Research Profile Ethics
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Ethics

The profile area 'Ethics' represents a core area of our TRA and at the same time, with its high relevance for various already existing projects, such as 'Autonomy and Autonomous Systems', 'Digitalization, Law and Economy', it is an important cross-cutting topic of our other profile areas. The projects in the profile area 'Ethics' address questions concerning e.g. public health or the social consequences of the Corona pandemic. This cross-cutting theme aims to bridge the gap between the life sciences (medicine, philosophy, theology, ethics, law, etc.) and societal contexts (e.g. education, culture, market, politics).

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At the heart of this profile area, the Hertz Professorship for 'Life Ethics' was filled in 2021 with Prof. Christiane Woopen, MD. With her research on ethically and legally relevant aspects of societal problems and challenges, which can only be answered by involving various disciplines from the humanities, social sciences and life sciences, Christiane Woopen establishes a link between the different research areas represented in the TRA. For this purpose, the 'Center for Life Ethics' was founded, whose research focuses on four systemically interacting dynamics that particularly characterize changes in our time: mechanization, economization, ecologization and globalization of our lives.

The expertise of the profile area 'Ethics' is furthermore complemented by Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe within the framework of an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for 'Applied Ethics of Artificial intelligence' since December 2020. Both scientists work closely with each other and with many other members of our TRA on the development and expansion of this profile area.

Projects in the profile area 'Ethics'

Project leader
Prof. Dr. Svenja Kranich
Prof. Dr. Daniela Pirazzini
PD Dr. Simone Knewitz

Staff
Hanna Bruns (WMA)

Information about the project
The overarching question of the research project aims at a better understanding of changing power structures and hierarchies in contemporary societies, taking into account both the individual (e.g. regarding self-determination, freedom of the individual) and society (e.g. regarding questions of social participation) as well as the role of institutions (e.g. regarding discrimination). Democratization in this sense is understood as an increase in the participation of all social groups as well as a (supposed) flattening of hierarchies.

Events
  • Interdisciplinary Workshop (12.09.2023): "Democratisation, roles, and discourse"
Teaching events
Publications

    Project leader
    Prof. Dr. Andreas Odenthal 
    Prof. Dr. Cornelia Richter

    Staff
    Rasmus Wittekind (WMA)

    David Renz (SHK)

    Information about the project
    The project examines the possibilities of an appropriate perception, description and interpretation of the (crisis-like) experience of world-societal transformation processes (such as the regional and global effects of climate change, increased mobility and migration, digitalization and artificial intelligence, biotechnology, democracy and governmentality) from a theological and religious studies perspective. Already the semantizations of such complexes of phenomena operate with concepts, categories, linguistic images and value patterns that have implications for the imaginary and real space of action for dealing with, shaping and norming such challenges. The project investigates which notions of salvation, agency and integrity are associated with certain semantizations and thus meaning-making processes in future scenarios.

    Events
    Teaching events
    Publications
    • Daniel Bauer: Impulse von Habermas' Genealogie für die Selbstverortung des christlichen Glaubens in der nachmetaphysischen Moderne. Eine praktisch-theologische Perspektive. In: ThGl 112 (2022), S. 166-181.
    • Andreas Krebs: Erdverbundenheit. Zur Kritik der gnostischen Struktur in Christentum und Moderne, in: Simone Horstmann, Gregor Taxacher (Hg.), Animate Theologies. Ein (un)mögliches Projekt?, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 2022, 73–95.
    • Cornelia Richter (Hrsg.): The Illusion of the Obvious. On Truth and Reliability in Times of Crisis. Special Issue. JRAT 8, 2022/1, Brill: 2022.
    • Stefan Walser: Identitätsfindung und Glaubensdynamik. Implikationen für die systematische Theologie, in: Klaus von Stosch / Stefan Walser / Anne Weber (Hg.): Theologie im Übergang. Identität – Digitalisierung – Dialog (Kirche in Zeiten der Veränderung 12) Freiburg i. Br. 2022, 89–113.
    • Heidrun Mader: Hagar, die beschnittene Sklavin, und Sara, die unbeschnittene Freie: Eine Neuinterpretation der Allegorie in Gal 4,21-31 im Kontext des galatischen Konfliktes, in Korinna Zamfir/Uta Poplutz (ed.), Neutestamentliche Briefliteratur (Die Bibel und die Frauen: Eine exegetisch kulturgeschichtliche Enzyklopädie 2.2), Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 2022
      Andreas Odenthal/Cornelia Richter (Hrsg.): Semantisierung in Zukunftsdiskursen. Theologische Analysen krisenbezogener Sprachbilder. Herder: 2023.

    Project leader
    Dr. Matthew Ryan Robinson

    Staff
    Miriam Dorlaß (SHK)
    Saskia Held (SHK)

    Jan Thelen (SHK)

    Information about the project
    The ‘What Does Theology Do, Actually?’-project aims not to do theology, but to observe what theologies do, in and for the communities in which theologies circulate and hold meaning. How is theology understood and practiced as a semantics of global society? What kinds of problems do theologies solve and how? These questions are pursued, moreover, with specific attention given to the “transcultural”.

    Events
    Publications

      Project leader
      Dr. Charlotte Gauvry

      Information about the project
      Creation of an interdisciplinary and international research forum to develop new criteria for determining whether and when non-human entities, such as non-linguistic animals, new brain organisms, or advanced AI systems can be considered conscious.
       
