Abstract
In this study, I address the advent of ‘modernity’ in Dutch culture, especially in the Interwar years, from the perspective of scientists and engineers. They were important actors in many intellectual debates, since science and technology were at the core of the cultural and societal developments of the period. The
... read more
first chapter of this study describes the cultural context. At the end of the nineteenth century, many characteristics of the ‘modern age’ were increasingly considered as problematic. Scientists, philosophers, writers and artists searched for new intellectual frameworks to befit the modern world. These frameworks were highly varied, ranging from occultism (the ‘petites régions’) to strictly rational philosophical systems. However the differences were gradual rather than fundamental. Science was at the core of the discussions about the problems of modernity. It was blamed for creating many of the problems, but it was also hailed as part of the solution. The problems of modernity were also discussed by contemporary Dutch intellectuals (including scientists) throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The cultural elite of the Netherlands was highly aware of contemporary developments in neighbouring countries. However, the Dutch debate had some specific characteristics. In contrast to the Weimar Republic, culture pessimism was absent in the 1920s. This changed in the 1930s, with the economic and political crisis. The crisis gave the problems of modernity a new urgency. In reaction, the intellectual debate changed from abstract and often utopian to a more concrete level. From the cultural and political debates that started at the turn of the twentieth century, a new kind of public intellectual emerged: the expert intellectual. That is the subject of the last chapter (chapter 8). I elaborate on the tension between social engagement and scientific objectivity that is inherent in the position of intellectuals. This tension was also one of the central issues in the debates about the role of scientists in society. The intervening chapters establish the link between the cultural developments and the rise of this modern intellectual. These six chapters are divided in two sections, each focussing on a different theme in the discussions. The two sections provide two ‘routes’ from the first to the last chapter`. The first section focuses on the universities and vocational colleges. It ends with a case-study on ir. I.P. de Vooys. The second chapter describes the quest for an all-encompassing philosophical ‘synthesis’, with special attention to debates on causality and determinism. The case-study in this section is biologist H.J. Jordan. After the Second World War, many of the ideas from the Interwar period were implemented, as I describe in a short epilogue. Expert-intellectuals played a crucial role in planning the reconstruction.
show less
