Floris van den Berg
| Floris van den Berg | |
|---|---|
 Floris van den Berg, 2014 | |
| Born |
4 February 1973 Naarden |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | philosopher, author, director CFI Low Countries |
| Known for | Television appearances |
Floris van den Berg (born 4 February 1973) is a Dutch philosopher, director of the secular humanist thinktank Center for Inquiry Low Countries and board member of the freethought association De Vrije Gedachte. Van den Berg writes about secularism, atheism, animal ethics, environmental philosophy, human rights and education.
Televised appearances
Following the initiative of Ariane Sherine and Richard Dawkins for the Atheist Bus Campaign in the United Kingdom, that was taken up in many other European countries, Floris van den Berg announced the intention to launch a similar campaign in the Netherlands on 12 January 2009. Kees van der Staaij of the conservative Protestant Reformed Political Party (SGP) asked parliamentary questions about the matter to Secretary of State of Transport Tineke Huizinga,[1] and discussed the topic with Van den Berg on 28 January in Nova.[2] However, the bus campaign was abandoned, because the major bus companies Connexxion, Arriva and Veolia do not allow messages of a political or religious nature.[2][3]
On 11 March 2009, Van den Berg was interviewed by the NOS when he took a new initiave to place a billboard along the A4 motorway near Schiphol, that for the first time in the Netherlands promoted an atheist message: "There is probably no god. Dare to think for yourself and enjoy this life!"[4]
Following the publication of Van den Berg's book Hoe komen we van religie af? ("How will we dispose of religion?"), De Meiden van Halal invited him to a discussion in their television programme Bimbo's en Boerka's, tegenstellingen in multicultureel Nederland on 27 January 2010. Van den Berg's discussion on Bimbo's en Boerka's received a large amount of views on the Internet, especially on Uitzending Gemist, YouTube and Dumpert.[5]
Other activities
- Floris van den Berg organised several "Atheism Days" in which important Dutch and Flemish atheist/secular humanist philosophers, authors, political thinkers and campaigners held lectures, interviews and discussions. Every edition is attended by about a hundred people. The Atheism Days are co-sponsored by the Center for Inquiry Low Countries and De Vrije Gedachte.
- On 30 May 2009, Van den Berg organised the First Dutch Atheism Day, with the theme New Atheism.
- On 25 June 2011, the sequel came with the Second Atheism Day, with the theme Nice without God.
- On 30 June 2012, the Atheism Day 2012: Feast of Reason – About Atheism, Secularism & Humanism was held at Utrecht University with the theme Political Theology, at which Herman Philipse and Paul Cliteur spoke among others.[6]
- On 29 June 2013, the Atheism Day 2013: Feast of Reason was held again at Utrecht University, for the first time including a session in English.[7]
- On the occasion of Darwin Day, Van den Berg participated in the symposium De brave aap ("The Seemly Ape") on 8 February 2009.
- Van den Berg is involved with the Atheist Secular Party (renamed Party of Reason in 2013).
- Floris van den Berg graduated at Leiden University on 14 April 2011 on his dissertation about universal subjectivism, a political, philosophical and ethical theory to establish a more just society.[8]
- On 18 May 2013, Van den Berg supported the manifestation We zijn het mega zat! against intensive animal farming, holding a plea for veganism.[9]
- He regularly publishes texts in the newsletter of the Flemish thinktank Liberales.
Works
- Geleefde brieven / Deel I: Prometheus (2009)
- Hoe komen we van religie af? (2009)
- Filosofie voor een betere wereld (2009)
- Harming Others: Universal Subjectivism and the Expanding Moral Circle (Dissertation, Leiden University 2011)
- Geleefde brieven / Deel III: Ikaros (2012)
- De vrolijke veganist - Ethiek in een veranderende wereld (2013)
References
- ↑ "SGP: Bus is geen reclamezuil" (in Dutch). SGP. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nova (28 January 2009). "SGP tegen atheïstische reclame (10:19)" (in Dutch). Uitzending Gemist. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Omstreden tekst niet op Brabantse bussen" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "NOS Headlines - God bestaat niet?" (in Dutch). NOS Headlines. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Bimbo's en Boerka's 2010 (56:34)" (in Dutch). Uitzending Gemist. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ CFI (2012). "Programma Atheïsmedag 2012" (in Dutch). De Vrije Gedachte. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ CFI (2013). "Atheïsmedag 2013: Feest van de Rede" (in Dutch). Humanistische Omroep. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Leven zonder anderen te schaden is moeilijker dan gedacht" (in Dutch). Leiden University. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ Floris van den Berg (23 May 2013). "Nederland voor mededogen - Megaspeech door Floris van den Berg" (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 May 2014.
External links
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