Profile

Natsuko Matsumori (Tokyo, 1973) is Professor of History of Political Thought and History of International Thought at the University of Shizuoka. She completed her doctoral degree at Complutense University of Madrid (Ph.D. in Political Science) as a scholar of the Spanish government. Matsumori has conducted research and taught in various countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the U.S.A., through grants—e.g., KAKENHI, Toyota, Royal HD, JICEF—and visiting positions—e.g., Harvard, Max Planck, Berkeley, Salamanca, Kyoto, Keio, and National Museum of Ethnology.

Her research focuses on Iberian imperial thought related to America and Asia, spanning from scholastics to Enlightenment thinkers. She is the author of The School of Salamanca in the Affairs of the Indies (Routledge, 2019), Yaban kara chitsujo e [From Barbarism to Order] (University of Nagoya Press, 2009, Suntory Prize), and Civilización y barbarie (Biblioteca Nueva, 2005). Her journal articles and book chapters cover topics such as the relationship between the Crusades and Reconquista, duality of ius communicationis, from passive to active right of resistance in scholasticism, usefulness and morality in Anti-Machiavellianism, Empresa de China and Japanese mission in just war theory, Japanese concept of hospitality and strangers centered around the Legend of Hagoromo, controversy de auxiliis, contributions of arbitristas and novatores to the Spanish Enlightenment, and Carl Schmitt’s criticisms of scholastics.

Her page on researchmap is here.
AHA’s Member Spotlight article about her is here.