Hans Achterhuis

Last updated
Hans Achterhuis (2017) Achterhuis2017.jpg
Hans Achterhuis (2017)

Herman Johan "Hans" Achterhuis (born September 1, 1942, Hengelo) [1] is Professor Emeritus in Systematic Philosophy at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. For now his research concerns particularly social and political philosophy and philosophy of technology.

Contents

His list of publications shows a great scope (in fields of medical care, labour, third-world-philosophy). In 1967, he took his doctoral degree on Albert Camus.

His latest books handle the topics of utopianism (‘De erfenis van de utopie’, ‘The Legacy of Utopia’) and the tension between morality and politics in relation to the Kosovo War (“Politiek van Goede bedoelingen’, ‘Policy of good intentions’). He is co-author of the volume American Philosophy of Technology; The Empirical Turn. This work includes contributions on Albert Borgmann, Hubert Dreyfus, Andrew Feenberg, Donna Haraway, Don Ihde and Langdon Winner.

Main thoughts

His ideas add up to a philosophy of things (objects) and a plea for a morality of machines. Rather than being morally neutral, things guide our behaviour (barriers in the subway forcing us to buy a ticket). This is why they are capable of exerting moral pressure that is much more effective than imposing sanctions or trying to reform the way people think. Utopia has been superseded but the world can still be improved, if we take seriously our moral ties to the machines and devices that surround us.

Philosopher Laureate

In 2011 Achterhuis was chosen as the first Philosopher Laureate of the Netherlands (Dutch: Denker des Vaderlands (Thinker of the Fatherland), nl). This honorary title was an initiative of the Filosofie magazine, and the Stichting Maand van de Filosofie (Philosophy Month Foundation), together with the Dutch newspaper Trouw. The person is chosen by a group of journalists and academics. The aim of the initiative is to allow a philosophy heavyweight to speak in the media, to place news events in a broader context. In 2013 Achterhuis was succeeded as Philosopher Laureate by René Gude (Surabaja, 2 March 1957 – Amsterdam, 13 March 2015).

Publications

in Dutch

in Italian

in English

Related Research Articles

Holland America Line (HAL) is a US-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erasmus Prize</span> Annual award

The Erasmus Prize is an annual prize awarded by the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation to individuals or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe and the rest of the world. It is one of Europe's most distinguished recognitions. The prize is named after Desiderius Erasmus, the Dutch Renaissance humanist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amsterdam School</span> Dutch architectural style

The Amsterdam School is a style of architecture that arose from 1910 through about 1930 in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam School movement is part of international Expressionist architecture, sometimes linked to German Brick Expressionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luuk van Middelaar</span> Dutch historian and political philosopher (born 1973)

Luuk Johannes van Middelaar is a Dutch historian and political philosopher. From December 2009 to 2014 he was a member of the cabinet of Herman Van Rompuy, the first full-time President of the European Council. Van Middelaar is best known for his book The Passage to Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Schnabel</span> Dutch politician and sociologist

Paul Schnabel is a Dutch politician and sociologist who served on the Social and Economic Council (SER) from 2013 to 2015 and in the Senate on behalf of Democrats 66 (D66) from 2015 until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roel Kuiper</span> Dutch politician

Roelof (Roel) Kuiper is a Dutch historian, philosopher, ideologue, politician and university professor. He was from 2007 to 2019 a member of the Dutch Senate, and is professor of Reformational philosophy at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam in the name of the Association for Reformational philosophy, teaching Society Issues at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede and Gereformeerde Hogeschool Zwolle and Political and social philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia De Martelaere</span> Flemish philosopher, professor, author and essayist

Patricia De Martelaere was a Flemish philosopher, professor, author and essayist. Born in Zottegem, Belgium, her full name was Patricia Marie Madeleine Godelieve. She graduated in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven and then taught and lectured there and at the Catholic University of Brussels.

