Whodunit Wednesday: Scholars

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘scholar’? If you search for important scholars throughout the ages, you come upon several connected with the Netherlands. 

Many university students would like to get an Erasmus scholarship. The Erasmus program encourages and assists with international study through its scholarships. The scholarship and program is named after the scholar Erasmus, who was full out: Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, or Erasmus of Rotterdam. He was a philosopher and scholar in the mid-15th through beginning of the 16th century. He wrote about changes that needed to be made from within the Catholic Church during the reformation and is considered a Christian Humanist.

Baruch Spinoza, or Benedictus de Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century to Portuguese-Jewish parents. He was one of the exponents of rationalism and pushed the idea of the Enlightenment. He developed ideas against the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible and was considered by many as an ‘atheist’, which meant that his works were banned for a time. 

More recently, Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali has made a name in philosophical and scholarly circles. She was a member of the Dutch parliament before moving to the US in 2006. She has especially been outspoken against the Muslim faith and considers herself and atheist. She continues to work against the influence of Islam, especially as it has to do with women. This has put her high on the death-threat list for terrorists. 

These philosophers, scholars and politicians have greatly shaped the Netherlands and how people here think - about God, about the world, about religion.

(PHOTO: Yeager-Crasselt, Lara. “Scholar in His Study” (2017). In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. New York, 2020–. https://theleidencollection.com/artwork/scholar-in-his-study/ (accessed December 14, 2022).)