Frederik Dhondt

Frederik Dhondt is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre Leo Apostel—Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) working on the FWO senior research project entitled "The Emergence of 'Newtonian Philosophy' in Britain, c.1672–1726: The Birth of a Movement that Shaped Modern Science". He obtained his PhD from CLEA/CLPS in 2024, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Steffen Ducheyne. His dissertation focused on the development of Isaac Newton's method discourse in natural philosophy: "'The province of true philosophy': The Development of Isaac Newton's Natural Philosophical Methodology". Since completing his PhD, he has broadened the scope of his research to include the emergence of Newtonianism during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. His research involves unpacking the contingent histories of great traditions such as 'Newtonianism', taking the diverse (polemical) aims of the historical agents involved seriously. While this research primarily falls within the domain of the history and philosophy of science, it also encompasses many of Frederik's broader philosophical interests, such as early modern philosophy, the history of philosophy, and the history of ideas. He developed these research interests during his education at Ghent University, where he obtained the following degrees in philosophy: Bachelor (2017), Master (2018), Interuniversity Research Master (2019), and Master of Science in Teaching in Arts and Humanities (2026).