      Events
      Teaching events 
      Publications
      • U. Peters. 2023. « Unjustified Sample Sizes and Generalizations in Explainable AI Research: Principles for More Inclusive User Studies. IEEE Intelligent Systems (main author; co-authored with Mary Carman)
      • C. Gauvry, T. Rüber. 2024. « Extrapolating Consciousness in Isolated Hemispheres. Hemispherotomy as a new challenge », Revue de métaphysique et de morale, Numéro Special issue : « New research on consciousness », forthcoming in 2024.
      Further activities

        Dr. Björn Schmitz-Luhn 

        Staff:
        Johanne Stümpel 
        Silke Gaertzen 

        Information about the project
        For the Think Journey, leading experts from different disciplines have been invited to present their respective views on the future. Students, young scientists and interested members of the public have the opportunity to meet the experts and discuss how new ideas for an ethically based design of the future can emerge.

        Events

        Project leader

        Dr. Hendrik Ohnesorge

        Staff
        Information about the project
        The project aims to assess whether the neural mechanisms of reward processing underlie the soft power exercted by personalities, ideas or symbols.
        Further information will follow
        Jace Proske (WHF)
        Information about the project
        Migration is currently one of the major societal challenges in all regions of the world and is increasingly identified as a new line of conflict in Western democracies. Bonn is home to a high density of expertise in the research areas surrounding displacement and (forced) migration, both at universities and in non-university research. In 2020, a research mapping on this topic area took place under the umbrella of the Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research. Since then, a lot has happened, new projects have emerged in this field, and new colleague have joined. As a reflexive-critical attitude of researchers on this topic is particularly important both in the research process and in the communication of the results to a broader public, we need to anchor research on this topic in collaboration with non-academic and nun-university actors.

        The Project is supported by Bonn Research Alliance (BORA)

        Events
        Project leader

        Prof. Dr. Christian Bayer

        Information about the project
        Further information will follow 

        Project leader

        Jan Linhart

        Information about the project

        As part of a long term strategy for decolonising and opening the current science system towards a pluriverse of perspectives on global challenges, this joined project brings together a transdisciplinary group of experts from Latin America and Germany for engaging during one week in pluriversal dialogues on environmental ethics and education for futures beyond "development". A series of workshops will provide space for experimenting with pluriversal practices and methodologies from intercultural and environmental research and education, analysing them form different cultural, social, historical and geopolitical perspectives, providing important insights concerning the potential, viability and challenges of mobilizing diverging perspectives for co-creating social and ecologically sustainable solutions.

        Events

        Further activities 

        This is a joint project with the TRA Present Pasts
        Project leader

        Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun

        Information about the project
        The project investigates the implications of shame and shaming in law and morality, in particular the use of shaming as a social and legal sanction mechanism, be it in education, the media (“media pillory”) or even in criminal law.
        Project leader
        Prof. Dr. Takahiro Nakajima (University of Tokyo)
        Prof. Dr. Paul Pickering  (Australian National) 

        Prof. Dr. Xudong Zhang (New York University)

        Information about the project

        The Winter Institute is an annual collaboration between Australian National University, New York University, the University of Tokyo and the University of Bonn to discuss a broad topic in an interdisciplinary setting. The program involves keynote lectures, faculty papers and graduate student presentations including cross-disciplinary questioning. The Winter Institute also includes social and networking events for delegates.

        Events
        • Winter Institute (07.-10. January 2025): "Techne and Human Sciences in the 21st Century"

        Project leader
        Prof. Dr. Mathias Schmoeckel
        Prof. Dr. Martin Keßler

        Staff
        Ji Chen (SHK)

        Sophie von Depka-Prondzuynski (SHK)

        Information about the project
        In the Age of Enlightenment, natural and human rights were not only called for programmatically, but also proclaimed politically - as in Virginia in 1776. Civil rights do become parts of institutions. As universal as the legal claims as such are, the circumstances that led to their very implementation are just as diverse. The project investigates decisive moments and developments that added in various counties and ages to the political establishment of fundamental rights.

        Events
        • Workshop (28.04.2023-30.04.2023): 'Natural law and the Definition of Good Order'
        Teaching Events
        Further information

        Project leader
        Prof. Dr. Cornelia Richter

        Staff

        Torben Alles 

        Information about the project
        Further information will follow

        Events
        Teaching events 
        Publications
        Further information
        • Call for Papers (Deadline: 31.07.2020)
          • 1st place: Dr. Martin Breuel (Köln): „Lüge, Bullshit, Propaganda? ‚Postfaktische Politik‘ und das Rationalitätspotential der Demokratie‘“
          • 2nd place: Florian Buchmayer (Bremen): „Das Gerede vom Postfaktischen als diskursive Wende“
          • 3rd place: Eytan Celik (Bayreuth): „Fake News als Bedrohung für die moderne Gesellschaft – eine kantische Perspektive“
        • Prize Question 2020-2022 (Deadline: 31.12.2021): What is truth under the conditions of digitalization? An epistemological question in conversation with hermeneutics, philosophy
          of religion and sociocultural phenomenology
          • Award winner: Dr. Matteo Belgrano (Philosophie, UCA/CONICET)

        Kontakt für weitere Informationen

        Johanna Tix

        Manager of the TRA

        Contact

         +49 228 73 54468

        johanna.tix@uni-bonn.de

        tra4@uni-bonn.de

        Address

        Dechenstraße 3-11

        53115 Bonn

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