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Prof. Dr. Mieth Teaching

Winter Term 2024/25

 

030126 Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Tuesday 18-20

Teaching language:  German and English

Prof. Dr. Corinna Mieth (RUB),

Prof. Dr. Christian Neuhäuser (TU Dortmund)

Dr. Martina Herrmann (TU Dortmund)

Room: GA 3/143

Beschreibung:

Im Kolloquium werden aktuelle Forschungsthemen u.a. mit externen Gästen diskutiert. Ferner erhalten Examens- und PromotionskandidatInnen die Gelegenheit, ihre Arbeiten vorzustellen. Die einzelnen Termine werden zu Beginn der Veranstaltung bekanntgegeben. Zwei Termine mit externen Gästen finden an der TU Dortmund statt.

 

030079 Lektüreseminar: Kants Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten

Teaching language: German

Wednesday 14-16

Room: GA 3/143

Beschreibung:

Immanuel Kants Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten ist sein meistgelesener Text zur praktischen Philosophie. Die Schrift adressiert Fragen, die für die Moralphilosophie unserer Zeit prägend sind, wie: Warum moralisch sein? Stehen Moral und Eigeninteresse in einer Konflikt- oder Konvergenzbeziehung zueinander? Kant denkt, dass die Antwort in der Selbstvergewisserung unserer praktischen, auf das Handeln bezogenen Vernunft zu finden ist. Er glaubt, dass wir unser wahres Selbst realisieren, indem wir dem moralischen Gesetz entsprechen und unseren Neigungen widerstehen. Der Kategorische Imperativ liefert uns eine Handlungsanleitung in jeder Situation und ist für jede vernünftige Person realisierbar: wir müssen nur nach der Verallgemeinerbarkeit unserer Maxime fragen, um zu wissen, ob wir moralisch richtig und zugleich vernünftig handeln. Dass wir moralisch richtig handeln können, bedeutet, dass wir autonom sind, dass wir Willensfreiheit haben, uns unsere eigenen (moralischen) Gesetze selbst auferlegen, in dem Sinn, dass wir das moralische Gesetz aus reiner Achtung dafür, „aus Pflicht“ befolgen können, auch gegen den Widerstand unserer Neigungen, unseres Eigeninteresses. Wie verhält sich das dann zu der Frage nach dem eigenen Lebensglück, die die antike Philosophie primär interessiert hat? Wie plausibel ist die Annahme, dass nur eine Handlung aus Pflicht, aus reiner Achtung vor dem moralischen Gesetz moralischen Wert hat und eine altruistische Handlung aus Neigung keinen moralischen Wert hat? Kann man die Position vertreten, dass nur die Intention einer Handlung über ihren moralischen Wert entscheidet und die Folgen der Handlung moralisch irrelevant sind? Wir werden im Seminar vor allem Kants Text gründlich lesen und seine Argumentation zu rekonstruieren versuchen. Darüber hinaus werden wir Kants Position mit Einwänden konfrontieren und diskutieren.

Kreditpunkte: Die Studierenden können unbenotete oder benotete Studienleistungen erwerben; für letztere ist eine Studienleistung (mündliche Prüfung oder Hausarbeit) erforderlich.

Literaturangaben: auf moodle

 

030085 Charles W. Mills: The Racial Contract + Workshop

Teaching language: English

Thursday 12-14

Room: GA 3/143

Course Description:

American philosopher Charles Mills left important reflections on the nature, scope and perniciousness of racism. One of his most important works is The racial contract, in which he sought to introduce the concept of white supremacy into the social contract theory of Western Political philosophy. The contractarian tradition, he claimed, could be useful in explaining the exclusionary character of Western societies and institutions that systematically oppress racial minorities if one took racism as a constitutive element of the agreement. Accordingly, he proposed to understand the political institutions of Western societies as embodiments of a racial contract for the establishment and maintenance of a political system: white supremacy. Throughout the seminar, we will intend to grasp and discuss the main arguments put forward in the book, and to consider their implications for current normative questions related to racism and discrimination.

The seminar will include not only weekly discussion sessions, but also a workshop towards the end of the semester (date and details will be announced).

Credit Points: Students can acquire ungraded or graded credits; for the latter, an evaluation (oral examination or term paper) is required.

Literature: on moodle

 

030086 New Perspectives on Kant’s Practical Philosophy + Workshop

Teaching language: English.

Thursday 16-18

Room: GA 03/46

Course description:

Kantian practical philosophy offers promising tools for dealing with current practical problems, such as mass migration, discrimination or the exploitation of vulnerable people. At the same time, however, it contains problematic passages and concepts that need to be critically addressed, mainly in relation to his ideas about human ‘races’. In this seminar we will read and discuss important aspects of Kantian philosophy in these two variants: drawing on the richness of his ideas, but at the same time critically engaging with them.

One of the most famous quotes from Kant´s practical philosophy is the so-called “formula of humanity”, which entails two basic obligations: to treat others as ends in themselves and to never treat them as mere means.  Throughout the seminar will discuss what those rules demand. Discussions will have a strong focus on real life and hard political questions, especially migration. We will analyse if, and how, interpretations of the formula of humanity can help us understand and critically think about migration. Also, we will discuss whether there is a sound basis in Kant´s philosophy for a duty of hospitality towards immigrants or not. In doing that, we will not only discuss how people are supposed to treat each other, but we will also explore what organizations like States are expected to treat individuals and groups. Furthermore, we will explore problematic practical attitudes towards humans that are very relevant in our days and often also appear when we discuss issues like migration: hostility, exploitation and racism. Will engage with primary (lectures on physical geography and anthropology) and secondary literature that reveal racism in Kant and suggest a reading of his practical philosophy in ways that seem to endorse precisely the abovementioned objectionable practical attitudes, or that at least do not clearly exclude them.

