Maarten Boudry

Speaker
Dutch
English
Photo of Maarten Boudry

Who is Maarten Boudry?

Maarten Boudry (b.1984) is a philosopher of science and holder of the Etienne Vermeersch Chair at Ghent University. His most recent books are Eerste hulp bij pandemie (First Aid for Pandemic). Achterafklap tot Zwarte Zwaan (From Gossip to Black Swan) (2021, with Joël De Ceulaer) and Waarom de wereld niet naar de knoppen gaat (Why the World is not going to the Dogs (2019). Science Unlimited appeared in 2018. On the Challenges of Scientism, which he compiled with Massimo Pigliucci. He also regularly writes essays and opinion pieces for the following newspapers and magazines: NRC Handelsblad, De Morgen, De Standaard, Knack, Volkskrant, The Independent, Quillette. He lectures on a variety of topics, including: progress and enlightenment, critical thinking, religion and violence, global warming, free speech, pseudoscience and science denial.

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  • The future will be even better

    We’ve never lived so long, so well and as peacefully as we do today. But if we're doing so well, why do so many people believe the world is going downhill? Is doom really near at hand, or is that an illusion? In this lecture, Maarten Boudry advocates progress-oriented thinking. To make the world a better place, you first have to believe that such a thing is possible. Doomsday thinking and pessimism do not encourage action, as many people think, but lead to fatalism and resignation, while progress-oriented thinking is inspiring. The world has never been more promising than it is now, and we can make it even better if we make the effort.

  • How to (not) tackle global warming. About ideology and science

    Fossil fuels were a fantastic stepladder in the history of human progress, but they caused a serious side effect: the dangerous warming of our climate. Are we (in the West) living beyond our means? Is it time to renounce economic growth? Was the industrial revolution a mistake? How can we get back to living in harmony with nature? The diagnosis of the climate problem is simple (too many greenhouse gases), but simple problems do not always have simple solutions. In this lecture, Maarten Boudry places the climate problem in the broader context of human progress and how we solve ecological problems. Our current approach to global warming unfortunately has more to do with ideology than science. If we are to face the greatest challenge of the century, we must think rationally and free ourselves from ideological straightjackets.

  • The fragility of our brain: why critical thinking and science are needed

    Thanks to the progress of the sciences, we have never had so much knowledge about the world, yet superstition and irrationality are proving stubbornly rampant. How are we to explain this paradox? Critical thinking is not an innate quality or a random ability. It takes practice and patience. Our brain is a product of evolution and has countless pitfalls. Intelligent people are not immune to irrational beliefs, perhaps on the contrary. In this lecture, Maarten Boudry explains the methods of science and critical thinking, and provides tools to resist pseudoscience and superstition. 

  • Illusions for the advanced

    No one wants to live in a total delusion, but the truth can also hurt and disturb. Isn't it okay to do her some violence now and then? Maarten Boudry wonders if there are useful illusions, sophisticated and thoughtful delusions, beneficial to body and mind. What's wrong with a placebo pill, if it makes you better? Or with belief in the afterlife, if it makes you happy? Can self-aggrandizement also be beneficial? Do you perform better if you believe you will succeed, at work or on the playing field? Maarten Boudry argues that illusions are rarely harmless and often dangerous, from religious delusions to pseudoscience and financial bubbles.

  • The pitfalls of conspiracy thinking

    Every major historical event gives rise to conspiracy theories: the official version is said to be a cover-up, a cover-up for a more sinister truth. Behind the scenes, a small group of people hold the purse strings. Conspiracy theories are rampant on the Internet and beyond, and they are not always harmless: sometimes they even inspire violence and terrorism. But how do we distinguish irrational conspiracy theories from real conspiracies and legitimate questions? What are the psychological pitfalls of conspiracy thinking? And what makes conspiracy theories so psychologically appealing?