On Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 15:30 to 17:00, David van Putten will defend his dissertation entitled: The animal incapable of promising: On the logic of debt.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. M. Huijer (EUR)
Co-supervisor: Dr. S. van Tuinen (EUR)
Location: Senate Hall, Erasmus Building, Woudestein Campus
Brief summary of the thesis:
(Financial) debt is an increasingly prominent source of political tension in the twenty-first century. Despite the various social problems that debt entails, however, there is still a general view that it must always be repaid. Why does debt possess this moral force? This thesis examines the various reasons for repaying debts and addresses the relationship between debt on the one hand and violence, justice, community, and 'subjectivity' (in philosophical jargon) on the other.
One of the key findings is that debt is often mistakenly regarded as a pedagogical instrument. There is a tendency to interpret debt as a form of discipline, intended to instill a sense of responsibility in the debtor. Relying on the linguistic kinship between financial and moral debt ('debt' & 'guilt' in English), it is assumed that the one leads to the other, such that financial debts trigger a sense of guilt or responsibility in the debtor. Such ideas underlie various rehabilitation programs for debtors, such as austerity programs for countries or debt restructuring for individuals. However, the problem with this way of thinking is not only that it rests on a misinterpretation of the philosophers from whom it is usually derived (Foucault, Nietzsche), but also that the effect of debt on debtors is misinterpreted. After all, debtors tend to become accustomed to their debts and, in doing so, become increasingly indifferent to the demands of society – unable to promise, as the title of this dissertation states.
More information: www.eur.nl
Copyright (C) 2026 Marli Huijer.