Susanna Lindberg new Professor of Continental Philosophy
On 1 September, Susanna Lindberg will start as Professor of Continental Philosophy at Leiden University. Lindberg will teach and research in the areas of continental philosophy and the relationship between technology and humanity.
Philosophy of the European continent
‘As an academic in Continental Philosophy I study philosophy originally written in continental Europe’, says Lindberg. ‘I have studied in France myself and I’ve specialised in contemporary French philosophers as well as classic German philosophers.’
Lindberg, who is transferring from Helsinki University to Leiden University, is excited about her move to Leiden, even though circumstances for a move to a new country are not entirely ideal during the current pandemic. Lindberg: ‘I will most likely be teaching remotely for the first couple of months, although I hope to be able to see my students and new colleagues in person soon, since surely that is different. But I’ve been a fulltime researcher for the last couple of years, so I’m also just very much looking forward to interacting with my students and discussing my research on humanity and technology with them.’
Technology and humanity
Lindberg is currently in the finishing stages of her book on how technology is changing the philosophical view on humanity. ‘It is obvious that we are surrounded by technology and we cannot yet fully see its implications’, she explains. ‘Technology is all around us and therefore we need to develop new concepts to look at it. This is what I aim for in my book.’
James McAllister, Academic Director of the Institute for Philosophy, is thrilled about the arrival of Lindberg in Leiden. McAllister: ‘It’s relatively unique for a university to create a new position in continental philosophy in this day and age. It’s an area of research that has been overlooked in recent years. But our students, primarily bachelor students, have displayed a great interest in continental philosophy and we are very happy that we’ll be able to respond to that interest by adding Susanna Lindberg to our academic team at the Institute.’