
Sjang ten Hagen
Visiting Predoctoral Fellow (2018)
PhD candidate, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam
Sjang ten Hagen is a PhD candidate at the Vossius Center for the History of the Humanities and Sciences and the Institute of Physics (IoP) at the University of Amsterdam.
In his current research, which is part of the project “The Flow of Cognitive Goods,” he studies the relation between the humanities and science in nineteenth-century Germany. He does so through various case studies, which trace concepts, methods, and epistemic virtues that were fundamental both in scientific and humanistic disciplines. In his first case study, he explores when and why German physicists and historians started to use the concept of “fact,” and how they interpreted it.
During his stay at the MPIWG as a Visiting Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Sjang aims to set up a new case study about epistemic virtues in humanities and science as well as to deepen the historiographical framework of his doctoral project.
Sjang has presented papers at several international conferences, including the History of Science Society Meeting in Seattle (Nov. 2018), Making of Humanities in Oxford and Amsterdam (Sept. 2017, Nov. 2018) and Thinking about Space and Time in Bern (Sept. 2017). At the IoP, he teaches undergraduate courses and supervises theses of undergraduates related to history and philosophy of modern physics. Just before embarking on his doctoral project in the fall of 2016, Sjang obtained his Master’s degree in the History and Philosophy of Science at Utrecht University (cum laude). For his master’s thesis, he studied the reception of Einstein and his theory of relativity in Belgium. In addition to his master’s studies, has a background in physics (B.Sc., major) and philosophy (B.Sc., minor).
Projekte
The Epistemic Virtues of Humanities and Science in Nineteenth-Century Germany: A Comparative Approach
Presentations, Talks, & Teaching Activities
HSS 2018, History of Science Society
Making of Humanities VII, Society for the History of the Humanities
Making of Humanities VI, Society for the History of the Humanities
100 Years of Applying and Interpreting General Relativity, Universität Bern
Undergraduate Teaching, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam