Congratulations to Rebecca Comay, a professor of Philosophy and Comparative Literature, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Copenhagen on recommendation of its Faculty of Theology. Her citation described Comay as “an internationally renowned scholar who for more than three decades has made significant contributions to research in modern European philosophy, aesthetics, and literary studies, as well as to trauma and memory studies.” It also noted her “pioneering” examination of the work of G. W. F. Hegel, leading to remarkable monographs such as Mourning Sickness: Hegel and the French Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2011) and The Dash—The Other Side of Absolute Knowing (MIT Press, 2018; co-authored with Frank Ruda). It describes The Dash as a “highly original approach to Hegel’s controversial key concept of ‘absolute knowledge’.” Comay has also contributed significantly to international research in critical theory, particularly through her work on Walter Benjamin, who has also played a decisive role for Comay‘s literary studies. As the citation further highlights, Comay has not restricted herself to academic work in her intellectual inquiry; rather, it has included numerous pieces of contemporary visual art, theater, and film.
Comay’s achievement also landed her a private audience with the Queen of Denmark. Congratulations!
Rebecca Comay (l) in conversation with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (r).
