Tobias Postma

Tobias Postma passed his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy cum laude (average mark: 8.6) and is now working hard on a Research Master’s in Philosophy. He had a long journey before reaching these impressive results. After two years of pre-university education, he completed senior general secondary education, followed by a year of Applied Law at Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Having gained a propaedeutic certificate at Hanze UAS, he was able to transfer to university, where he found his ‘intellectual calling’ (quote from the letter from the Faculty), and started a degree programme in Philosophy. Tobias has always wanted to study Philosophy, even as a child, and as demonstrated by his excellent marks and positive recommendation from the Faculty Committee, he has truly found his niche. But Tobias is active on various other fronts too. He is a teaching assistant, an active member of the study association of the Faculty of Philosophy (STUFF), where he fulfils various roles within the Philosophy Committee, such as internal affairs, secretary, and treasurer, and secretary within the Travel Committee. Tobias is also a member of the Faculty Council, has contributed to a Leeswijzer Frankfurter Schule for the Senia Foundation, in association with the Knowledge Centre Philosophy, was a volunteer in the organization of a conference in Groningen held by the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA25), and took part in both the Winter School of the Master’s programme in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) on ‘Climate Change and the Long-term Future’, and the University’s Summer School entitled ‘Two is One’. He was one of the speakers at the 2025 Groningen Night of Philosophy. In addition, he participated in and helped to organize the ‘Critical Spinoza Reading Group’ and was co-organizer of a Spinoza Workshop within the Faculty’s ‘Spinoza Fest’, at which he was also one of the speakers. The fact that Tobias is inspired by Spinoza is not only evident from a detailed letter of motivation, but also from his pitch, in which he reflected on the role that Spinoza’s philosophy could play in understanding and improving our current democracy.