Fachschaft Philosophie
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Lektürekurse Wintersemester 2025/26

Ihr seid gefragt: Welche Lektürekurse sollen im kommenden Semester stattfinden? Gebt eure Stimme bis zum Freitag, 21. Juli für die Kurse ab, an denen ihr Interesse habt. Die Umfrage dient der Entscheidungsfindung im Auswahlverfahren der Kurse, die stattfinden können. Bei Teilnahmeinteresse oder Fragen (z.B. zur Literatur) schreibt den Kursleiter*innen gerne eine Mail. Bitte beachtet, dass eure E-Mail-Adressen im Anschluss an die Kursleiter*innen weitergegeben werden, wenn ihr für einen Kurs abstimmt. So können euch die Leiter*innen kontaktieren.

 

Folgende Kurse stehen für das Wintersemester 2025/26 zur Auswahl:

Beyond Being. Plotinus on the One

We sometimes forget that Being has not always occupied the central place in the history of metaphysics: for centuries, the concept of the One – an ultimate, unified source of all reality – significantly dominated Western philosophy, particularly during the development of Neoplatonism. Even before that period, from the earliest Presocratic reflections on the unity behind the multiplicity of nature to Plato’s Form of the Good, philosophers have sought to identify a foundational principle that grounds all being and knowledge. The One represents the aspiration toward a radical simplicity that transcends the shifting world of appearances, serving as both an ontological and ethical ideal. Its influence extends well beyond antiquity, shaping theological, mystical, and philosophical traditions in both the East and West. Hence, understanding how the One functions in metaphysical systems is crucial to tracing the development of Western thought and its enduring preoccupation with unity, transcendence, and the absolute. In this context, Plotinus stands as one of the most influential figures. As the founder of Neoplatonism, his thought represents both a profound development of Plato’s metaphysical vision and a bridge between ancient and medieval philosophical traditions. When Plato declared in a famous passage of the Republic that the Good “is beyond being in dignity and power” he opened a door that he did not cross himself, a door that shows the way beyond Being. But what Plato only seemed to mention occasionally, Plotinus took it and used it as the starting point of his philosophical inquiry. This, together with Aristotelian and Stoic influences, results in a rational comprehension of reality as a whole – one that, far from being mere syncretism, constitutes a vigorous synthesis with its own distinctive character. Thus, his Enneads, compiled and edited by his student Porphyry, offer a comprehensive system of metaphysical reflection on reality, the soul, and the ultimate principle of all things, which he calls ‘the One.’ In light of the above, the central focus of this reading course will be Plotinus’ doctrine of the One, the ineffable and transcendent source from which all existence proceeds. For Plotinus, the One is beyond being and intellect; it is utterly simple, indivisible, and self-sufficient. From the One emanates the hierarchy of reality: first the Intellect, then the Soul, and finally the material world. This emanative structure not only articulates a metaphysical cosmology but also grounds a vision of spiritual return of the soul’s ascent back to the One through contemplation and purification. This view, nevertheless, is not merely speculative but it is deeply connected to an existential and mystical pursuit: the soul’s yearning to return to its divine origin. By studying these aspect of Plotinus’ thought, participants will engage with questions that still remain central to contemporary metaphysics: Can there be an ultimate principle that is not Being? How can absolute unity give rise to multiplicity? Can something simpler than everything explain everything else? What is the ultimate source of reality? Can it be known? The course will explore these themes through close readings of selected treatises of the Enneads (A complete reading, unfortunately, exceeds the time we have at our disposal), supplemented by secondary texts that situate Plotinus in the broader philosophical tradition. Students will gain insight not only into ancient metaphysics but will also engage with ideas whose
influence resonates through the works of Proclus, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Avicenna, Eckhart, and extends to modern thinkers such as Spinoza, Leibniz, Hegel, Schelling, Bergson, Levinas, and many others.

