Joan L. Richards

Joan L. Richards is a Professor in the History Department at Brown University, specializing in the intersections of mathematics, logic, and historical understandings of reason. Since 1982, she has explored how mathematical developments shape cultural and intellectual frameworks, particularly in 19th-century England. Her book Generations of Reason (completed during a 2018 research stay at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science) examines three generations of an English family’s interpretation of rational human life.

Her scholarly work spans topics like Augustus De Morgan’s logic, mathematical rationality in Victorian England, and the role of simplicity in scientific disciplines. Publications in journals such as Isis and Science in Context highlight her contributions to understanding mathematics as a cultural and philosophical phenomenon.

Richards has participated in interdisciplinary initiatives like the Simplicity Seminar, and her research engages with digital humanities through collaborations at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. She holds a PhD in the History of Science from Harvard University (1980).