Radboud Center for Philosophy and Society

The Radboud Center for Philosophy and Society (RCPS) positions itself directly at the intersection of philosophy and society. The RCPS distinguishes itself through its direct philosophical engagement with the empirical sciences, social and political stakeholders and concrete societal issues.

Highlights

How the far right puts religion at the centre of the debate on immigration

31 March 2025 Research news item

Europeans are becoming less and less religious, while religion is playing an ever-increasing role in discussions on immigration, according to Kirsten Smeets, who will be defending her PhD thesis at Radboud University on 2 April.

Winners of the RNVH Jubilee Prize 2025 announced

11 March 2025 News item

During the celebration of International Women's Day on Monday 10 March, four female scientists received the RNVH Jubilee Prize. The prize, which consists of a certificate and 1000 euros, was presented by Rector Magnificus José Sanders.

Main lines of research

The RCPS focuses on three dominant research themes:

Social and Political Contestation: This first strand of research within the RCPS focuses on questions of social and political (in)justice, and centers around an array of interconnected topics such as: democratic theory and democratic repertoires, protest and activism, race and (de/post)coloniality, post-truth and myth making as well as suffering, trauma and witnessing.
Ecology and Sustainability: The second strand of research focuses on questions of sustainability, climate change and ecological justice, including ethical relations to future generations, ecological anxiety and questions of fair distribution of the cost of environmental policy.
Health, Ethics and Digitalisation: This third strand focuses on applied ethical questions of digitalization in education, health and other policy related areas. It also includes phenomenological analyses of the experiences of severe chronic illness and impairment, and the social, political and ethical questions these raise. This section also engages in direct outreach and societal engagement around issues of professional ethics, within the medical, juridical, military and civil servants.

Engaged philosophy

The RCPS bring together ethicists and political philosophers that engage with contemporary societal developments. The center’s mission is to expand the classical boundaries of philosophy and engage with other disciplines, such as medicine and health care, politics, sociology, anthropology and the natural sciences.

Given the center’s explicit societal commitments, the RCPS’ members regularly engage with actors in the field such as activists, politicians, medical professionals, policy makers and NGOs. We cordially invite such stakeholders to get in touch and work with us.