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Decoding Power: Feminist Perspectives on Algorithms and Knowledge

This reading group will explore how feminist, postcolonial, and critical race epistemologies challenge and reshape dominant models of knowledge, with a focus on digital systems, data practices, and algorithmic tools. We begin by analyzing foundational feminist theories of knowledge, exploring how situated knowledges and epistemic politics challenge traditional scientific objectivity. From there, we incorporate postcolonial and critical race critiques that unsettle dominant power structures in knowledge production. Building on these foundations, the
course examines feminist data practices and epistemic resistance, before turning to contemporary debates around algorithmic authority, fairness, and structural injustice. Finally, we explore ethical frameworks for technology through feminist and intersectional lenses, emphasizing care, accountability, and justice in technological futures. The purpose of the following syllabus is to outline the intended direction and key themes of the reading group, but the selection of readings will remain open and adaptable, allowing our discussions and collective interests to shape the path we take together.

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Tod und Transhumanismus in Frankenstein

In 1818 schreibt Mary Shelley mit Frankenstein – Or the Modern Prometheus Geschichte und begründet das sci-fi genre. Der Roman erzählt von Viktor Frankenstein’s schicksalhaften Unterfangen, mit Hilfe der Wissenschaft den Tod zu besiegen, was letztendlich in einer Tragödie endet. In diesem Lektürekurs soll einerseits die zeitlose Thematik Tod behandelt werden, um zu verstehen, was der Tod für den Menschen bedeutet und warum wir so fasziniert von der Idee sind den Tod zu umgehen. Außerdem beschäftigt sich der Lektürekurs mit dem immer relevanter werdenden Konzept Transhumanismus und hat das Ziel die Vor- und Nachteile dieser Strömung
herauszuarbeiten und zu beleuchten, wie Transhumanismus und verwandte Bereiche wie KI das menschliche Leben beeinflussen. In den einzelnen Sitzungen sollen jeweils Kapitel aus dem Buch Frankenstein mit thematisch passendem Begleitmaterial besprochen werden, wobei ca. die erste Hälfte des Kurses Tod und die zweite Hälfte Transhumanismus behandeln soll.

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Parmenides and Philebus: Oneness and Multitude of Forms in Plato's late dialogues

When discussing problems inherent to Plato´s theory of forms, most people address Aristotle´s criticisms of them from A9 (and the parallel M4 and M9) of Metaphysics, and the ones from the first part of the Parmenides. And quite rightfully so, since Aristotle, being Plato´s best student, who spent 15 years at the Academy, must have understood the theory he was criticising well. However, less attention was given to how Plato addressed them and the solutions he offered. I would like to dedicate this reading group to a problem that Plato not only explicitly poses but also addresses in his so-called late dialogues, often referred to as the dilemma of participation: if we understand participation (metechein) of instances in forms as presence (parousia), then how can one form be present in many of its participants? This seems to imply a dilemma: it can either be wholly present in separate things (retaining its oneness), making it separate from itself, or it can be divided into parts, making it have contradictory properties. Plato seems to favour the latter option in dilemma, but with caution: he does not simply accept it, but offers some solutions (whether implicit or explicit) in the Parmenides and Philebus.

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Structural Metaphysics: The Fundamental Structure of Reality

What is metaphysics about? While different philosophers will give different answers, Ted Sider is unequivocally clear: metaphysics is about the “fundamental structure of reality” (2011: 1). According to Sider, “[d]iscerning ‘structure’ means discerning patterns. It means figuring out the right categories for describing the world” (ibid.). In other words, “There is an objectively correct way to ‘write the book of the world’.” (ibid.: vii). Theodore Sider’s Writing the Book of the World (2011) is one of the most influential books of contemporary analytic metaphysics, having being cited almost one thousand times since its publication. Although being centred around metaphysics, it covers ground in the philosophy of language, philosophy of logic, and even philosophy of time. This reading course will offer participants the opportunity to take a deep dive into the debate that surrounds this highly relevant work.
The first part of the course will be dedicated to reading the most relevant sections of the book. We will learn more about the notion of “structure”, investigate its applications to ontology, logic, and modality, and explore how Sider’s conception of metaphysics compares to other notable conceptions, most notably the neo-Aristotelianism of Kit Fine and Jonathan Schaffer. Prof. Sider himself will join us online for one session to give us the opportunity to ask him all the questions that will come up as we read his work! In the second part of the course, we will read what critics have to say about Sider’s project, and Sider’s responses to them. To start, we will read the essay of another fellow realist metaphysician, Cian Dorr. We will then move on to the neo-Aristotelians Kit Fine’s and Jonathan Schaffer’s replies. To conclude, we will hear from a prominent ontological deflationist, Eli Hirsch.

