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SYMPOSIUM: DUTCH IDENTITY
VIRTUES AND VICES OF BOURGEOIS SOCIETY
Thursday May 6th / 2:00 - 6:15 h pm / Forum room, M-building, Woudestein, Erasmus University Rotterdam
http://www.eur.nl/studium/algemeen/bourgeoisenglish.html
![Deirdre McCloskey]() How bourgeois was and is Dutch society? How bad is being bourgeois anyway?
Is being bourgeois a virtue? Many will rather think of it as a vice. Being bourgeois stands for being calculating, prudent, boring and petty in one's interests. So to state that the Dutch provinces owed their economic progress in the seventeenth century to the bourgeois virtues of their citizens does not come across as a compliment.
European history in the Golden Age of Flanders not only witnessed the rise of bourgeois culture in the economic and social realm but the advancement also set the stage for the habits of thought that would dominate Europe since then. Bourgeois merchants sought profits far away, yet brought home the momentum that would speed up the further progress of
humanistic culture in the homeland.
Deirdre McCloskey, a well known historian, economist, and rhetorician, heralds in her forthcoming book the bourgeois virtues of the Dutch merchants and sets them as example for others to follow. She tries to add the Adam Smith of The Theory of Moral Sentiments to the Smith of The Wealth of Nations. In her opinion, if the Dutch were more bourgeois today, it would do them good.
Is McCloskey right? Will the bourgeois values continue to dominate Dutch life? Did these virtues inform, for example, the Dutch stance towards the Iraq war: no active support but no opposition either? Does Dutch politics face up sufficiently to the character of Dutch society?
Guiding questions to this symposium are: what does it mean to be bourgeois? How important are the merchants and their mentality to Dutch society, to the Dutch economy? Is Dutch society losing its bourgeois character, and if so, is that a bad
thing?
With prof. dr. Deirdre McCloskey (Economic History, Erasmus University Rotterdam and University of Illinois, Chicago), dr. Ronald van Raak (politician Socialist Party, Upper chamber), prof. dr. Robert von Friedeburg (German historian, Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University), prof. dr. Wiep van Bunge (History of Thought, Faculty of Philosophy, Erasmus University), prof. dr. Arjo Klamer (Economics of Art and Culture, Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University).
PROGRAMME
A BOURGEOIS VIEW
13.45 Registration
14.15 Opening by Prof.dr. Arjo Klamer
(Economics of Art and Culture, Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University)
14.25 Song 'De zilvervloot' about Piet Hein's legendary adventures *
14.30 Prof.dr. Deirdre McCloskey
(Economic History, University of Illinois Chicago and Erasmus University)
15.00 Prof.dr. Wiep van Bunge
(History of Thought, Faculty of Philosophy, Erasmus University)
15.15 Panel discussion
15.35 Coffee / Tea
THE GOLDEN AGE - BEFORE AND AFTER
15.50 Song 'O Nederland let op u saek' (1626) about the Hispanic occupier *
15.55 Prof.dr. Robert von Friedeburg
(German historian, Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University)
16.10 Guest speaker (to be confirmed)
16.25 Panel discussion
16.45 Coffee / Tea
MODERN
BOURGEOIS POLITICS
17.00 Song written by Vondel about the wrongful execution of Johan van Oldebarnevelt *
17.05 Michael Zeeman
(writer, critic and journalist)
17.20 Dr. Ronald van Raak
(politician Socialist Party, Upper chamber)
17.35 Panel discussion
18.10 Song written by Vondel in which he envisages a kind of paradisiacal Holland (1625) *
18.15 Closure of programme
Symposium chair: Prof.dr. Arjo Klamer, Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University
* For this occasion we have made a special selection of historical Dutch patriotic and political songs. The songs will be performed by Steven Lodeweges (piano) and Albert Edelman (tenor). Both are students of the Utrecht Conservatoire.
Location
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Forumzaal, Expo- & Congress Centre
Burg. Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam
How to get there by car / public transport
Registration
* online registration
* registration at Studium Generale: H5-11 Woudestein, Monday to Thursday 9.30 - 17.00 hrs
* registration by telephone: 010 - 4081144
Places are limited, so registrations will be honoured in order of receipt of payment. You will receive a confirmation by email or post.
Costs / payment
students / HOVO: ? 7,50
others: ? 20,-
(coffee / tea included)
payment in cash:
Studium Generale, H5-11 Woudestein, Monday to Thursday 9.30 - 17.00 hrs
payment by bank:
Studium Generale EUR, account no. 207.82.05, please state 'Bourgeois'
(please make sure that the name / address of your bank account corresponds with your registration name)
Additional information
Studium Generale
stg@xxxxxxxxxx
tel. 010 - 4081144
Symposium Organisers
Faculty of History and Arts, Erasmus University
(prof. dr. Arjo Klamer)
Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics
(Altug Yalcintas)
Studium Generale, Erasmus University
With special thanks to Vereniging Trustfonds Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam |
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