The seminar will include not only weekly discussion sessions, but also a workshop towards the end of the semester (date and details will be announced).

Credit Points: Students can acquire ungraded or graded credits; for the latter, an evaluation (oral examination or term paper) is required.

Literature: on moodle

 

Winter Term 2023/24

 

030108: Theories of Compromise 

Thursday 14-16

Start Date: 13.10.2022

Course Type: Seminar (in English)

Recent challenges to liberal democracies, among them affective polarization on issues like migration or the rise of populism, gave rise to a renewed interest in the normative analysis of disagreement. Whereas until recently most normative political theory either aimed for determining a possible consensus on principles of justice, new perspectives take persistent disagreement as an essential feature of political life. One of the essential concepts for the analysis of political disagreement is compromise. The seminar will focus on a wide range of questions and issues regarding the conceptualization of compromise within normative political philosophy. The following questions will play a central role: How should we conceptualize compromises and is it possible to distinguish different kinds of compromises? What are fair compromises and do compromises always have to be fair to be justified? What reasons do we have for compromising – are they of purely pragmatic or could they also be of principled nature? Are there compromises that are absolutely forbidden or do we have to live with the problems of “dirty hands” and complicity in politics and if so, how should we understand them? Finally, it will be asked how the concept might help with understanding current challenges to liberal democracies more specifically. 

Literature: A reader with the relevant texts will be provided for the participants.

030085: New Research on Kant’s Practical Philosophy + workshop 

Thursday 10-12

Start Date: 13.10.2022

Course Type: Seminar (in English)

This seminar investigates the relevance of Kant’s practical philosophy for current political debates surrounding issues like race and migration. In the beginning, essential passages from key works like the Groundwork, the Doctrine of Virtue and Towards Perpetual Peace will be the object of detailed discussion. With this conceptual foundation, we will then turn to the debate surrounding the role of the concept of race in Kant’s writings. In the third part, we will examine how different parts of Kant’s practical and political philosophy relate to questions concerning immigration and refuge. During a workshop at the end of the seminar, new approaches and positions regarding Kant’s practical philosophy will be discussed with invited speakers.

Literature: A reader with the relevant texts will be provided for the participants.

030122: Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Thursday 16-19

Course Type: Seminar (in German)

Further details regarding the colloquium dates will be made available.


Past Teachings

Summer Term 2022

Migration, Stability, Solidarity and Compromise

Instrumentalization in Kant's Practical Philosophy

International Summer School "Urgent Normative Challenges to a Sustainable Future" (in cooperation with the Universities of Graz, Bern and Bari)

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2021/22

Property Rights and Positive Duties

Compromise and Political Cohesiion

Forschungskolloquium. Aktuelle Themen der Praktischen Philosophie

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Summer Term 2021

Research Stay at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (WIKO)

Winter Term 2020/21

Research Stay at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (WIKO)

Summer Term 2020

Einführung in die Ethik

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Winter Term 2019/20

On Compromise

Migration, Stability and Solidarity

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Summer Term 2019

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Winter Term 2018/19

The Political Philosophy of John Rawls

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Summer Term 2018

Einführung in die Ethik

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2017/18

Migration and Asylum

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Summer Term 2017

Migration and Stability

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Winter Term 2016/17

Ethics of Migration

Public Institutions in Latin America

Contemporary Theories of Justice, Global Justice and Human Rights with International Workshop

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Summer Term 2016

Einführung in die Ethik

EELP Summer School: Social Suffering

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

(Mieth/Neuhäuser/Mosayebi)

Colloquium EELP

Winter Term 2015/16

Kant and World Poverty

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Lecture Series "Ethics - Economics, Law and Politics"

Summer Term 2015

Einführung in die Ethik

Menschenwürde unter interkulturellen Gesichtspunkten

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2014/15

Theories of Responsibility

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Ringvorlesung "Ethics - Economics, Law and Politics"

Summer Term 2014

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2013/14

Verantwortung und Konsum

Kant, Positive Duties and absolute Poverty

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Summer Term 2013

Einführung in die Ethik (Vorlesung)

Einführung in die Ethik (Begleitseminar)

Global Justice (zusammen mit Dr. Christoph Bambauer)

"Health Impact Fund" - EELP Summer School (zusammen mit Dr. Christoph Bamauer)

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Allgemeines Doktorandenkolloquium

Winter Term 2012/13

Morality and Law (mit anschließendem Workshop)

John Rawls in der aktuellen Forschungsdiskussion

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Summer Term 2012

Rawls: Recht der Völker

Verantwortung (zusammen mit Dr. Christian Neuhäuser)

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2011/12

John Rawls: Politischer Liberalismus

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Summer Term 2011

Einführung in die Ethik (Vorlesung)

Einführung in die Ethik (Begleitseminar)

Moralische Konfliktsituationen

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Winter Term 2010/11

Moral und Glück

Positive Pflichten, soziale Rechte und Weltarmut als philosophisches Problem

Die Gerechtigkeitstheorie von John Rawls: Entwicklungen und Forschungsperspektiven

Research Colloquium. Current Topics in Practical Philosophy

Summer Term 2010

John Rawls: Eine Theorie der Gerechtigkeit

Einführung in die Politische Philosophie

Moralische Dilemmasituationen in der Rechtsphilosophie

Ethik und Ästhetik