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Dr. A.C. (Alex) Thinius

Faculty of Humanities
Literature and Linguistics
Visiting address
  • Spuistraat 134
Postal address
  • Postbus 1642
    1000 BP Amsterdam
Contact details
Social media
  • Profile

    I am a philosopher and socio-cultural researcher with a core specialization in conceptualizing what sex-gender is and in what way it is part of our existence.

    Feel free to drop me a line, if you're curious about my work or interested in collaborating. I am always interested in a chat.

    My research is supported by the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, I am affiliated with the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Literary and Cultural Analysis.

    Research interests:
    Phenomenology; Existentialism; Critical Theory; Philosophy of Science; Gender Studies; Enactivism; 4ECognition; Philosophy of Culture; Social Philosophy; Metaphysics; Aesthetics; Decolonial Theory; Genre Theory

     

  • Research

    Current Research Projects

    I am currently preparing an application for postdoc research funding. In the upcoming years, I will be working on two postdoc research horizons: on Existence in Complex Systems and on Ameliorative Change.

    Existence in Complex Systems: Reconceptualizing Sexual Difference

    This project reconceptualizes sexual difference by integrating existentialism and complex systems approaches to the biology of sexual difference. It is the first building block in my long term research horizon of integrating existentialism and systems theory.

    How is Ameliorative Change Possible?

    This project looks at what emancipatory change in (gender) norms can learn from ameliorative changes in ordinary (aesthetic) practices.

    Past Research: The Gender Ontology Project

    I have completed and successfully defended my PhD research project on what it means to be of a particular gender, with a dissertation entitled "Genders as Genres: Understanding Dynamic Categories", supervised by Prof. dr. Beate Rössler and Prof. dr. Robin Celikates (FU Berlin).

    I am currently publishing the results of this project. A book publication with De Gruyter is in process and the dissertation is thus embargoed until further notice; until then, please get in touch with me if you are interested in my work.

  • CV

    Academic Employment, Affiliation, and Education

    • Since 2021  Associate Researcher at ASCA, Universiteit van Amsterdam
    • 2021-2022 Lecturer, Department of Literary & Cultural Analysis and Dept of Philosophy, UvA
    • 2021 Doctorate, University of Amsterdam
    • 2019 (Fall) Visiting PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • 2018 (Fall) Visiting PhD at University of Sheffield
    • 2016-2021 PhD researcher at ASCA, Universiteit van Amsterdam
    • 2016 Lecturer (Lehrauftrag) Uni Münster, and guitar teacher at music school in Hagen.
    • 2015 Research Master of Arts in Philosophy, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
    • 2012-2015   Study Philosophy, Musicology, and Music at Universities Münster, Bochum, ArtEZ Arnhem, and RU Nijmegen
    • 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and in Cultural- & Socialanthropology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

     

    Teaching Experience

    • Workshops on conceptions of gender (with dr. Katrine Smiet, at Nederlandse Organisatie voor Gender Studies).
    • Guest lectures on Judith Butler and Hannah Arendt (ReMA Philosophy at UvA; and BA program at Ciee)
    • 2021 UvA, Teaching Assistant, pan-humanities Master elective course "Art & Activism", taught by dr. Sruti Bala & dr. Elize Mazadiego.
    • 2019  UvA, Bachelor Philosophy thesis supervision (with dr. Karen Vintges), "Sexual violence and hegemonic masculinity: An analysis of Connell's concept of 'hegemonic masculinity'" [“Seksueel geweld en hegemonische mannelijkheid: Een analyse aan de hand van het begrip 'hegemonische mannelijkheid' van Connell.”]
    • 2018   University of Bochum: with Laura Martena MA (Uni Köln), Department of Philosophy, BA introduction to philosophy of science "Conspiracy theories -- introduction to theory and practice of critical thinking" ["Verschwörungstheorien -- Einführung in die Theorie und Praxis kritischen Denkens"]
    • 2016   University of Münster: with Dr. Matthias Freise, Department for Political Science, BA general studies “Interpretations of Sex in Philosophy & Cultural Studies” [""Natürlich, wild, frei': Zentrale Interpretationen von sex in Philosophie und Cultural Studies"]
    • 2016   University of Münster: Center for Philosophy of Science, BA general studies “Scientific Facts or Artefacts of Science? Scientific Realism Contested” ["Wissenschaftliche Fakten oder Artefakte der Wissenschaft? Wissenschaftlicher Realismus und seine Herausforderungen"]
  • Publications

    2016

    • Seidel, M., & Thinius, A. (2016). A Snowslide of Entities: Does Sosa’s Existential Relativism Provide a Barrier Against Being Buried? In A. Bahr, & M. Seidel (Eds.), Ernest Sosa: Targeting His Philosophy (pp. 101-118 ). (Münster Lectures in Philosophy; Vol. 3). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32519-4_7 [details]

    2018

    2015

    • Thinius, A. C. (Author). (2015). Sex, Lügen und Revolution oder love, peace and understanding? Review von Laurie Penny's 'Unsagbare Dinge'. Web publication/site, Literatur und Feuilleton. Literaturkritik von Komparatisten.

