Main Topics
The themes of the programme "Ethics - Economics, Law and Politics" (EELP) are focused on six interdisciplinary topics:
Globalisation and Justice
The globalisation of economy and other social structures is rapidly increasing. Still, it is to ask, in how far questions of justice are considered in this process. Do absolutely poor people benefit from globalisation or are they neglected? Is justice a suitable normative category to evaluate economic and social developments in a global dimension?
Markets and Morality
In theories of economy the market often is regarded as a system that is devoid of morality. Moral aspects play a role on the overriding level of regulations by law - if at all. Is this model appropriate for the description of markets at the present time? Is moral to be considered as a social resource within the markets? Which agents in markets are moral agents and which moral norms are effective for them?
Climate Change and Responsibility
The anthopogenic climate change can only limited adequately by fairly rapidly and far-reaching restructuring of global energy systems. It raises normative conflicts of goals between climate protection, combating energy poverty and perserving or guarantee of energy security. How can we deal adequately with this conflicts of goals? What is the responsibility of different actors on different social, national and international dimensions? What is the responsibility of the individual? What is climat justice?
Welfare and Dignity
In western industrial societies welfare systems are quite sophisticated. Most of the states provide extensive health care systems and more or less extensive social insurance systems. But do those systems keep the balance between efficiency and respect to the people who depend on their benefits? Which ideas of dignity, solidarity and sustainable medical care do compete, for example, in health care policy?
Migration and Rights
Voluntary and forced migration are among the biggest challenges facing or world today. How can we pass moral judgement on the different aspects of migration? Who has what kind of responsibility to refugees? Is the definition of refugee in international law still appropriate? How is climate-induced migration to be assessed, how to deal with it? In how far migration can, may or has to be regulated? Which equtiy concerns rise up in connection with the problem of brain drain?
Digitalisation and Self-Determination
Digitalisation of aspects of life and the amount of applications, that are atributable to Artifical Intelligence (AI), in particular machine learning, is constantly rising. In how far does these circumstances effect the possibilities of human self-determination? What are the opportunities and risks along with the different kind of applications and how can we appropiately balance between them? How to develop and implement morally right new digital methods and technologies?
Research at the EELP-Faculty
The current research of the EELP-Faculty is also focused on the main topics of the programme:
- Poverty and global justice
- Ethics of financial markets and corporate social responsibility
- Climate and energy ethics
- Ethics of digital methods and technologies
- Risk ethics
- Ethics of health care systems