Daniel Gordon

Professor Daniel Gordon is a historian specializing in European intellectual and political history, particularly the French Enlightenment. He has been a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1995, holding roles such as Interim Dean of the Commonwealth Honors College (2013–2015) and Associate Dean (2009–2013). His research bridges early modern and modern history, exploring topics like academic freedom, religious law, and revolutionary theory. He co-edited the journal Historical Reflections for 14 years and authored influential works including Citizens Without Sovereignty (1994) and What Is Academic Freedom? (2022). His teaching includes courses on Western thought, constitutional history, and comparative law.

• Education: B.A. Columbia (1983), Ph.D. University of Chicago (1990), M.S.L. Yale Law School (2003)
• Key Roles: Co-Director of UMass Amherst Entrepreneurship Initiative (2008–2012), Director of Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (2008–2013)

His scholarship examines intersections between law, politics, and intellectual movements, with recent focus on controversies surrounding academic freedom and legal responses to religious expression. He has written extensively on figures like Voltaire, Hannah Arendt, and Raymond Aron, contributing to debates about Enlightenment legacies in modern contexts.