-
148Expressive ActionsInquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 52 (3): 272-292. 2009.Actions expressing emotions (such as caressing the clothes of one's dead friend in grief, or tearing apart a photograph out of jealousy) pose a notorious challenge to action theorists. They are thought to be intentional in that they are in some sense under the agent's control. They are not thought to be done for a reason, however, because they cannot be explained by considerations that favor them from the agent's point of view. This seems to be the case, at least, if one subscribes to the Davids…Read more
-
120Making sense of actions expressing emotionsDialectica 61 (3). 2007.Actions expressing emotions pose a notorious challenge to those concerned with the rational explanation of action. The standard view has it that an agent's desires and means‐end beliefs rationally explain his actions, in the sense that his desire‐belief conglomerates are seen as reasons for which he acts. In light of this view, philosophers are divided on the question of whether actions expressing emotions fall short of being rational, or whether the standard model simply needs to be revised to …Read more
-
119The Moral Significance of AdolescenceJournal of Applied Philosophy 39 (4): 547-561. 2021.Journal of Applied Philosophy, EarlyView.
-
117The Relational Value of EmpathyInternational Journal of Philosophical Studies 27 (2): 136-161. 2019.ABSTRACTPhilosophers and scholars from other disciplines have long discussed the role of empathy in our moral lives. The distinct relational value of empathy, however, has been largely overlooked. This article aims to specify empathy’s distinct relational value: Empathy is both intrinsically and extrinsically valuable in virtue of the pleasant experiences we share with others, the harmony and meaning that empathy provides, the recognition, self-esteem, and self-trust it enhances, as well as trus…Read more
-
98Collegial RelationshipsEthical Theory and Moral Practice 24 (1): 213-229. 2021.Although collegial relationships are among the most prevalent types of interpersonal relationships in our lives, they have not been the subject of much philosophical study. In this paper, we take the first step in the process of developing an ethics of collegiality by establishing what qualifies two people as colleagues and then by determining what it is that gives value to collegial relationships. We argue that A and B are colleagues if both exhibit sameness regarding at least two of the follow…Read more
-
97Practical Conflicts: New Philosophical Essays (edited book)Cambridge University Press. 2004.Practical conflicts pervade human life. Agents have many different desires, goals, and commitments, all of which can come into conflict with each other. How can practical reasoning help to resolve these practical conflicts? In this collection of essays a distinguished roster of philosophers analyse the diverse forms of practical conflict. Their aim is to establish an understanding of the sources of these conflicts, to investigate the challenge they pose to an adequate conception of practical rea…Read more
-
86Kant's Ethics of Virtues (edited book)De Gruyter. 2008.In his Metaphysics of Morals (particularly in the Doctrine of Virtue), but also in other late works, Kant extends and refines the content of his earlier works on ethics (Groundwork and Critique of Practical Reason) to a considerable extent. These revisions and extensions not only show the limitations of an exclusive interpretation of Kants ethics as a deontological ethics of principles. His thoughts are also relevant for a large number of questions of theoretical morality currently under discuss…Read more
-
73Zweitpersonale Gründe. Was sie sind und was sie zeigenDeutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 57 (1): 159-163. 2009.
-
72What is a colleague? The descriptive and normative dimension of a dual character conceptPhilosophical Psychology 33 (7): 997-1017. 2020.Colleagues are not only an integral part of many people’s lives; empirical research suggests that having a good relationship with one’s colleagues is the single most important factor for being happy at work. However, so far, no one has provided a comprehensive account of what it means to be a colleague. To address this lacuna, we have conducted both an empirical as well as theoretical investigation into the content and structure of the concept ‘colleague.’ Based on the empirical evidence that we…Read more
-
67New Developments in Family Ethics: An IntroductionJournal of Moral Philosophy 13 (6): 641-651. 2016._ Source: _Volume 13, Issue 6, pp 641 - 651 During the last three decades, moral philosophy has seen an increased interest in the ethics of special relationships. The relationship that has gained the most attention in recent years is the family. While there has been some progress in understanding family relationships and their ethical implications, there is still much theoretical ground to cover. In this special issue of the Journal of Moral Philosophy, we present four papers that discuss new qu…Read more
-
67The normative significance of personal projectsIn Michael Kühler & Nadja Jelinek (eds.), Autonomy and the Self, Springer. pp. 118--101. 2012.
-
49Autonomes Handeln: Beitrage Zur Philosophie von Harry G. Frankfurt (edited book)Berlin: Akademie Verlag. 2000.Frankfurt verteidigt die Auffassung, daB ,,x hatte anders handeln konnen" keine not- wendige Bedingung fiir Freiheit und Verantwortlichkeit ist. ...
