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Humanism and Philosophy - place for nine external PhD candidates

Chair group

Humanism and Philosophy 

You can also have a look on the Dutch website.

Chair

Prof. dr.  Christoph Henning, Professor of Humanism and Philosophy 

Short introduction into the research field

The research group researches the foundations and principles as well as the history of humanism. We understand humanism as a combination of intellectual, artistic and political traditions in western and global cultures that take a critical stance concerning religious, philosophical and political ideas, scientific and economic practices, and social structures or hierarchies. Our research investigates the concepts, traditions and values on which humanism is based. They are critically examined, reconstructed and brought up to date where necessary. 



ChairHumanism and Philosophy 
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning

Field of Research:  a) Humanist Philosophy in the 20th Century

Humanistic ideas and organisations have particularly flourished in the 20th century – when they were needed more than ever. At the same time, ideas of a common “human nature” have been under attack: Racism undermined the idea of human equality and substituted national supremacy for universal compassion, religions blamed humanism for inspiring greed and selfishness, postmodern thinkers understood humanity as a construct that had to be overcome, and today, post-humanists no longer see any value in being human. Therefore it is time to reconsider the philosophical history of humanist thought in various traditions, to inquire whether and how it can be defended philosophically against these challenges.  

Examples of research questions

1. Why did the polemic against humanism become such an important topic for thinkers like Heidegger, Althusser, Foucault and others? What were they arguing against, and why did this line of argument become so popular?

2. How can we compare main currents in the philosophy of humanism in different European cultures? (Dutch, British, German humanism etc.)

3. Which traditions in philosophical humanism (e.g., Marxist Humanism, Existentialism, Hermeneutics) could be reconstructed today (and how), in times of ecological crisis?

Place for:

2 external PhD students 

Contact 

c.henning@uvh.nl 

ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning 

Field of Research:  b) Humanism and Nature in the 21st Century

While recently ideas of human nature are often questioned – not least because they are held responsible for the ecological crisis or colonialism, ideas about nature are also subject to erosion: some scholars believe we already live “beyond” or “after” both nature and humanity. However, without distinctive ideas of nature, we lose the object that we actually wish to protect and preserve, just as we lose the responsible subjects that could initiate the much needed changes if we stop thinking in terms of human beings capable of conscious choices. A central question in contemporary philosophy is therefore how humanity and nature can be reconceived and be related to one another in a way that neither collapses them into one another, nor makes them hostile and alien to one another. 

Examples of research questions

1. How can we understand the specificity of human beings as natural entities who depend on nature and must learn to take much better care of their environments in precise philosophical terms? 

2. What are central values that evolve from this perspective, and how can we normatively substantiate them?

3. Which traditions in the philosophy of nature (e.g, in Renaissance thought, Enlightenment or Romanticism) could be interpreted and reevaluated in this light?

Place for:

 2 external PhD students 

Contact 

c.henning@uvh.nl 

ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning 

Field of Research:  cEnvironmental Justice and Climate Finance

We live in a time of climate crisis. However, there is a growing sentiment especially among younger people that industrial nations and economies are far from doing enough to reduce emissions. Particularly the idea not to regulate legally, but rather to use the market mechanism of “emission trading” is often critized, but has become the usual practice globally. How are these practices to be assessed from the perspective of “climate justice”? Normative theories of justice often remain quite abstract. In this project we therefore relate theory and practice more thoroughly: we wish to “ground” the normative theories by applying them to empirical cases and assess these contemporary practices normatively by scrutinizing them from the perspective of climate justice and climate ethics. 

Examples of research questions

1. Transparency: Is it possible to trace the impacts that are sold and traded on the market for emissions to the actual measures and effects that are promised – and vice versa: what exactly happens on the carbon market once valuable projects in the global south are marketized and traded? 

2. Normative Assessment: Once the concrete mechanisms and effects are reconstructed in a down- to-earth way that can be understood by anybody, how do we have to assess them from the normative perspective of (various theories of) climate justice? How do these philosophical theories need to be amended?

Place for:

 1 external PhD student

Contact 

c.henning@uvh.nl 


ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning 
Dr. Fernando Suárez Müller 

Field of Research:  dEcohumanism, Romanticism and Ecology

The history of philosophy in the industrial era has seen many materialistic socio-political philosophies dedicated to improve the situation of humans on Earth. Some metaphysical concepts, which connect nature to a nonmaterial realm, originated within the romantic era and tried to rebalance the distance created to nature in the Enlightenment period, but they were relegated to the background since the first half of the 19th century (from 1830 on) until ecological philosophy and ethics appeared after the First and Second World War. How do these new theories of philosophical ecology relate to the romantic idea of natural philosophy? The ecological crisis made us aware that the importance of humanity cannot be exclusive. Other entities have their dignity, too. One theory that tries to match humanism  with ecological concerns is called ecohumanism. Can ecohumanism learn from elder romantic philosophies of nature?

