prof. dr. H.W. de Regt (Henk)

My research centers around the theme of 'understanding'. I have investigated the nature of scientific understanding, as it is produced by expert scientists, via philosophical analysis and historical case studies. This has led me to develop a contextual theory of scientific understanding that acknowledges the historical and disciplinary variation in criteria for understanding. My work on scientific understanding has culminated in the monograph 'Understanding Scientific Understanding' (Oxford University Press, 2017), which received the Lakatos Award in 2019.

In my future research, I want to extend my analysis of understanding to questions regarding the interaction between science and society, such as public understanding of science, the nature of expertise, and inter- and transdisciplinary communication and understanding.