-
47The Right to Associational Freedom and the Scope of Relationship-Dependent DutiesCriminal Law and Philosophy 17 (2): 475-489. 2022.Humans have a fundamental need to belong. This, need, as Kimberley Brownlee argues in her book Being Sure of Each Other grounds the human right against social deprivation. But in addition to having a human right against social deprivation, we also have a right to associational freedom, which is grounded in our right to autonomy. We cannot be forced into relationships; we are free to choose our friends and loved ones.? In this paper I discuss what our right to associational freedom morally permit…Read more
-
45Erziehung zur Autonomie als ElternpflichtDeutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 59 (6): 937-953. 2011.
-
36Einleitung: Eltern und Kinder – Zur Normativität ihrer BeziehungZeitschrift für Praktische Philosophie 2 (2): 203-212. 2015.Bis vor wenigen Jahren hätte ein Beitrag zur Familienethik mit einem Hinweis darauf begonnen, dass es sich dabei um ein philosophisches Forschungsdesiderat handelt. In der Zwischenzeit hat sich die Situation merklich verändert: Zahlreiche Sammelbände, Monographien und Aufsätze zeugen davon, dass sich die Familienethik zunehmender Beachtung erfreut und die Beziehung zwischen Eltern und Kindern ebenso wie die Rechte und Pflichten von Eltern und Kindern untereinander eine eingehendere Analyse verdi…Read more
-
34Making Sense of Actions Expressing EmotionsDialectica 61 (3): 447-466. 2007.Actions expressing emotions pose a notorious challenge to those concerned with the rational explanation of action. The standard view has it that an agent's desires and means‐end beliefs rationally explain his actions, in the sense that his desire‐belief conglomerates are seen as reasons for which he acts. In light of this view, philosophers are divided on the question of whether actions expressing emotions fall short of being rational, or whether the standard model simply needs to be revised to …Read more
-
31Wallace, R. Jay. The View from Here: On Affirmation, Attachment, and the Limits of Regret.New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Pp. 268. $45.00 (review)Ethics 125 (2): 614-621. 2015.
-
30Interpersonelle Beziehungen und gemeinsame HandlungenDeutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 55 (3): 441-455. 2007.Gemeinsame Handlungen werden traditionellerweise über eine Form beziehungsweise über eine Beziehung verschiedener Absichten zueinander erklärt. Der Aufsatz verteidigt die Auffassung, dass manche gemeinsame Handlungen vollständiger erklärt werden können mit Rekurs auf die bestimmten interpersonellen Beziehungen, die zwischen zwei oder mehreren Handelnden bestehen. Interpersonelle Beziehungen, die von handelnden Personen wertgeschätzt werden, werden durch gemeinsame Handlungen realisiert. Dies ist…Read more
-
29Konsequentialisierung – Königsweg oder Sackgasse für den Konsequentialismus?Zeitschrift für Philosophische Forschung 68 (3): 279-304. 2014.
-
29Macht uns die Veranderung unserer selbst autonom? Uberlegungen zur Rechtfertigung von Neuro-Enhancement der EmotionenPhilosophia Naturalis 46 (2): 167-212. 2009.
-
29How Can an Agent Rationally Guide His Actions?Grazer Philosophische Studien 61 (1): 159-177. 2001.In this paper, I examine how an agent can cause and rationally guide his actions. A common approach explains an action by the agent's motives which cause and rationalize it. Given the fact that an agent does not always identify with the motives that propel him to action, the common approach does not account for an agent's autonomy in his acting. Consequently, I focus on the question whether an agent can rationally guide his action such that he controls his action by his own causal powers without…Read more
-
27Weakness of the Will as Furtive IrrationalityIdeas Y Valores 58 (141). 2009.According to a widely extended conception, people display weakness of the will when they act freely and intentionally against their own judgment regarding what is best. However, there is another conception according to which persons display weakness of the will when they act against their reasonable intentions. On the basis of this conception focused on intentions, my objective is to specify two conditions of rationality in order to characterize actions against reasonable intentions as cases of …Read more
-
26Formen der Wirklichkeitsbewältigung. Hans Blumenbergs Phänomenologie der "Umbesetzungen": Ein PorträtZeitschrift für Philosophische Forschung 49 (3). 1995.
-
23Shared Belief and the Limits of EmpathyPacific Philosophical Quarterly 102 (2): 267-291. 2021.To show affective empathy is to share in another person's experiences, including her emotions. Most philosophers who write about emotions accept the broadly cognitivist view that emotions are rationally connected with beliefs. We argue that affective empathy is also rationally connected with belief; you can only share in another's emotions insofar as you can share certain of her beliefs. In light of that claim, we argue that affective empathy brings both epistemic dangers and epistemic benefits,…Read more
-
21Sources of practical conflicts and reasons for regretIn Peter Baumann & Monika Betzler (eds.), Practical Conflicts: New Philosophical Essays, Cambridge University Press. pp. 197. 2004.
-
Ludwig Maximilians Universität, MünchenRegular Faculty
Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München
Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Study of Religion
PhD, 1994
München, BY, Germany
Areas of Specialization
Moral Psychology |
Normative Ethics |
Moral Normativity |
Social Relationships |
Areas of Interest
Value Theory |
Social Epistemology |
Theories of Emotion |
Family Ethics |