Hans Achterhuis

Herman Johan "Hans" Achterhuis (born September 1, 1942, Hengelo) 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.

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 Utopia has been superseded but the world can still be improved, if we take seriously our moral ties to the machines and devices that surround us.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 Achterhuis, H.J. (1995) De utopie en haar verschijningsvorm (Utopia and its manifestation), Amsterdam. Lumiance Lecture. Haarlem: Lumiance. Text of the sixth Lumiance Lezing (Lecture) delivered on 24 September 1995 in Paradiso, Amsterdam. 160 p. Earlier 1998 edition with publisher Baarn; Ambo: 444 pp. First edition was of 2008 with the same publisher. First edition was of 2010 with the same publisher.

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