Jeroen de Ridder

Prof. Jeroen de Ridder is a Full Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Faculty of Humanities, Department of Epistemology and Metaphysics). His primary roles include teaching epistemology, philosophy of science, business ethics, and occasional philosophy of religion courses. He holds ancillary roles such as Director/Owner of De Ridder Onderwijs en trainingen (Gouda, 2020–present) and Member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Driestar educatief (Gouda, 2023–2028). He also chairs committees for syllabus development and research integrity in Utrecht and Amsterdam.

Education: He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Delft University of Technology (2007), an M.A. in Philosophy (cum laude) from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2007), and an M.Sc. in Systems Engineering and Policy Analysis (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology (2000).

Research Interests: De Ridder’s work centers on social epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophy of religion, with a focus on collective and political epistemology. He explores whether groups can possess beliefs/knowledge, collective intellectual virtues, and how political beliefs form in liberal democracies. His research applies epistemic frameworks to democratic institutions and scientific practices.

Grants & Awards: He secured notable grants including the Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Epistemic Progress in the University (2020) and Epistemic Responsibilities of the University (€1.75M, 2016). His projects address topics like online political conflict frames, knowledgeable democracy, and the university’s epistemic role.

Advising & Grants: De Ridder has led multiple grants (e.g., NWO Open Competition for Digitalization SSH, 2020–2024; NWO Veni/Vidi projects). He examines epistemic responsibilities in academia and advises doctoral candidates. His work bridges theoretical philosophy with practical ethics in education and research.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates across disciplines through projects like Epistemic Progress in the University and Knowledgeable Democracy, involving researchers from institutions like ASCoR (UvA) and Templeton Foundation initiatives.