top of page

 

Established by a few graduate students connected to the University of Amsterdam and the University of Groningen, SYNTHESIS is making its debut on April 29, in collaboration with the ​Mozeshuis in Amsterdam and with the financial patronship of Stichting Toekenningen. SYNTHESIS is an independent conference, with English as the official language. SYNTHESIS aims at creating and exploring an in-between space where (Western) esotericism and the 'academy' can meet one another, thus harmonizing the ‘contrast’ between esotericism and many scientific disciplines and focusing on their complementary value. The conference will therefore be interdisciplinary and international in character. The program includes presentations of junior scholars of universities in the Netherlands and beyond, artistic & musical intermezzos and an exhibition by young artists exploring the cultural, the scientific and 'spiritual' field.

With the founding of the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) in 1999, the University of Amsterdam has contributed to the development of Western esotericism as an academic discipline. SYNTHESIS goes beyond this and provides Bachelor, Master and PhD students a platform outside of the GHF to share their ideas and come together. We stimulate new interdisciplinary insights in this particular field of study and foster the increasing interest in esotericism by junior and senior scholars, active in different scientific disciplines in both Dutch and foreign universities as also operating outside official institutes.

SYNTHESIS thus connects different scientific disciplines with the study of esotericism and tries to establish a connection between the scientific, the spiritual, but also the cultural field. This becomes apparent through our collaboration with the Mozeshuis, the artistic and musical intermezzos presented on the program and a patron relationship with the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam. We symphatize with the open education philosophy’ as given birth to by Sir Ken Robinson​ and put effort in bringing (scientific) education outside its regular walls and connecting it to different local parties.

 

ABOUT

A SYNTHESIS OF ESOTERICISM AND THE ACADEMY

bottom of page