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Feminist Epistemology 101

How does one’s position within a social context influence the way one interacts with the world? How does scientific knowledge (production) reinforce and reproduce patriarchal structures? What transformations are necessary for scientific knowledge to become more egalitarian and conducive towards liberation from oppressive structures? These are some of the questions that concern feminist epistemologists and philosophers of science since the emergence of an explicitly feminist research program towards the end of the 20th century.
In this course I would like to read together and work through short texts by central figures in the field of feminist epistemology. The goal is to identify main theses, methodological approaches, and topics of concern within this framework in a first step and to subsequently map out the different positions that emerge in a second step. Some of the authors that will guide us through this task are Helen Longino, Sally Haslanger, Sandra Harding, Donna Haraway and Maria Lugones.

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Philosophy of space

This student tutorial will be based on the book Space from Zeno to Einstein by Nick Huggett. The book is an anthology of classical readings on the philosophy of space, accompanied by contemporary commentary. The philosophy of space is a significant topic in both metaphysics and the philosophy of physics, and the book includes works by thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Newton, and Einstein. In addition to its philosophical discussions, the book features a technical section that involves some prior knowledge of mathematics and physics; however, these concepts
are also well explained, making them accessible to a broader audience. The tutorial will focus on addressing essential questions, such as: What is space? What is the nature of space? Can physics provide an adequate notion of space-time? The emphasis will be on exploring the problematic aspects of these questions, fostering engaging discussions and critical thinking. Historical texts will serve as a foundation, guiding participants towards informed and nuanced perspectives on these philosophical issues.

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Metacognition in mental health and agency

The training of metacognitive control - an ability to monitor and regulate one’s own mental processes - is increasingly taking center stage in various types of cognitive therapy. In this reading group, we will explore the philosophical aspects of this development. We will explore both the motivations for making metacognitive processes the target of therapeutic interventions, but also go beyond the strictly therapeutic context, and discuss metacognitive awareness as conducive to human flourishing in general.
The significance of these questions is twofold. According to WHO, 1 in 8 people worldwide live with a mental disorder, while the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clearer thinking about mental suffering and healing is an urgent issue. The phenomenon of metacognition is also philosophically interesting in its own right, as it has implications to longstanding debates in both philosophy of mind and action, epistemology and ethics.
Throughout the course, we will read both philosophical and psychological literature. In the first part of the course, we will be concerned with the metacognitive and attentional patterns in emotional disorders. In the second, we will continue with discussions of mindfulness, meditation and mindwandering. In the last part, we will link these issues to mental agency and the ethics of attention.

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Friedrich Nietzsche – Also sprach Zarathustra

Einführung in Friedrich Nietzsches Also sprach Zarathustra mit stark machender und auch
kritischer Auseinandersetzung. Die Kapitel mit den zentralen Konzepten und Themen wie
dem Übermenschen, den letzten Menschen, amor fati, dem Willen zur Macht oder der
ewigen Wiederkunft werden hierzu behandelt.

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Philosophy of language and hate speech

