Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler makes ethics practical

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: In our lives, whether private or professional, we are constantly confronted with practical questions. What is the best way to act? Of course, situations can be more or less complex and the decisions we make can have more or less far-reaching consequences. Normally, however, our decisions, especially in the professional sphere, also affect others, which is where ethics come into play. How should I act from an ethical point of view? In my opinion, we are well advised to have ethical competence, i.e. to be able to think about ethical issues in a well-founded and systematic way. In my seminars, I would like to help students to develop their ethical competence in an open and constructive atmosphere in which, in the best case, it is simply fun to discuss a topic together.

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: During my studies, I was particularly inspired by my later doctoral supervisor Hans Ineichen - which is why I really wanted to write my dissertation with him. He always created an appreciative and constructive atmosphere in his seminars, in which we could discuss the respective topic together as equals. This seemingly simple idea of supporting each other in understanding something and thinking it through critically - and not taking yourself too seriously in the process - is something I've been trying to put into practice ever since.

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: Philosophy is considered to be quite aloof. If anyone is at home in the ivory tower, it's certainly the philosophers. However, there seems to me to be a certain misunderstanding here. Of course, philosophers deal with conceptual issues and often argue on a very abstract level. But we do this because abstract reflection has very concrete consequences for practice. How we look at our interpersonal interactions, i.e. how we think about them or which terms we use in which meanings, is the basis for how we assess concrete situations and which decisions we make.

In applied ethics, this can be seen very publicly, for example in the field of medicine or in our dealings with AI. Here's a little anecdote on another topic: I've been working on the philosophy of love for years and have repeatedly offered seminars on the subject. In one of these seminars, a student came to me during the semester and told me that she and her boyfriend were able to better understand an argument they had and then resolve it together because they had studied the philosophical texts on love that were used as a basis in the seminar - and fortunately, this was not the only case. Philosophy can therefore prove to be very meaningful and helpful in everyday life.

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: I think as a subject area, philosophy and ethics would be better expressed in a series. A wonderful and very entertaining example would be "The Good Place" (2016 - 2020).

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: Even if the fundamental ethical questions with regard to good social coexistence will not change much, they will always arise within specific social conditions and developments. Currently and for the near future, I see the development and use of artificial intelligence as a topic that is particularly challenging from an ethical perspective. How can we shape and use AI in a socially responsible way?

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühler: "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson