11.12. Public talk by Professor Frank Hindriks: The Open Society in the Age of Identity
11.12.2025, 15–17, HSSH Seminar room 524, Fabianinkatu 24A, 5th floor. Reception with drinks and snack will be held after the talk.
How are we to live together in a diverse society? In a time of polarization, fragmentation, and inequality, the liberal answer to this question requires a new defense. Democratic institutions are under threat. Identity groups seeking recognition often encounter resistance. In response, Frank Hindriks defends the significance of institutions that foster freedom, equality, and autonomy. And he argues that this age of identity calls for an inclusive and open mentality.
Famously, Karl Popper identified holism as the enemy of the open society. It leads to tribal communities with credulous and closeminded members. But the holist ontology defended here reveals how irreducibly social structures can support the basic rights that lie at the heart of liberal democracy. Crucially, they need not impair, but can in fact enhance critical reflection, toleration and epistemic modesty, which are vital for the resilience of a liberal democracy. To defend these ideals, Hindriks proposes that a society is a cluster of social structures. Their two building blocks are equilibria, which reflect the incentives people have, and rules, which give meaning to and govern their actions. In principle, social structures enable them to interact in mutually beneficial ways. Yet, they also constrain their behavior. To secure basic rights, an appropriate mix of constraints and enablements has to be supported by a culture that recognizes their significance for a sustainable society.
Frank Hindriks is professor of Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Groningen. He is a member of the Centre for Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and a PI of the interdisciplinary research project Sustainable Cooperation (SCOOP). His research concerns social ontology and collective ethics, which come together in his book The Structure of the Open Society (OUP, 2025). Hindriks is a founding editor of the Journal of Social Ontology (JSO) and a founding member of the International Social Ontology Society (ISOS).
HSSH’s Sointu Leikas on YLE TV
University Researcher Sointu Leikas from
Sointu is featured in the show as an expert on a segment that focuses on whether children’s personalities in families are affected by their birth order.
Visiting Professor Robert Mason reflects on time in Helsinki
Robert Mason, Associate Professor from the Gulf States Institute in Washington served as an HSSH Visiting Professor in 2025, recently concluding his stay in Helsinki. In this short interview, he looks back on his time at the University of Helsinki and shares reflections on the collaborations, discussions, and insights that shaped his visit.
What research interests, projects and questions have you been working on at the University of Helsinki, and HSSH, and with whom?
My main research focus is on the international relations of the Middle East with a particular reference to the Gulf states. I was fortunate to be hosted at HSSH by Professor Hannu Juusola and Professor Riikka Kuusisto. During my stay I gave an open lecture on Gulf security, engaged with PhD students and discussed their research, and engaged with the wider policy community in Helsinki through an event at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. I also presented at a Finnish Institute in the Middle East event for the local business community alongside other experts from HSSH. It is anticipated that work with HSSH PhD candidates and on joint funding proposals will be ongoing.
Why are these collaborations important?
These collaborations are immensely important in terms of building personal connections and familiarity with institutional and state settings. By spending time discussing various aspects of our research and teaching, we can identify value-added cooperation and build more sustainable connections that would be hard to establish in any other way. For me, my first time in Finland gave me fresh understanding into the history and priorities of the country and an opportunity to engage with a diverse range of individuals whose unique insights are relevant to my work.
Is there anything else you would like to mention about your visit?
I would like to reiterate my appreciation to my hosts and HSSH administration for the warm welcome, time, and effort in making my stay go so smoothly.
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We thank Professor Mason for his valuable contributions and his visit, and for sharing his reflections with us.
9.12. DARIAH-FI Online Workshop: New datasets and tools for social media research
This open and free online workshop introduces datasets, tools and related services recently developed for social media and web research. In recent years, the Finnish Network for Data-intensive Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences (DARIAH-FI) together with The Language Bank of Finland (Kielipankki) have developed tools and methods to access, analyze, and enrich large-scale data from social media outlets, gaming outlets and other web-based platforms. This workshop is organised by the Universiy of Eastern Finland in collaboration with the universities of Helsinki, Turku, Jyväskylä and Oulu.
Brown Bag Seminar every Tuesday at 12.15 – next session with Viljami Vaarala on 3.12.
The seminars are organized as hybrid events. You’re warmly welcome to join us at the HSSH Seminar Room, Fabianinkatu 24 A, room 524, 5th floor (access via door, not courtyard due to renovations), or on Zoom.
According to a researcher at the Methodological Unit, Matti Pohjonen, the idea of the meetings “is to introduce methodological innovations and cutting-edge research in various disciplines in an easily accessible manner and have an interdisciplinary discussion in an easy-going atmosphere over lunch.”
Every Wednesday at 12.15. On Wednesday 3.12. Viljami Vaarala will talk about who listens to podcasts and why.