What are the humanities for?

Willem B. Drees

You are warmly invited to attend the online lecture “What are the humanities for?” by Willem B. Drees on Monday the 29th of November 16:00-17:30 (Amsterdam time, CET).

What are the humanities for?

In modern universities the humanities are predominantly not valued as highly as the natural or the bio-medical sciences. In many countries the humanities and entire humanities departments are under threat. Still, the humanities are important, because they can give us knowledge and insights that cannot be obtained in other ways. In his lecture, Willem B. Drees will discuss the nature and relevance of the humanities and it’s unique epistemology. In his latest book: ‘What are the humanities for?’ he argues that the disciplines of the humanities are serving society as well as being intrinsic to our humanity.

Willem B. Drees

Willem B. Drees is emeritus professor of philosophy of the humanities at Tilburg University, and previously served as professor of philosophy of religion at Leiden University. He is especially interested in the nature and status of the humanities in relation to other disciplines, and in the role of the humanities in society. Within the humanities, an area of special interest is interactions of humanities and the natural sciences and technology in social contexts, and their impact on human self-understanding.

Details and registration

The lecture will take place online on Monday the 29th of November 16:00-17:30. There will be ample room for questions and discussion. This event is organized by the Abraham Kuyper Center, Faculty of Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Register by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject title: Registration lecture “What are the humanities for?”. Register to receive the link to the zoom meeting.