Stephen Hicks: “Many problems in the academic world have their roots in postmodernism.” Interview by Hypatia’s Dr. Astrid Elbers and published in Dutch in Doorbraak, April 2026. Un-edited English translation follows: The American-Canadian philosopher Stephen Hicks is best known as the author of Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault, a book in […]

Lecture 5. Then Conceptions In lecture five, we examine the cognitive progression from sense perception to conceptualization, exploring how we move from awareness of particulars to abstract generalizations expressed in language. We consider three philosophical views on concepts: realism (abstract universals exist independently), nominalism (only particulars exist, and concepts are names), and conceptualism (concepts are

Next month, I will be giving a four-lecture series at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Each lecture will be followed by a discussion with professors from Belgian and Dutch universities on different aspects of postmodernism. Registration here. Our questions include: What is modernism—a cultre of naturalism, reason, individualism, technology? Is it progressing—or a disaster? What

Lecture 4. First Perceptions In lecture four, we turn to understanding the remarkable cognitive capacities of humans, tracing development from basic sensory experiences in infancy to sophisticated adult reasoning and knowledge. We explore how children progress from simple sensations to integrated perceptions, concept formation, language, and complex narratives, forming the basis for scientific and philosophical

Lecture 3. Nature & Super-Nature In lecture three, we explore natural and supernatural concepts in religious and philosophical contexts, examining four definitions of religion that emphasize supernatural powers beyond nature and humanity. We analyze two major arguments for God’s existence—the cosmological and teleological arguments—alongside the argument from evil, which challenges an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God

Lecture 2. The Essential Questions In lecture two, we look at fundamental metaphysical questions, beginning with the Ship of Theseus paradox to examine identity and change, then covering core concepts like being, existence, identity, change, space, and time. We consider major positions on whether existence can be explained or simply affirmed, whether identity is intrinsic