Paul Franks

Paul Franks is the Robert F. and Patricia Weis Professor of Philosophy and Judaic Studies, and holds a concurrent appointment as Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University. As Department Chair, he oversees the Philosophy Department's academic programs and initiatives. His research spans German Idealism, Jewish Philosophy, and the intersections between analytic and continental traditions.

His scholarly work focuses on Kant, post-Kantian philosophy, neo-Kantianism, phenomenology, and the philosophy of the human sciences. Key contributions include analyses of Fichte, Hegel, and Schelling, alongside studies of Jewish thinkers like Franz Rosenzweig and Salomon Maimon. Franks' publications address skepticism in German Idealism, the legacy of Kabbalistic thought in modern philosophy, and the philosophical implications of Jewish textual traditions.

Franks' recent articles explore topics such as analytic approaches to Hasidic thought, the relationship between German Idealism and Judaism, and the methodology of transcendental arguments. He has edited volumes like International Yearbook of German Idealism and authored influential works such as All or Nothing: Systematicity, Transcendental Arguments, and Skepticism in German Idealism.

His work bridges historical and contemporary philosophical debates, emphasizing the interplay between systematic philosophy, religious thought, and epistemological inquiry. Franks is affiliated with Yale's Judaic Studies Program and Religious Studies Department, contributing to interdisciplinary dialogues in humanities and philosophy.