Research Topics in Ethics

My interests in ethics comprise both ethical theory and applied ethics. My focus in ethical theory is on the concepts of the good life, happiness, and responsibility. In applied ethics, I am working in science and engineering ethics (see also my projects on nanotechnology and history & philosophy of science)

Publications

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Books and Editions

Glück und Ethik, Würzburg (Königshausen & Neumann) 1998 [editor].

Ethics of Chemistry, Special Issue of Hyle–International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry, 2001/2 [editor].

Papers

"Identifying Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies", in: Henk ten Have (ed.), Nanotechnology: Science, Ethics and Politics, Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 2007, 79-98.

"Cultural Diversity in Nanotechnology Ethics", Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 31 (2006), 217-230.

"Nano-Erlösung oder Nano-Armageddon? - Technikethik im christlichen Fundamentalismus", in: A. Nordmann, J. Schummer & Astrid Schwarz (eds.), Nanotechnologie im Kontext: Philosophische, ethische und gesellschaftliche Perspektiven, Berlin: Akademischen Verlagsgesellschaft (in preparation)

"Teaching Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology to Engineering Students through Science Fiction", Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 25 (2005), 459-468 (with Rosalyn Berne).

"'Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology': Meanings, Interest Groups, and Social Dynamics", Techne – Journal of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, 8, no. 2 (2004), 56-87.

"Forschung für die Armen versus Forschung für die Reichen: Verteilungsgerechtigkeit als moralisches Kriterium zur Bewertung der angewandten Chemie", in: Clemens Sedmak (Ed.), Option für die Armen: Die Entmarginalisierung des Armutsbegriffs in den Wissenschaften, Freiburg i. Br. (Herder), 2005, pp. 605-626..

"Über das Streben nach Lust", in: H. Friesen & K. Berr (eds.), Angewandte Ethik im Spannungsfeld von Begründung und Anwendung, Frankfurt (Peter Lang) 2004, pp. 417-432.

"Ethics of Chemical Synthesis", Hyle, 7 (2001), 103-124.

"Zeitbewußtsein, Ökologie und Ethik", Antemnae (Rome), 3 (2001), 172-190.

"Glück und Ethik. Neue Ansätze zur Rehabilitierung der Glücksphilosophie", in: J. Schummer (Ed.), Glück und Ethik, Würzburg (Königshausen & Neumann) 1998, pp. 7-22.

Presentations

“Identifying Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology Amidst the Nano Hype”, UNESCO Expert Group on Nanotechnology and Ethics, UNESCO, Paris, France, 5-7 December, 2005.

“Communicating 'Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology'”, Nano-Workshop, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, 4 November 2005.

“Cultural Conditions for Perceiving Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology”, German-Chinese Symposium on Ethics of Science and Technology, Dalian, China, 17-22 July 2005.

“Identifying Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology Amidst the Nano Hype”, UNESCO Expert Group on Nanotechnology and Ethics, UNESCO, Paris, France, 5-6 July, 2005.

“Visionary Alliances in the American Debate on ‘Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology’”, Institute for Science and Technology Studies (IWT), University of Bielefeld, Germany, 9 May 2005.

“Visionary Alliances in the American Debate on ‘Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology’”, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe, Germany, 11 April 2005.

“Ethics in the Age of Fundamentalism: Vacillating Between Nano-Salvation and Nano-Armageddon”, Nano-Ethics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 2-6 March 2005.

“Teaching Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology to Engineering Students”, International Conference on Engineering Education, University of Florida, Gainesville FL, USA, 16-21 October 2004 (with Rosalyn Berne).

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 24 March 2004.

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, Department of Philosophy, University of San Francisco, USA, 6 February 2004.

“Zeitbewußtsein, Ökologie und Ethik”, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 10 July 2003.

“Ethics of Technology”, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 27 March 2002.

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, Conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Loughborough, U.K., 6-9 August 2001 (invited).

“Ethics of Chemical Research”, University of Freiburg, Germany, 26 October 1999.

“On Striving for Pleasure”, Third International Congress of the Society for Analytical Philosophy (GAP 3), University of Munic, Germany, 15-18 September 1997.