Jan-Christoph Heilinger

Die Freiheit des Willens ist einer jener zentralen Begriffe, die unser Selbstverständnis als Menschen bestimmen. Durch die Erkenntnisse von Neurowissenschaften und Hirnforschung wurde er allerdings grundsätzlich in Frage gestellt: Ist unsere Freiheit nur das Ergebnis von gesetzmäßig ablaufenden Prozessen, oder besteht sie darin, eine Lücke in diesen Gesetzmäßigkeiten zu finden? Oder gehört Freiheit in einen Bereich, der von den physikalischen und biologischen Vorgängen gar nicht kontrolliert werden kann? Die Evolution der Freiheit bildet den ersten Schwerpunkt der AG"Humanprojekt" an der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Die beteiligten Wissenschaftler aus derNeurobiologie, Zoologie, Psychologie, Psychiatrie und Philosophie erarbeiten einen Begriff von Freiheit, der sich sowohl naturwissenschaftlich erklären als auch kulturwissenschaftlich fassen lässt. Dieses im besten Sinne interdisziplinäre Vorgehen erfordert eine Reflexion der Grundüberzeugungen innerhalb der jeweiligen Disziplin, um zu einem klaren Verständnis der verwendeten Begriffe zu gelangen. Mit Beiträgen von Julia Fischer, Volker Gerhardt, Martin Heisenberg, Geert Keil, Julian Nida-Rümelin, Jens Reich, Gerhard Roth u.a. Renommierte Beiträger Umfangreiche systematische Einführung

Naturgeschichte der Freiheit

Gerhard Ernst

The notion of “human rights” is widely used in political and moral discussions. The core idea, that all human beings have some inalienable basic rights, is appealing and has an eminently practical function: It allows moral criticism of various wrongs and calls for action in order to prevent them. On the other hand it is unclear what exactly a human right is. Human rights lack a convincing conceptual foundation that would be able to compel the wrong-doer to accept human rights claims as well-founded. Hence the practical function faces theoretical doubts. The present collection takes up the tension between the wide political use of human rights claims and the intellectual skepticism about them. In particular two major issues are identified that call for conceptual clarification in order to better understand human rights claims both in theory and in practice: the question of how to justify human rights and the tension between universal normative claims and particular moralities.

Contemporary Controversies

The Philosophy of Human Rights

Julian Nida-Rümelin

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Anthropologie als dem philosophischen Nachdenken über Menschen und Ethik als dem gründlichen Nachdenken darüber, was Menschen tun sollen, ist eng und vielfältig. Die Autoren in diesem Band wenden sich aus verschiedenen disziplinären Perspektiven diesem Thema zu und diskutieren folgende Fragen: Gründen moralische Normen auf der Natur des Menschen oder gelten sie unabhängig davon? Berücksichtigt die Ethik menschliche Schwächen, oder gelten die Anforderungen der Moral absolut? Wenn sich der Mensch verändert, etwa evolutionär oder durch biotechnologisches Enhancement, verändern sich dann auch die Anforderungen der Moral?

Anthropologie und Ethik

S. Karly Kehoe

Eva Alisic

This volume brings together a range of practical and theoretical perspectives on responsibility in the context of refugee and migrant integration. Addressing one of the major challenges of our time, a diverse group of authors shares insights from history, philosophy, psychology, cultural studies, and from personal experience. The book expands our understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities that are associated with migration and integration, and highlights the important role that individuals can and should play in the process.

Responsibility for Refugee and Migrant Integration

Freedom of will is one of the central concepts we use to define ourselves as human. Through the discoveries made in the fields of neuroscience and brain research however, the very basis of those concepts have come into question: Is our freedom simply the result of regulated processes? Or is our freedom to be found within the loopholes of that regulation? Or does freedom belong to a realm beyond the control of the biological and the physical? The evolution of freedom is the Human Project group’s first focus. The scholars involved, representing neurobiology, zoology, psychology, psychiatry, and philosophy, have developed a concept of freedom which can be explained through the life sciences and at the same time, can be grasped by cultural studies. This exemplary interdisciplinary procedure requires each discipline to examine their fundamental convictions in order to arrive at a clear understanding of the terms and concepts used.

The world we live in is unjust. Preventable deprivation and suffering shape the lives of many people, while others enjoy advantages and privileges aplenty. Cosmopolitan responsibility addresses the moral responsibilities of privileged individuals to take action in the face of global structural injustice. Individuals are called upon to complement institutional efforts to respond to global challenges, such as climate change, unfair global trade, or world poverty. Committed to an ideal of relational equality among all human beings, the book discusses the impact of individual action, the challenge of special obligations, and the possibility of moral overdemandingness in order to lay the ground for an action-guiding ethos of cosmopolitan responsibility. This thought-provoking book will be of interest to any reflective reader concerned about justice and responsibilities in a globalised world. Jan-Christoph Heilinger is a moral and political philosopher. He teaches at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, and at Ecole normale supérieure, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Global Injustice, Relational Equality, and Individual Agency

Cosmopolitan Responsibility

Matthias Jung

Humans are being that not only lead their lives but also experience them. Why? This volume examines this question from the perspective of multiple disciplines in the natural and social sciences. The contributions investigate the ways in which personal feeling and individual experience are central components in our dealings with our social and physical environment.

Jan-Christoph Heilinger

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