Key research themes
1. How does ontological instability challenge traditional moral philosophy and what alternative frameworks are being proposed?
This theme focuses on the contemporary philosophical investigation into the concept of ontological instability—the idea that reality, identity, and moral categories are fluid, dynamic, and inherently unstable rather than fixed. This challenges classical moral philosophy's reliance on stable categories, essentialist assumptions, and universal ethical foundations. Researchers explore alternative, dynamic frameworks that accommodate flux, uncertainty, and emergence, aiming to create flexible, context-sensitive approaches to morality, knowledge, and categorization in response to a complex modern world.
2. What are the limits and implications of moral expertise amid disagreement in moral philosophy?
This research theme investigates the contested status of moral philosophers as moral experts, especially given widespread and persistent disagreement within the discipline. It critically examines whether such disagreement undermines the normative authority moral philosophers might claim when advising on practical ethical issues. This discourse has tangible implications for the role of moral philosophers in ethics committees and public moral discourse, questioning the epistemic foundations and social deference justified for moral expertise.
3. How can moral philosophy be reconceived to better relate to moral life and education through practice and descriptive approaches?
This theme explores alternative conceptions of moral philosophy that move away from striving for prescriptive, foundational moral theories toward approaches that emphasize moral philosophy as an interpretative, descriptive, or hermeneutic engagement with moral life. It includes considerations of moral sensibility, virtue cultivation, and the role of literature and particularism in moral education, aiming to bridge philosophical reflection and lived moral experiences.
4. How is artificial intelligence posing ethical and moral challenges to contemporary moral philosophy, religion, and fundamental rights?
This research area addresses the ethical implications and philosophical challenges presented by developments in artificial intelligence, particularly concerning its integration with human society, religious practice, and legal moral rights frameworks. It grapples with questions of agency, moral status of AI entities, ethical use in religious contexts, and regulatory frameworks that respect both human dignity and emerging machine personhood claims, highlighting tensions between technological progress and traditional moral structures.
5. What are the philosophical debates concerning the foundations of morality with regard to religious versus secular ethics?
This theme explores foundational questions in moral philosophy about the sources and justification of moral obligations, contrasting religious-based ethics grounded in divine authority with secular, human-based moral reasoning. It highlights the implications of these differing foundations for understanding moral obligation, human dignity, and the universality of moral standards, thus framing an enduring debate central to moral theory and praxis.