Theo Verbeek, Dutch philosopher

Doctor Honoris Causa of ENS de Lyon - February 9, 2011 An esthete, francophile and francophone, Theo Verbeek is the internationally recognized specialist of Descartes and the famous quarrel of Utrecht. Theodorus Hendrikus Maria Verbeek was born on June 12, 1945 in Heemstede, near Amsterdam. After studying French, literature and philosophy at the University of Amsterdam, in 1988, Theo Verbeek obtained his doctorate of philosophy (with unanimous congratulations from the jury) for his thesis, in French, on "the Treaty of the soul of the Mettrie." He began his academic career in 1971 - at the age of 26, as an Assistant at the University of Leiden, then at the University of Utrecht where he started working in 1976. Appointed Professor in 1993, he then became Director of the Research Institute responsible for a new edition of Descartes. Since June 2010, he has been Professor Emeritus of this venerable institution which will celebrate its 375th anniversary this year. Throughout his career, Theo Verbeek has lectured worldwide: 45 international lectures between 1993 and 2010. He has been visiting Professor in the United States, Italy, Japan, CNRS and ENS.