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Theo Dekker MSc MA

PhD candidate

E-mail: t.m.a.m.dekker@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Area(s) of interest: Dutch History, Early Modern History, History of Knowledge

Cohort/Start PhD: 2019-2020

Reasoning, Causality and the appreciation of novelty

Leiden University
Project: NWO project ‘Chronicling novelty. New knowledge in the Netherlands, 1500-1850’
Promotor(es): Prof. Judith Pollmann, dr. Erika Kuijpers
Aanstelling: vanaf september 2019

Graduated in the research master History at the UvA and History and Philosophy of Science at the UU, I am now part of the project Chronicling Novelty, wherein I investigate how the populace evaluated change, and more specific innovation in the Low Countries between 1500-1850. By using a combination of distant and close reading, I will assess and analyse correlations and patterns that chroniclers identified. Furthermore, the emergent of new knowledge, concepts and evidence in patterns and causal relationships that authors indicated, will be analyzed. My sources are mainly 250 up to 300 Dutch (handwritten) chronicles that we currently are transcribing with a vast network of volunteers. My interest are in early modern cultural history and history and philosophy of science.