The philosophy program focuses on basic and applied research into philosophical problems and the needs of the natural sciences, technology, and economic disciplines. 

Our major research focus, in which over the past 15 years we have published well over 100 articles and books as well as more than 200 lectures in German, Portuguese, and English, includes:

Thoughts for thinking. Research and knowledge, their methods and performance.

We study: How and under what conditions during different periods and in different disciplines universal views and knowledge are acquired. Under these conditions, what knowledge of the world is acquired? What is meant by the term world in this context? What is the object of reasoning, research, and knowledge? What are the formal and material conditions that must be satisfied so that reasoning, research, and knowledge can be a basis and a focus for future actions? (This includes the Logic Documentation Center project, operated in cooperation with the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.)

Ethics in science, research and society.

We investigate valued operative laws in society and its organizations. In particular, business ethics, media ethics, and environmental ethics are the objects of our study. The topics we pursue apply more to the organizational units within a society than to the actions of the individual.

Current Research

• Natural philosophy of classic Idealism (Hegel, Schelling) and their conditions in the history of science and philosophy (Newton, D'Alembert, Lamarck, Cuvier, Lavoisier, etc.)
• Understanding nature and the concepts of Renaissance philosophy: Bruno, Pomponazi, Patrizzi, Ficino, etc.
• Logic, Empiricism and nature in the Middle Ages: Eriugena, Ockham, Scotus, etc.
• Professional ethics in decision-making for scientists and engineers in middle and executive management (sponsored by the Ministry for Economics, state of Rhineland-Palatinate (BMWW))
• Ethical and conceptual problems in Artificial Intelligence
• Commentary and introduction to the later works of Giordano Brunos (1591) (sponsored by the Fritz-Thyssen-Foundation)
• Ethics in the natural sciences (sponsored by the Ministry for Economics, state of Rhineland-Palatinate, (BMWW))
• Business ethics
• Knowledge concepts
• Logic

An overview of the research activities of the past 15 years may be found in the anniversary edition 15 Years of Philosophy 1995 - 2010.