June 20-21, 2014
Venue: Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen, (KWI), Gartensaal (www.kulturwissenschaften.de)
Financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Hosts: Dr. Katharina Bauer and Prof. Dr. Corinna Mieth (Chair for Practical Philosophy),
Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

„Here I stand. I can do no other.” „I must do this, I have no choice.“ – Such phrases imply a necessity of important decisions and actions. How should such expressions be interpreted? What is their explanatory or exculpatory power? What does practical necessity mean, in how far is it really ‘necessary’ – and for whom?  What do such practical necessities mean for our self-understanding and for our responsibility?

Different concepts of practical necessity imply different ideas about ethics, morality and about personhood and personality. The discussion about the dimensions of practical necessity will be related to discussions about the role of morality in human life, about the ideals of autonomy, authenticity and individuality, about freedom of the will and about different models of self-constitution, of personal identity and integrity.

Speakers (confirmed):

Dr. Kathi Baier (Universität Wien)
Dr. Christoph Bambauer (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Dr. Katharina Bauer (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Prof. Dr. Oliver Hallich (Universität Duisburg-Essen)
PD Dr. Michael Kühler (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster / Universität Bern)
Prof. Dr. Corinna Mieth (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
PD Dr. Arnd Pollmann (Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg / Universität Hamburg)
Prof. Dr. Beate Rössler (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Prof. Dr. Marya Schechtman (University of Illinois at Chicago)

For more details see: http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/politik_recht/aktuelles.html.en

For further information or registration please contact: katharina.bauer@rub.de

Dr. Katharina Bauer
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Institut für Philosophie I
44780 Bochum
Germany