Humanism, Meanings of Life, Worldviews

logo of the University for Humanist Studies Last revision: 25 January 2006

This is a research project of the University for Humanistics (Universiteit voor Humanistiek) at Utrecht in the Netherlands. The other two related projects of the university are concerned with humanization, counseling, care and postmodernity and with the practice and theory of qualitative research in connection with humanist studies.

The research in Humanism, Meanings of Life, Worldviews (in Dutch: `Humanisme, Zingeving, Levensbeschouwing') is focussed on European humanism in connection with meanings of life. Special attention is given to humanist worldviews as meaning frames. Meanings of life are investigated with regard to processes, frames, possibilities and problems. This constitutes a large field within which many pointed investigations are possible. The investigations are grouped into two sub-projects, which show some overlap. The sub-projects deal with humanism: meaning frame and worldview and with meanings of life.

You are welcome to contact us.

You can also view a list of literature used by the research group [size: 125 kB]. The list is illustrated with photographs of researchers participating and publishing in the project.

Humanism: Meaning Frame and Worldview

This project stresses investigations into humanism as a meaning frame and as a worldview (i.e. a more elaborated and coherent frame of meaning), with a certain emphasis on research into:

the history of humanism (ideas, mentality, persons, movements, moral and spiritual care and guidance), especially in the Netherlands since 1850
humanism and politics in connection with meanings of life, with special attention given to Dutch political history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and to human rights
humanist views of specific possibilities of meaning, among them those of the body and of caring for oneself
views of the one life and the many rebirths
the relation between worldviews, particularly humanism, Christianity and Islam
the internal integration of worldviews, with special attention given to views of space and time as constituent factors, and to the role of the aesthetic dimension
possibilities and problems of evolutionary naturalism as a scientifically justified humanist meaning frame, and other aspects of the relation between science (genomics in particular) and worldview.

Researchers working in this project are: Nasr Abu Zayd, Frank Buijs, Rob Buitenweg, Peter Derkx, Joachim Duyndam, Fons Elders, Laurens ten Kate, Ulla Jansz, Tatjana Kochetkova, Willeke Los, Ilja Maso, Rozemarijn Schalkx, Adri Smaling and Ruud Verstraaten.

If you want to know what we understand by the word "humanism" you can look at a short explication.

Peter Derkx, Ulla Jansz, Willeke Los, Rozemarijn Schalkx and Ruud Verstraaten participate in the Huizinga Instituut, Research Institute and Graduate School of Cultural History.

The project has a relationship with the Center "Leo Apostel" (CLEA), situated in Brussels, Belgium.

Meanings of Life

This project stresses investigations into meanings of life, with a certain emphasis on:

empirical social-scientific research into processes and practices of giving meaning to life, especially in situations of crisis and in education
phenomenological research into experiences and sources of meaning in daily life, especially regarding the body
investigations into artistic sources of meaning, among them the twentieth-century novel
research into caring for oneself in connection with (normative questions concerning) meanings of life
research into philosophy and philosophy of life: the question of making sense of one's life through philosophy.

Researchers working in this project are: Hans Alma, Joep Dohmen, Ton Jorna, Jan Hein Mooren, Martien Schreurs and Suzette van IJssel.

For information, comments, proposals for cooperation etc.

Dr. Peter Derkx
head of the research programme Humanism, Meanings of Life, Worldviews
Postal address:
University for Humanistics
Postbus 797
3500 AT Utrecht
The Netherlands
Fax number: +31 30 2340 738
E-mail address: P.Derkx@uvh.nl

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Created: 19 August 1997 - Last revision: 25 January 2006