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Dr Alex Thinius (A.C.)

Dr. Alex Thinius is a scholar of philosophy with a background in cultural analysis and in socio-cultural anthropology. Alex works on a better understanding of what categories are and how they change, for example, gender/sex categories. 

 

Teaching: At HES, Alex's main task is teaching the reflection on social and philosophical dimensions of academic (health) research. As a dedicated educator, Alex is interested in pro-democratic pedagogies. (See 'education')

 

Understandings of Gender/Sex: Alex's most recent work analyzes how contemporary researchers in biomedicine renegotiate their understandings of sex and gender. At the border of philosophy of science and gender/sex research, this stream is based on Alex' postdoc research at the GenderSci Lab at Harvard University. (See 'research')

 

Categories and Complexity: A second theme focuses on the metaphysics of socio-cultural categories as dynamic processes of configuration in complex social structures ("Dynamic Categories"). Developing out of Alex's PhD research at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, this stream combines work in social theory, 4EA cognitive systems theory, and existential phenomenology. (See 'research')

 

Experience: Before working at UM, Alex has held research positions at Universiteit van Amsterdam and Harvard University. Alex has taught and coordinated undergraduate and graduate courses at Universiteit van Amsterdam, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, RU Bochum, and Universität Münster. (See 'career history')

Expertises

AREA OF SPECIALIZATION

  • Philosophy, Social Studies, and History of Science
  • Social Philosophy (Critical Theories)
  • Sex and Gender (Embodiment; Masculinity; Trans*; Gender/Sex and Sciences)

  • Theories of Complex Social Categories and Structures

     

AREA OF COMPETENCE

  • Cultural Theory
  • Ethics
  • Embodied Cognition Theory (4EA)
  • Existential Phenomenology and Philosophical Anthropology
  • Qualitative Research Methods (Cultural Analysis and Ethnomethodology)
  • Social Ontology (Analytic and Continental)
Career history

ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT

  • Since 2025    Lecturer in Philosophy and Sociology of (Health) Science, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Department of Health, Ethics, and Society, Universiteit Maastricht (UM)
  • 2024-26        Lecturer, Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA)
    - Dept. Philosophy, Section Philosophical Tradition in Context
    - Dept. Literary Studies and Linguistics, Section Literary and Cultural Analysis
  • 2023-24          NWO Postdoctoral Fellow, GenderSci Lab, Department of History of Science, Harvard University
  • 2016-21        Doctoral Researcher, Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), UvA. Funded by an individual PhD-grant

Adjunct Positions

  • 2024-25        Adjunct Lecturer, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (RU), Faculty of Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies, Dept. Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology
  • 2021-22        Junior Lecturer (D4), UvA
    - Dept. Literary Studies and Linguistics, Section Literary and Cultural Analysis
    - Dept. Philosophy, Section Philosophy and Public Affairs
    - Amsterdam University College
  • 2021            Teaching Assistant, UvA
    - Dept. Theater Studies
    - Dept. Art History
  • 2018            Adjunct Lecturer (Lehrauftrag), Bochum University
    - Dept. Philosophy, Group Philosophy of Science
  • 2016            Adjunct Lecturer (Lehrauftrag), Münster University
    - Dept. Political Science
    - Center for Philosophy of Science
  • 2011-12        Student Assistant, Münster University, Center for Philosophy of Science

 

RESEARCH AFFILIATIONS

  • Since 2026    Harvard University, GenderSci Lab, Research Lab Affiliate
  • 2022-26        Harvard University, GenderSci Lab, Research Lab Member
  • 2021-22        UvA, Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, Dept. of Philosophy, Research Associate
  • 2019            Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Cambridge MA, Visiting PhD student, supervisor Prof. Sally Haslanger
  • 2018            University of Sheffield, Department of Philosophy, Visiting PhD student, supervisor Komarine Romdenh-Romluc
  • 2018            Mumbai University, Department of English Literature, supervisor Shoba Venkatesh-Ghosh
  • 2011-12        Center for Philosophy of Science, Münster University, Member 

 

EDUCATION

  • PhD            2021            Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA). Dissertation “Genders as Genres: Understanding Dynamic Categories” Supervisors Prof. dr. Beate Rössler, Prof. dr. Robin Celikates (FU Berlin)
  • MA(Research) 2015            Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (RU). Philosophy (cum laude)
  • BA            2012            University of Münster. Double Major in Philosophy and in Cultural- & Social-Anthropology (both rated excellent)

 

Certificate Courses (Selection)

  • 2024            UvA, Institute for Social Sciences, Comprehensive Introduction to Research Methodology and Design (Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed Methods)
  • 2018            Central European University, Budapest, The Biological and the Social Between 1900 and Today

 

Without Degree

  • 2012-14        ArtEZ Conservatory Arnhem, Study Bachelor of Music
  • 2011-15        Münster University, BA Study Musicology