Scherpdenkers: Joke J. Hermsen

Joke J. Hermsen

Joke J. Hermsen studied Literature and Philosophy in Amsterdam and Paris. Following her doctoral dissertation, she has published some twenty books. Time, art, melancholy, and love are the main themes in her work. In Ogenblik & eeuwigheid (Moment & Eternity) , she wrote about forgotten female thinkers and visual artists. Recently, she collected her philosophical essays on time in Tijd is hoop (Time is Hope) . Her work has been awarded various prizes. Joke J. Hermsen regularly gives lectures at home and abroad and participates in literary concerts with, among others, the Netherlands Chamber Choir and Cappella Amsterdam.

Time is hope

What may we hope for? We are diligently searching for an answer to this question from Immanuel Kant these days as well. Is there still hope in fearful times? Hope has to do with our imagination and our sense of time. We can reflect on the past and daydream about the future. However, hope has not only to do with imagination and a sense of time, but also with the unknown of the future. If we take sufficient rest and practice our focus, hope can take flight. That hope is nourished in part by inspiring stories, music, and encounters with others.