Dominik Perler

Dominik Perler is Professor of Philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin and co-speaker of the Human Abilities research group. He has held prestigious positions including Full Professor at the University of Basel (1997-2003), Fellow of All Souls College at Oxford (1996-97), and Global Scholar at Princeton University. His academic leadership includes serving as President of the European Society for Early Modern Philosophy and the German Society for Philosophy.

His educational background includes:

• Dr. phil. from University of Fribourg (1991)
• Habilitation from University of Göttingen (1996)

Professor Perler's research focuses on the philosophy of mind, epistemology, and ontology within medieval and early modern philosophy. His work examines how historical thinkers conceptualized mental faculties, self-knowledge, emotions, and cognitive processes. He approaches these topics through rigorous historical analysis combined with contemporary philosophical insights, bridging historical scholarship with current debates in philosophy of mind. His research demonstrates how medieval and early modern theories continue to inform contemporary discussions about consciousness, intentionality, and personal identity.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on Francisco Suárez's metaphysics and theory of mental faculties, Thomas Aquinas's philosophy of mind, and medieval theories of self-consciousness. There is a clear trend toward examining powers, abilities, and causal structures in early modern philosophy, with particular attention to how these concepts bridge medieval and modern thought. His work spans multiple philosophical traditions while maintaining a consistent focus on the history of philosophical psychology.

His major scientific achievements include:

• Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Preis (2006)
• Honorary doctorate from University of Louvain (2014)

Professor Perler has supervised numerous doctoral students and served on the editorial boards of leading journals including the Journal of the History of Philosophy, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, and Oxford Studies in Medieval Philosophy. He has secured significant research funding through leadership roles in major projects including the European Science Foundation project "From Natural Philosophy to Science" and the Cluster of Excellence "Topoi."

He co-leads the DFG Emmy Noether Research Group "A Sensible World" and the research initiative "Human Abilities," focusing on historical and contemporary theories of cognitive and perceptual capacities.