Early Modernity Beyond the West

Early Modernity Beyond the West is a collaborative Stanford research initiative that rethinks early modernity from a global perspective. The project explores how the concept of early modernity - traditionally centered on Western Europe - applies to the histories, literatures, religions, and artistic traditions of Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in the 15th–18th centuries. Bringing together Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students with scholars from other institutions, the group investigates the transnational and comparative dimensions of early modern experiences. Through guest lectures and interdisciplinary conversations, the project seeks to define early modernity by learning from diverse regional pathways and moving beyond Eurocentric models.