Im WS2025/26 würde ich gerne einen tutorierten Lektürekurs über Pejorativa in der Sprachphilosophie anbieten, mit dem Titel ‚Slurs – Philosophy of language and hate speech‘. Dabei möchte ich aktuelle Texte lesen, die verschiedene Theorien zu Bedeutung und Nutzung von Pejorativa diskutieren. Schwerpunkte sollen der Bezug zu allgemeinen Theorien der sprachlichen Bedeutung, die Semantik-Pragmatik Unterscheidung, Bedeutungspluralismus, sowie das sogenannte ‚Reclaiming‘ von Pejorativa sein. Ich möchte dabei durch die Gegenüberstellung verschiedener theoretischer Positionen, unter anderem durch Repliken und Kritiken, ein Verständnis für die Komplexität und die Dialektik der Thematik vermitteln. Dementsprechend soll das Phänomen Pejorativa von unterschiedlichen sprachphilosophischen Perspektiven aus beleuchtet werden.
Das Thema Pejorativa hat sich in den letzten Jahren erst richtig in der Sprachphilosophie als Forschungsgegenstand etabliert und daher steht eine große Menge an relativ neuen philosophischen Publikationen bereit, die Einblick in den aktuellen Stand der Forschung geben können.
Darüber hinaus kann die exemplarische Anwendung sprachphilosophischer Diskussionen im Rahmen von Pejorativa ein interessanter Weg sein, um sich mit grundlegenden Fragestellungen der Disziplin auseinanderzusetzen. Auch ‚Anfänger‘ können sich so ein Verständnis für sprachphilosophische Problematiken erarbeiten. Gerade weil Pejorativa besonders aufmerksamkeitswirksam sind, lassen sich theoretische Standpunkte anhand von ihnen greifbar machen.
Zudem bewegen sich Pejorativa – quasi per Definition – durch ihre Wirkung zwischen Sprachphilosophie und Ethik, was die Möglichkeit einer integrativen Perspektive eröffnet und wiederum Reflexionen über die sprachphilosophische Methode anstößt, etwa zu ‚ideal‘ und ‚non-ideal theory‘.

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Antike griechische und römische Ästhetik

Auch wenn die philosophische Disziplin der Ästhetik ihre theoretische Grundlegung erst mit Baumgarten im 18. Jh. erfahren hat, liegen ihre Wurzeln doch in der antiken Philosophie. Dort war der Begriff des Schönen und die Frage, was das Schöne denn eigentlich sei, aus kaum einer Philosophie wegzudenken. Ist das Schöne nur etwas sinnlich Wahrnehmbares oder hat es einen höheren ontologischen Status? Eng damit verbunden ist das Wesen der Kunst und insbesondere die Wirkung der Kunst auf den Menschen. Die Theorien dazu reichen von Ansätzen, die die Kunst als schädlich für den Menschen einschätzen, bis zu welchen, die in der Kunst einen potentiellen Weg zur Erkenntnis des Göttlichen sehen.
Einen Querschnitt zur antiken griechischen und römischen Ästhetik bietet das Buch Bychkov & Sheppard, das die Grundlage dieses Lektürekurses darstellt. Daraus werden wir Texte und Auszüge folgender Autoren lesen: Platon, Aristoteles, Cicero, Longinus, Aristides Quintilianus, Plotin, Augustinus und Proklos. Das Themenspektrum reicht von der Dichtkunst über die Musik bis zur bildenden Kunst und dabei wird die Kunst sowohl in theoretischer als auch in praktischer Hinsicht diskutiert. Die 12 Sitzungen sollen einen Überblick über und eine Einführung in die griechische und römische Ästhetik geben.

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An Introduction to John Rawls

John Rawls has arguably been the most important figure in (analytic) political philosophy in the 20th century. While his grip on contemporary debates has somewhat loosened since his death in 2002, and many of his ideas have subsequently come under pressure from various directions, his core ambition – to (re-)construct a conceptual scheme for a system of fair social cooperation among free and equal citizens within a well-ordered society – remains a startling achievement, one that merits closer scrutiny.
This lecture course will be centred on John Rawls’ two most important contributions, A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism, which will provide much of the course’s literature. Importantly, I will also include a number of key writings published in the intervening years, which will help us to grasp the central changes, adaptations, and reconceptualisations that Rawls undertook over time. Finally, I will include two of the most important – though very different – strands of objections to Rawls that shaped the subsequent debate: the communitarian, as well as the cosmopolitan, critique. In this context, we will – putting it very roughly – explore questions concerning tensions between individualism and community, local and global obligations, equality and autonomy, as well as state neutrality and perfectionism.

