Biography

Konrad entered the PhD program in History at Harvard University directly after earning his BA in Renaissance Studies with minors in Latin and in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. His research interests are in the History of Ethics, Education, Politics and Society, Theology, and Comparative Literature, with sources in Greek, Latin, Arabic, French and Italian.

Project Summary

Among modern historians there can often be a disconnect between those interested in philosophy and in society. We often hear of the labels “top-down” versus “bottom-up” historiography. This disparity is unfortunate especially in the case of the Italian Renaissance. The period takes its name from shifts in intellectual history, which is of minimal concern in most of the historiography now done on the street-level activities of everyday citizens. Konrad’s research seeks to find common ground between social and intellectual history during the Renaissance and highlight the underappreciated popular aspects of humanism.