Rutgers Historian T. J. Jackson Lears, Philosopher Stephen Stich Elected Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Two Rutgers scholars, historian T.J. Jackson Lears and philosopher Stephen Stich, have been elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the nation’s pre-eminent learned society and research institution. Lears is Board of Governors Professor of History and editor-in-chief of the Raritan Review, (http://raritanquarterly.rutgers.edu/) a highly regarded quarterly journal of essays, poetry and fiction. Stich is Board of Governors Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science. Stich is also Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield in England.

“The election of T.J. Jackson Lears and Stephen Stich to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is a great honor for Rutgers and for the School of Arts and Sciences," said Douglas Greenberg, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “Jackson and Steve are not only original scholars, but also gifted teachers whose influence will be felt across the borders of time and culture.”

Lears is a cultural historian who explores the tension in American life between the “culture of chance” and the “culture of control.” His most recent book, Something for Nothing: Luck in America (Penguin 2003), examines the culture of chance – the part of American national character that admires and trusts in luck, rather than in hard work or sacrifice. As editor-in-chief of the Raritan Review, Lears oversees a journal that has published the work of such renowned authors and scholars as Robert Pinsky, Joyce Carol Oates and Robert Coles. Among his teaching assignments in 2008 was a first-year seminar on “how to steal an election” (http://news.rutgers.edu/focus/issue.2008-09-24.7868878245/article.2008-10-08.2628917875/). His new book, The Rebirth of a Nation: the Making of Modern America, 1877-1920, will be published by Harper in June.

“This is one of those unsought recognitions that comes out of the blue, so I feel honored and even a little graced,” Lears said.  “I consider it a tribute not only to my scholarship but also to Raritan, the magazine I edit, and I'm grateful to the Raritan staff as well as to my colleagues at Rutgers for keeping those ventures vital.”

Stich is best known for his contributions to the philosophy of the mind and is one of the best-known exponents of experimental philosophy. Experimental philosophers hold that empirical claims made by philosophers should be tested experimentally, using techniques from the sciences. In his years of teaching, Stich’s view has been enormously influential among his graduate students, many of whom are now professors at other universities.

“I was pleased, honored and more than a bit surprised by my election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; however, the honor is not mine alone,” Stich said. “For many years, much of my work has been collaborative. So in electing me to membership, the Academy is also recognizing the work of the extraordinary group of gifted, creative and energetic younger scholars with whom it has been my privilege collaborate – most of whom are current or former students at Rutgers.”

Lears and Stich are among 18 members of the Rutgers University faculty who are elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The academy’s 2009 class of 210 fellows and 19 foreign honorary members includes physiologist Mario Capecchi, recognized for his contributions to gene targeting; physicist Lene Hau, whose experimental work succeeded in stopping a beam of light; mathematician and Fields Medal winner Terence Tao; pathologist Peter Nowell, who revolutionized the understanding of the genetic basis of cancer; and astronomer Eric Becklin, whose pioneering infrared observations led to the first glimpse of the nucleus of the Milky Way. In the humanities, the class includes historian James McPherson, novelist Thomas Pynchon, actors Dustin Hoffman and James Earl Jones, and choreographers Trisha Brown and Edward Vilella.

The academy, established in 1780, undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems. Current projects focus on science, technology and global security; social policy and American institutions; the humanities and culture; and education. Its membership of scholars and practitioners from many disciplines and professions gives it a unique capacity to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary, long-term policy research.

A list of newly elected fellows and honorary foreign members with their affiliations can be found on the academy’s web site, www.amacad.org.

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