Kent McConnell

For much of his professional career, Dr. Kent A. McConnell has explored subjects related to questions of ethics and warfare. For nearly a decade he taught in higher education and currently serves as the chair of the history department at Phillips Exeter Academy. A historian of American culture in the 19th century and the American Civil War in particular, Dr. McConnell's research has examined how violence perpetrated on the human body has shaped the psychophysical experience of Americans, their rituals, and systems of belief. As the nation sought to recover from their "trial by fire," ethical questions emerged about the nature and meaning of the conflict that drew upon ancient thought, philosophy, and scientific thinking. The response of 19th-century Americans to this tragic event in their nation reveals the broad contours of just war theory that has shaped the West.

Kent McConnell's Programs