Centre for Enlightenment Studies

The Centre for Enlightenment Studies at King’s was created to consolidate and give a higher profile to the existing 18th century research strengths across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, drawing on a range of expertise in the fields of literature, cultural and intellectual history, music, languages and philosophy. 

We welcome collaboration with all who share an interest in the concept of ‘Enlightenment’, including those who are critical of it and those who work outside the 18th century. 

The Centre aims to build upon existing links with the capital’s major cultural institutions in developing new areas of research and to place a new focus on inter-departmental initiatives and collaborations at research level. This process has strong foundations in various existing (and previous) projects, including:

• the MA in 18^th-Century Studies, taught over the years in collaboration with the British Museum and other cultural institutions from across London; the MA is a uniquely interdisciplinary programme that attends closely to the eighteenth century’s material culture. Many of its graduates have gone on to successful careers in museums as well as to further postgraduate research.

• the AHRC-funded ‘Reconnecting Sloane Project’ – three interlinked CDAS involving five institutions (King's College London, the British Museum, British Library, Natural History Museum and QMUL).

The Centre Directors : Sanja Perovic , Adam Sutcliffe and Rowan Boyson