    2011

    • Thinius, A. C. (Author). (2011). Auf der Suche nach Eindeutigkeit in „Auf der Suche“. Web publication/site, Missy Magazine. Magazin für Pop, Politik, und Feminismus.
    • Thinius, A. C. (Author). (2011). Meek’s Cutoff – ein Western aus Sicht von Frauen?. Web publication/site, Missy Magazine. Magazin für Pop, Politik, und Feminismus.

    2021

    • Thinius, A. C. (2021). Masculinity and the Ontology of Men: From Connell’s ‘Hegemonic Masculinity’ to Enactment Classes. Abstract from OZSW Conference XX 2021, Tilburg, Netherlands. https://ozsw2020.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/book-of-abstracts.pdf
    • Thinius, A. C. (2021). Masculinity and the Ontology of Men: ‘Hegemonic Masculinity’ after Connell. Paper presented at Workshop on Gender and Philosophy, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
    • Thinius, A. C. (2021). Trans* in digital communication: Conceptualizing dialectic aspects of sharing. Abstract from ASCA Workshop 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

    2019

    • Thinius, A. C. (2019). What Kind of Situation is the Body in de Beauvoir?. Paper presented at Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. UK Sartre Society Annual Conference 2019, Oxford, United Kingdom.

    2018

    • Thinius, A. C. (2018). Caring in two modes of slowness: Existentialism and masculinities in Qu Xiao-Song’s Ji #3 and Bohren & der Club of Gore.. Paper presented at AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    • Thinius, A. C. (2018). Ethnopluralism and the concept of plurality: Continuities and discontinuities with ALT. Paper presented at 2018 OZSW Graduate Conference in Theoretical Philosophy, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    • Thinius, A. C. (2018). If everything is violence is anything? Bodies and subjectivities as candidates for structural violence.. Paper presented at ASCA International Workshop 2018: Dissecting Violence, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    • Thinius, A. C. (2018). Social kinds, Hermeneutics, and Historical Essentialism: Bach, Mikkola, Stone. 15. Paper presented at Summer University 2018: The Biological and the Social between 1900 and Today , Budapest, Hungary.

    2016

    • Thinius, A. C. (2016). Diversity and Essence: How to rethink essentialism with Jean-Luc Nancy. Paper presented at The Future of Diversity, Tübingen, Germany.

    2015

    • Thinius, A. C. (2015). Perspectivism – Old wine in a new bottle? A philosophical view on the 'ontological turn' in cultural anthropology. Paper presented at OZSW Graduate Conference Theoretical Philosophy, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

    2014

    • Thinius, A. C. (2014). Pornographic Artefacts and Porn: Social recognition and successful intentions. Poster session presented at OZSW conference 2014, Nijmegen, .

    2017

    • Thinius, A. C. (Composer), Liesenfeld, J. (Composer), de Jong, N. (Designer), & Lütke, S. (Producer). (2017). Aleion: inzwischen. Digital or Visual Products, Fattoria Musica Records.

    Membership

    • Thinius, A. (2017-2019). Representative for ASCA at AIHR PhD council, and board member of ASCA., .
    • Thinius, A. (2012-2021). Associate member, Zentrum für Wissenschaftstheorie (ZfW), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

    Others

    • Thinius, A. (visiting researcher) (1-9-2019 - 31-12-2019). Massachusetts Institute of Technology (visiting an external institution).
    • Thinius, A. (participant) (21-11-2018). Postgraduate Seminar Philosophy, Sheffield. Paper presentation "Genders as types in pre-conceptual experience. Heinämaa's essential gender types and the influence of concepts on the (…) (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Thinius, A. (visiting researcher) (23-9-2018 - 20-12-2018). University of Sheffield (visiting an external institution).
    • Kornel, A. (participant) & Thinius, A. (participant) (17-9-2017). "einfach, leicht, minimal? Simplizität in der Musik." Symposium of the Dachverband der Studierenden der Musikwissenschaften (DSVM) and the Department for Musicology at Münster University., Münster. Guitar performance of 'Ji#3 (Silent Mountain)' for Attila Kornel's paper "Chinesische Stille als musikalische Simplizität am Beispiel von 'Ji #3 (…) (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).

    2021

    This list of publications is extracted from the UvA-Current Research Information System. Questions? Ask the library or the Pure staff of your faculty / institute. Log in to Pure to edit your publications. Log in to Personal Page Publication Selection tool to manage the visibility of your publications on this list.
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