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Timothy Williamson: The Philosophy of Philosophy

Timothy Williamson’s The Philosophy of Philosophy (2007) is a landmark work in metaphilosophy – the philosophical study of the nature, methods, and aims of philosophy itself. Williamson sets out to reorient our understanding of philosophical practice. He defends an anti-exceptionalist position, arguing that the differences between philosophy and other sciences, both in subject matter and in methodology, are less deep than is often supposed (cf. p. 5) He challenges the predominant self-conception of philosophy, according to which, after the linguistic turn, it has primarily been concerned with conceptual analysis. While that might be true for large parts of the 20th century, “[a] new narrative is needed for the history of philosophy since 1960” (p. 24). “The usual stories about the history of twentieth-century philosophy fail to fit much of the liveliest, exactest, and most creative achievements of the final third of that century: the revival of metaphysical theorizing, realist in spirit, often speculative, sometimes commonsensical”. (p. 21) The book takes a step back from the increasingly hyperspecialized character of contemporary philosophy. It offers a broad, unifying vision of what philosophy is and how it should be practiced, and connects a wide range of topics – including analyticity, counterfactual thinking, metaphysics, and modality. Thus, Williamson’s approach brings much-needed clarity and coherence to a field that often risks losing sight of its larger purpose amidst technical fragmentation. Furthermore, it avoids excessive technicalities, which makes the book accessible to a broad range of students from different stages in their education. Although it is rooted in the analytic tradition, the methodological focus and critical stance also make the book relevant to those working in other traditions, including continental philosophy Given that the increasing specialization of philosophy is often reflected in academic curricula, this reading group may serve as a valuable supplement to
more narrowly focused coursework, offering participants an opportunity to engage with overarching methodological questions. In its second edition (2022), the book was significantly expanded, with the addition of responses to critics and new material that further develops Williamson’s position. However, in this reading group, we will confine ourselves to the material already included in the original 2007 edition. In addition, Professor Williamson has agreed to join us for an online Q&A session towards the end of the semester, in which we will have the opportunity to ask him questions that have accumulated over the course of the semester.

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Marxist Modernism: Die Frankfurter Schule und die politische Rolle der Kunst.

Wer sind diese "Cultural Marxists", die laut Trumps intellektuellem Unterbau alles unterwandert haben? Die wohl aktuell wichtigste Verschwörungstheorie der globalen Rechten klingt wie eine zeitgenössische Reformulierung des “Weltjudentums” und wurde unter anderem von Viktor Orban, Nigel Farage, Ron DeSantis sowie Jordan Peterson beschworen. Sie basiert auf einer Misrepresentation der sogenannten Frankfurter Schule, einer Gruppe interdisziplinär arbeitender Autoren um Max Horkheimer und Theodor W. Adorno, welche die Kritische Theorie entwickelt haben. Dieser Lektürekurs soll sowohl als Einführung in die Kapitalismuskritik der Kritischen Theorie als auch als Erforschung der politischen Rolle der Kunst dienen. Dazu werden
wir uns zunächst mit den philosophie-historischen Voraussetzungen für das Entstehen des, und die Notwendigkeit der Emanzipation vom klassischen Marxismus beschäftigen; Hegels Dialektik, Marx, Nietzsches toter Gott und das Ausbleiben einer Revolution in Deutschland. Anschließend folgt, nach Beachten des Vordenkers Lukàcs, ein Abriss der 1. Generation der Frankfurter Schule anhand von Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Löwenthal und Erich Fromm. Dabei ist ihre Vorstellung von der politisch gestaltenden Rolle der Kunst stark geprägt von Walter Benjamin und fokussiert sich vor allem auf ihren faschistischen Missbrauch. Die pessimistische Kritik an der
Kulturindustrie werden wir unter dem Kontext von Social Media diskutieren und mit der optimistischeren Sicht des Kopfs der 2. Generation (Jürgen Habermas) kontrastieren. Die praktische Anwendung und Sinnhaftigkeit dieser Theorien als eine Art Kunstrichtung des marxistischen Modernismus werden wir letztendlich anhand den Schriften von Roland Barthes - Literatur - und Bertolt Brecht - Theater - erforschen. Insgesamt ist das Ziel vorrangig das Erlangen eines Überblicks und Gesamtverständnis dieser kunst-politischen Strömung durch das Herstellen von Verknüpfungen zwischen den Autoren - welche wir in Ausschnitten lesen -, nicht ein ausführliches close-reading einzelner.

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