Kenneth Seeskin Named Klutznick Professor in Jewish Civilization

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Kenneth R. Seeskin, professor and chair of philosophy at Northwestern University, has been named the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Professor in Jewish Civilization.

Seeskin's research focuses on Jewish philosophy, ancient and medieval philosophy and the philosophy of religion. His work uses classic texts in the history of philosophy to shed light on problems of perennial interest.

He has published six scholarly books and two books intended for general audiences. "Maimonides on the Origin of the World" received the Choice Award for Outstanding Books in the Humanities in 2006 from Choice, a journal for academic libraries. "Searching for a Distant God: The Legacy of Maimonides" received the Koret Jewish Book Award in 2001 from the Koret Foundation in cooperation with the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.

Seeskin has also written numerous articles on Greek and Jewish philosophy. He edited the "Cambridge Companion to Maimonides" and serves as co-editor of the Cambridge Comprehensive Survey of Jewish History, Religion and Culture.

A Northwestern graduate, Seeskin has taught at the University since receiving his PhD from Yale in 1972. He has received several outstanding teaching awards, including the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, the Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Teacher, and the E. LeRoy Hall Prize for Teaching Excellence.

In addition to chairing the Department of Philosophy for 19 years, Seeskin was one of the founders of Northwestern's Jewish Studies Program and was its first director from 1987 to 1993. He also directed the Center for the Writing Arts from 1996 to 2002.