Biography
Darrin M. McMahon is an American historian and author whose work focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of the Enlightenment and modernity. His book 'Happiness: A History' was translated into twelve languages and named a Best Book of 2006 by the New York Times, Washington Post, and Slate. He is also the author of 'Divine Fury: A History of Genius' and 'Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea' (2023).
Sample Works
- Happiness: A History (2006) Book
- Divine Fury: A History of Genius (2013) Book
- Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea (2023) Book
- Enemies of the Enlightenment: The French Counter-Enlightenment and the Making of Modernity (2001) Book
Roundtable Appearances
June 8, 2019 · ▶ Video
Status
A recent New York Times article proclaimed "status anxiety" one of the defining preoccupations of our time (Michelle Goldberg, "Status Anxiety and the Scam Economy," March 15,...
W. Warner Burke, James L. Fuller, David Levine, Darrin McMahon, Tayarisha Poe
March 26, 2016 · ▶ Video
Understanding Genius II: Women
The roundtable explores why naming five female geniuses proves difficult despite history's abundance of brilliant women. It examines how genius has been historically conceived and...
Joyce Chaplin, Kathleen Kete, Anne-Marie Levine, Darrin McMahon, Susan Seymour
October 3, 2015 · ▶ Video
Understanding Genius
Schopenhauer's definition of genius contrasts with talent: "Talent hits a target others miss. Genius hits a target no one sees." The roundtable explored whether originality is...
Steve Hsu, Rex Jung, Darrin McMahon, Joanne Ruthsatz, Dean Keith Simonton