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Faculty of Classics

 

Biography

I completed a BA at Downing College, Cambridge in Classics (Part IA) and Philosophy (Part II) in 2013–2017. I then earned a Master of Studies in Ancient Philosophy at Worcester College, Oxford (2017-2018) and stayed on for a DPhil in Philosophy (2018-2023). I was previously a British Society for the History of Philosophy Postgraduate Fellow (2022-2023). 

 

Outside of my research I am strongly committed to promoting cross-departmental discussion of marginalized philosophical traditions. During my studies, I founded Philiminality, a student-run platform for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary philosophy. 

 

Research

I am a Research Fellow in Philosophy at Peterhouse, Cambridge. My research focuses on early Greek philosophy (especially Parmenides), classical Chinese philosophy (especially Daoism), and the global history and historiography of philosophy. My doctoral thesis looked at the epistemologies of two foundational philosophers in early Greek and classical Chinese philosophy, respectively: Parmenides and Zhuangzi. It also considered the impact of broad historiographical narratives in the history of philosophy on issues in philosophical interpretation of ancient Greek philosophy and Chinese philosophy. Alongside my work in ancient philosophy, I am currently working on a book project (with Dr Josh Platzky Miller) challenging the very idea of ‘Western Philosophy’ from philosophical, historical, and historiographical perspectives. I have also conducted research on the historiography of ancient philosophy and the European reception of Chinese and Greek philosophy.  

 

Publications

Key publications: 

Cantor, Lea. “Laozi Through the Lens of the White Rose: Resonance or Dissonance?”. Oxford German Studies 52, no. 1 (2023): 62–79. DOI: 10.1080/00787191.2023.2171017.  

Cantor, Lea. Thales - the 'first philosopher'? A troubled chapter in the historiography of philosophy”.  British Journal for the History of Philosophy 30, no. 5 (2022): 727–750. DOI: 10.1080/09608788.2022.2029347.   

Cantor, Lea. “Zhuangzi on ‘happy fish’ and the limits of human knowledge”. British Journal for the History of Philosophy 28, no. 2 (2020): 216–230. DOI: 10.1080/09608788.2019.1667294.  

 

Research Fellow, Peterhouse
Not available for consultancy

Affiliations

Classifications: 

Latest news

AHRC CDP studentship - Acquiring the Mediterranean: exploring local agencies in the acquisition of antiquities from Greece and the Ottoman Empire by Charles Newton at the British Museum, 1861–1886.

9 May 2024

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship Acquiring the Mediterranean: exploring local agencies in the acquisition of antiquities from Greece and the Ottoman Empire by Charles Newton at the British Museum, 1861–1886. The Faculty of Classics and the British Museum are excited to announce a fully funded...

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The Faculty of Classics would like to congratulate our Early Career Researchers who have secured new positions elsewhere in the UK and abroad. We thank Il-Kweon, Michael, Tom and Ludo for all their contributions to our Classics community and wish them the very best for the next steps in their careers. Dr Il-Kweon Sir has...

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This summer Professor Caroline Vout is co-curating an Olympic Exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, 'Paris 1924: Sport, Art and the Body' which looks back on the pivotal moment, 100 years ago, when traditions and trailblazers collided, fusing the Olympics’ classical legacy with the European avant-garde spirit. It was a...

Mary Beard to give The Sir Robert Rede’s Lecture 2024

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This year Professor Dame Mary Beard is due to give The Sir Robert Rede's Lecture on Friday 3 May 2024. She will speak on the topic 'The boy who breathed on the glass at the British Museum': what, or whom, is the past for?' If you would like to attend the event, you are most welcome but booking is essential: register for...