René Boomkens (1954) is full professor social and cultural philosophy. He studied philosophy at the University of Amsterdam and wrote his thesis in 1998 at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen: Een Drempelwereld. Moderne ervaring en stedelijke openbaarheid [A Threshold World. Modern Experience and the urban public domain]. In his research he focusses on the social and cultural philosophy of modernity, interpreted as modern experience, with special attention to the crucial role of the city and of urban culture. Following this thesis and earlier publications his present research concentrates on two questions: the relation between globalization and (social, personal, local) identity on the one hand, and the influence of new media and global popular culture on the development of urban everyday life and the role of the public sphere. Both issues also play an important role in recent debates in political theory on liberalism, communitarianism and republicanism, and on trannation alism, cosmopitanism and the role of nation-states.
Boomkens is editor of the book series Kennis, Openbare Mening, Politiek [Knowledge, Public Opinion and Politics] of publishing house Van Gennep in Amsterdam. Since December 2005 he is member of the Raad voor Cultuur [Council of Culture], that advises the Dutch government and the minister of Education, Culture and Science on matters of culture and the arts. From 1998 until 2002 he was special professor of pop music at the University of Amsterdam. In 2008 he founded, together with several colleagues, the Foundation for Philosophy and the Public 'Lolle Nauta', that aims to stimulate the public role and activities of philosophers and other scholars.
Currently Boomkens is working on a comprehensive Introduction to Cultural Philosophy, to be published in 2010 by Boom Amsterdam.
