With a special themed issue of Erasmus Studies, Ronald van Raak, Han van Ruler and Sanne Steen are introducing the world to Erasmus research at our faculty.
‘Erasmus Studies in Rotterdam’ is the title of the theme issue of Erasmus Studies, the journal of the international Erasmus of Rotterdam Society. In this issue, Ronald van Raak, Han van Ruler and Sanne Steen introduce the academic world to the research on Erasmus' life and work that has been carried out at ESPhil for several years. A feature of this historical research is that it seeks to connect with more current philosophical issues in various ways.
Van Raak, Van Ruler and Steen have formed the Erasmus of Rotterdam Research Centre (ERRC) since 2021. This is the only place at Erasmus University where research is conducted into the philosophy and legacy of Erasmus. Internationally, academics have been looking forward to the activities in Rotterdam, the city of Erasmus, for some time now. The ERRC works with the Erasmus Collection, the largest collection of Erasmus books in the world, housed in the Rotterdam city library.
‘The ERRC has a small research team, yet it is innovative,’ says Ronald van Raak, professor of Erasmusian values. ‘For example, because we connect Erasmus’ thinking with current discussions on the need for shared values or debates on freedom and community spirit. We also show how Erasmus' philosophy has been used and also abused by various groups in the past. With this theme issue, we introduce ourselves to a worldwide audience of people interested in Erasmus.'
Erasmus Studies, formerly the Erasmus of Rotterdam Society Yearbook, is published under the auspices of the Erasmus of Rotterdam Society. The Society was founded in 1980 with the aim of encouraging research and writing on Erasmus, his contemporaries, and their intellectual milieu. Erasmus Studies is a peer-reviewed publication containing scholarly articles and book reviews on these subjects.
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Read the theme issue 'Erasmus Studies in Rotterdam' here.