This field of research is open to all types of research reflecting upon the combination of metaphysics and philosophical ecology.

Examples of research questions

1. How can we re-evaluate the romantic concept of “Naturphilosophie” in view of the ecological crisis?

2. What is the ontology (or implicit worldview) of philosophies of nature developed in response to enlightened and positivistic materialism?

3. How can we combine philosophical ecohumanism with scientific views on nature? 

Place for:

 2 external PhD students

Contact 

f.suarezmuller@uvh.nl


ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning 
Dr. Marieke van den Doel 

Field of Research:  eWhat is humanistic art? 

Humanism as a worldview focuses on values and activities that enable individuals to lead a fulfilling, meaningful and happy life. It criticizes institutions & practices that are detrimental to human flourishing. However, as human rational capabilities are limited, there are other ways to enrich a human life and to reflect on the goals of life. One of them is art. Art is a human practice, and often investigated by the humanities. But does that mean that art per se is “humanistic”? What makes a work of art relevant for humanism? What role can art play or has art played within the frameworks and goals of humanism? Which styles, topics, or practices are particularly relevant for humanism? And what, vice versa, is the impact humanism had (and still has) on artistic practices?

Examples of research questions

1. How can we make sense of the judgement that certain works of art are considered ‘humanist’? Which concepts of humanism are implied, do they relate to artistic practices? 

2. How is humanism, or being human, visualized in certain periods of art history, or appropriated in works of art, and what is considered the “other” (nonhuman) in these cases? 

3. Which artistic practices are particularly important for humanism today (e.g., art in prisons or humanistic chaplaincy)? How do they affect our understanding of humanism?

4. Projects about specific works of art or artists in relation to (contemporary or historical) forms of humanism are also welcome, for instance early modern humanism and art or ecohumanism and art.

Place for:

 2 external PhD students

Contact 

M.vandenDoel@UvH.nl


ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Christoph Henning 
Dr. Adrienne de Ruiter 

Field of Research:  fHumanity, human rights and human dignity in times of change 

Humanity is a key moral pillar in societies across the world. People are believed to hold fundamental rights because they are human. Yet why all human beings or only human beings hold this special moral status is controversial. Biologists suggest that animals have many of the qualities that historically were believed to be uniquely human. Human-accelerated climate change jeopardises the well-being of all beings on earth, challenging people’s desert of an elevated moral position. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence render it conceivable that artificial forms of personhood require rights of their own, while advances in genetic technology may undermine the basic equality between human beings that often underpin claims to equal human status. Philosophical research into the implications of these developments for our understanding of humanity, human rights and human dignity is needed to contribute to developing a critical humanism fit for the 21st century. 

Examples of research questions

1. How can we re-conceptualise humanity as a moral notion without engaging in speciesism towards animals and/or AI?

2. Do developments in the field of biology/genetic engineering/AI require a revision of our understanding of human rights? If so, what should this revision look like?

3. Which contribution can humanism make to revisioning humanity, human rights and dignity in the 21st century?

Place for:

 1 external PhD student

Contact 

a.deruiter@uvh.nl

ChairHumanism and Philosophy
Supervisors Prof. dr. Manuela Kalsky
dr. Abdelilah Ljamai

Field of Research:  gHumanism and Philosophy 

Existing theories about Islamic radicalization provide various explanations for the existence and growth of radicalism and terrorism among Muslims. These views are broadly related to various factors such as economic, political, and social factors; the role of group dynamics and cognitive processes, identity development and the emotional vulnerability of the persons concerned. 

Seeing the complexity of radicalization and deradicalization studies, ethnographic research of the narrative experiences of deradicalized Muslim youths within the western context is needed. Since the study of deradicalization programs in the West is a young field, this research attempts to build a bridge between deradicalized Muslim youths and contemporary psychological insights into mental and emotional resilience. This study will utilize critical theories as a conceptual framework to examine the narrative experiences of these youths. Consequently, addressing the pivotal challenges of deradicalization programs in Western societies is essential for the development of valid and reliable assessment tools for deradicalization initiatives. 

Examples of research questions

1. How do deradicalized Muslim youths experience their deradicalization trajectories? 

2. What are the effects of deradicalization programs on the mental and emotional resilience of radical youths?  

3. How can these narrative experiences contribute to the enhancement of deradicalization programs in the West?

Place for:

 1 external PhD student

Contact 

A.Ljamai@UvH.nl



Supervised by professor Christoph Henning