizing of Machiavellian Republicanism in the Tractatus Politicus ", American Philosophical Association, Central Division, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL March 2-5.
SELECTED INVITED PAPERS
2019 "Counting by Twos – Proportionality and Renewal in Machiavelli’s Arte della guerra ," Department of Political Science, Tufts University, Boston, MA, November 8 th
2019 "From Mixed Bodies to Mixed Forces – Machiavelli and the Problem of Arma propriis ," Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy, June 21 st.
2018 "Mixed Bodies, Agency and Narrative in Lucretius and Machiavelli," Symposium on Machiavelli, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy July 2nd, 2018.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
November 2014 to present Senior Editor, Humanities and Technology Review
January 2016 to present Program Chair, Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
March 2019 to present Co-founder, Executive Committee, International Machiavelli Society
March 2019 to present Discipline Representative Chair, Renaissance Society of America
SELECTED ART CRITICISM
"Miami Dance Community’s Contagion-Induced Existential Crisis," Miami Herald, 04/20/2020.
"Review: New World Symphony and Miami City Ballet Do Honor to Stravinsky and Balanchine," Miami Herald, 02/22/2020.
"Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony Unite for Monumental Collaboration," Miami Herald, 01/28/2020.
"Review: Bistoury Physical Theatre and Film Explores the Power of Dreams," Artburstmiami, 01/21/2020.
"Dance Now! Miami Goes to the Edge in Season Opener," Miami Herald), 12/18/2020.
"Review: Brigid Baker’s ‘Remain in Light’ Shows Love for Nature’s Gorgeous Strangeness," Miami Herald, (online and print) 11/07/2019.
"Front and Center for Once, Violas Sing Their Story," Classical Voice of North America, 10/18/2019.
"Miami’s Pioneer Winter Collective Teams up With Jacksonville Dance Theatre for Allied Bodies," Miami Herald (print) 10/18/2020.
"Critic’s Top Choices for Miami Dance: Tango, Ballet, Flamenco and Street Dance – you won’t want to miss these dance moves," Miami Herald, Sept. 7, 2019.
"Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami Goes to Extremes in New Show," Artburstmiami, July 7th, 2019.
"New World Symphony to explore David Lang’s Harmony and Understanding", Miami Herald, December 3, 2018.
"Review: Miami City Ballet’s Program I: Balanchine, Taylor and Another America", Dance View, October 23, 2018.
"Ballet of Wo(men): Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami Looks to Even the Score", Miami Herald, July 16, 2018.
"Chopin in the City of Sun: Miami’s First Chopin Festival and Academy", Miami Herald, June 19, 2018.
"New World Symphony: Classical Music and a Genius for Community Building", Miami Herald, April 25, 2018.
"Review: Dimensions Dance Tackles Gender, Power and Ballet", Miami New Times, April 20, 2018.