Martin Vinzenz Baldur Paul Maria (Martin) van Hees is a Dutch philosopher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart de Ligt</span> Dutch anarcho-pacifist and antimilitarist (1883–1938)

Bartholomeus de Ligt was a Dutch anarcho-pacifist and antimilitarist. He is chiefly known for his support of conscientious objectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolaas Wilhelmus Posthumus</span> Dutch economic historian and political scientist

Nicolaas Wilhelmus Posthumus or N.W. Posthumus was a Dutch economic historian, political scientist, and professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wassila Hachchi</span> Dutch politician, civil servant and officer

Wassila Hachchi is a Dutch former politician and former civil servant and Royal Netherlands Navy officer. As a member of Democrats 66 (D66) she was an MP from 17 June 2010 until 19 January 2016. She focused on matters of defense, development aid and Kingdom relations.

George François Cornelis Griss, usually cited as G. F. C. Griss, was a Dutch mathematician and philosopher, who was occupied with Hegelian idealism and Brouwers intuitionism and stated a negationless mathematics.

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Duintjer</span> Dutch philosopher (1932–2020)

Otto Dirk Duintjer was a Dutch philosopher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Cliteur</span> Dutch politician

Paul Bernard Cliteur is a Dutch professor of jurisprudence at Leiden University, as well as a politician, philosopher, writer, publicist and columnist. He is known for his conservative perspective, his atheism, his republicanism, and his dislike of Islam. He is a member of De Vrije Gedachte. Since 2015, Cliteur is a member of the Dutch political party Forum voor Democratie, where he is chairman of the advisory board and the party's official think tank. In 2019 he was elected to be parliamentary group leader for Forum voor Democratie in the Dutch Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Bax</span> Dutch-Canadian art historian

Martine Theodora Bax is a Dutch-Canadian art historian and art critic in modern art. Her specializations are the work of Piet Mondrian and the relationship between art and Western Esotericism, especially Modern Theosophy and Anthroposophy.

Joachim Leilich is an emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Antwerp, of German origin, who formerly held positions as a tutor and student-assistant at the university of Frankfurt. His main research topics are analytical philosophy, phenomenal consciousness, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and freedom of the will. He obtained his PhD under supervision of Karl-Otto Apel in Frankfurt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ine Gevers</span> Dutch curator, writer and activist

Ine Gevers is a Dutch curator of contemporary art, writer and activist. Gevers is known for large themed exhibitions in which she explores the relationships between technology, power and identity. She has been called one of The Netherlands' most radical curators.

The Foundation George Mosse Fund of the University of Amsterdam is a Dutch foundation (stichting) that aims to promote gay and lesbian studies. It was founded in 2001 at the University of Amsterdam, with a bequest from George Mosse's inheritance, given out of appreciation for the cultural-historical education and research on homosexuality in Amsterdam. The foundation is known primarily for its Mosse Lectures and its QueerTalk events.

Dutch philosophy is a broad branch of philosophy that discusses the contributions of Dutch philosophers to the discourse of Western philosophy and Renaissance philosophy. The philosophy, as its own entity, arose in the 16th and 17th centuries through the philosophical studies of Desiderius Erasmus and Baruch Spinoza. The adoption of the humanistic perspective by Erasmus, despite his Christian background, and rational but theocentric perspective expounded by Spinoza, supported each of these philosopher's works. In general, the philosophy revolved around acknowledging the reality of human self-determination and rational thought rather than focusing on traditional ideals of fatalism and virtue raised in Christianity. The roots of philosophical frameworks like the mind-body dualism and monism debate can also be traced to Dutch philosophy, which is attributed to 17th century philosopher René Descartes. Descartes was both a mathematician and philosopher during the Dutch Golden Age, despite being from the Kingdom of France. Modern Dutch philosophers like D.H. Th. Vollenhoven provided critical analyses on the dichotomy between dualism and monism.

References

  1. "ACHTERHUIS, Herman Johan — A t/M Z - de Personen Encyclopedie". www.personenencyclopedie.info (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2022.