Vorlesungsverzeichnis

.Forms of Knowledge (Vorlesung)

Termin:
Einzeltermin | Mi, 16.10.2019, 08:15 - Mi, 16.10.2019, 09:45 | C 40 Auditorium
Einzeltermin | Mi, 29.01.2020, 16:15 - Mi, 29.01.2020, 17:45 | C HS 1

Inhalt: The lecture and the variety of seminars series will deal with classical concepts of knowledge and science as well as recent challenges (e.g. anti-realism, new materialism, feminism, theories of power, digitalization, globalization and interculturality). Object of this module will be the interdisciplinary exploration of theoretical foundations and central questions and notions regarding epistemology and the theory of science within the thematic range of all majors (e.g. with regard to differing conceptions of knowledge, forms of knowledge, knowledge production, science, truth, paradigms in the philosophy of science and the transformation of science). This includes an understanding of scientific knowledge productions from a historical perspective and within inter- and transcultural research contexts. Through their intellectual involvement with concepts and challenges as well as with their personal preunderstanding of interdisciplinary research, students will learn to relate epistemological principles from different disciplines and reflect these critically. In addition to that, ethical considerations regarding the responsible position research and science hold in contemporary societies will be of importance during the course of the lecture and of the seminars.

Aktuelle Neuerscheinungen zu digitalen Kulturen (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Claus Pias

Termin:
Einzeltermin | Mi, 23.10.2019, 14:15 - Mi, 23.10.2019, 15:45 | C 5.311 Seminarraum
Einzeltermin | Mi, 30.10.2019, 14:15 - Mi, 30.10.2019, 15:45 | C 5.311 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Die Veranstaltung beschäftigt sich mit aktuellen Buch-Neuerscheinungen aus den Bereichen Kultur- und Medienwissenschaft. Neben einer Liste möglicher Bücher (vorab auf MyStudy) können auch eigene Titel zur Rezension vorgeschlagen werden. Die Auswahl und Vergabe erfolgt dann in der ersten Seminarsitzung. Von den Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern wird daher bereits *vor* Semesterbeginn die Lektüre der einschlägigen Verlagskataloge erwartet (Fink, Suhrkamp, Kadmos, UVK, diaphanes, Alexander, transcript, Fischer, Meson usw.), damit Ihre Vorschläge in die erste Sitzung einfließen können. In geblockten »Redaktionssitzungen« (Terminvereinbarungen ebenfalls in der ersten Sitzung) sollen dann jeweils mehrere neu erschienene Bücher diskutiert werden. Grundlage der Diskussion ist ein von dem/der Referent/in zuvor bereitgestellter Textauszug des besprochenen Buches. Das »Referat« hat die Form einer *schriftlichen* Rezension auf dem Niveau einer Fachzeitschrift (d.h. der Text sollte wesentliche Argumentationslinien, Hauptthesen, Forschungsstand usw. reflektieren). Dieser Rezensionstext wird den übrigen Teilnehmer/innen ebenfalls *vor* der jeweiligen Sitzung in einer (vorläufigen) Form zur Verfügung gestellt (MyStudy). Die Sitzung selbst dient dann als Redaktionskonferenz, in der Buch und Rezension jeweils kurz präsentiert und dann gemeinsam diskutiert werden. Für einen benoteten Leistungsnachweis ist regelmäßige Teilnahme, die Lektüre der Textgrundlagen der jeweiligen Sitzungen, sowie eine schriftliche Rezension eines Buches (ca. 12.000 Zeichen) erforderlich.

Analytische Lektüre von klassischen Texten der Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Wolfgang Knöbl, Achatz von Müller

Inhalt: Der Veranstaltung geht es um die Historizität theoriehaltiger Texte von breiter Wirkung und großer Ausstrahlung in den Sozial- und Humanwissenschaften, die man genau deswegen oft auch als „klassische“ oder vielleicht sogar als „kanonische Texte“ bezeichnen werden. Das Seminar versucht, in solchen Texten, die auf ihre je spezifische Art und Weise sehr stark mit historischen Argumenten arbeiten, den Zusammenhang zwischen Theorie und Geschichte zu analysieren. Dies bedeutet, dass die Theoriehaltigkeit von Geschichte sowie die Geschichtlichkeit von Theorie erkundet werden soll. Im Blickpunkt stehen u.a. Texte von Ferdinando Galiani, Henri de Saint-Simon, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, Joseph Schumpeter, Alfred Sohn-Rethel, Reinhart Koselleck, Albert O. Hirschman.

Bob Dylan und die Gesellschaftskritik (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Jordi Cabos

Termin:
wöchentlich | Mittwoch | 10:15 - 11:45 | 23.10.2019 - 22.01.2020 | C 11.320 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Als Trapezkünstler - wie er sich selbst definiert hat - oder als Mann der Masken - wie andere ihn charakterisiert haben – kann Dylans Werk als ein stetig wechselndes Hinterfragen einer etablierten Ordnung angesehen werden. Dieser Effekt wird nicht nur durch die gesellschaftlichen Motive erreicht, die Dylan in seinen Songs thematisiert, sondern auch durch die Figuren, die direkt oder indirekt in seinen Songs Ausdruck finden: Vagabund, Ankömmling, Geliebter, Dichter, Laie, Hobo, Erzähler, Melancholiker, Ausreißer. Als jemand, der sich weder einer politischen Richtung noch einer Bewegung zuordnen lässt und sich selbst immer wieder neu und unerwartet verwandelt, zeigt Dylans ¬Werk eine bedenkenswerte Herangehensweise auf, bestimmte gesellschaftliche Zusammenhänge in Frage zu stellen.

Das Politische der Teilhabe. Neue Partizipationsweisen im postmedialen Zeitalter. (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Roberto Nigro

Inhalt: By assuming that forms of participation have dramatically changed in the last decades, this seminar intends to examine the reasons for these changes. In this connection it will explore historical transformations of capitalism, which include the emergence of new forms of subjectivity and of a globalized world, the digital revolution, the collapse of the political institutions of modernity and the rise of new modes of production. By focusing on such topics, we also ask ourselves, how we can live together in a post-media era and how we can overcome digital nihilism and look for new forms of life and relation.

Domesticating Time: Science, Truth and Temporality (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Davor Löffler

Inhalt: Humanity is currently entering the age of preemption and generativity, in which reality is rendered into virtual developmental scenarios (e.g. climate scenarios, derivatives) and in which processes of growth are domesticated (e.g. genetical engineering, generative design). This transition is accompanied by a transformation of the human relationship to time and by the emergence of new concepts of science and truth. In order to gain a more profound understanding of this transition and its consequences for society and humanity, this seminar will revisit the major historical transitions in knowledge production starting with the first stone tool use three million years ago through the emergence of media 40.000 years ago, the appearance of formal thought and philosophy in antiquity, the scientific revolution in the 17th century up to the current and future algorithm-based production of scientific knowledge. By discussing examples of these transitions in various fields focusing on the relationship between knowledge and time, insights into the entanglement of science, truth and temporality can be gained. The perspective on the history of knowledge as a history of the domestication of time allows to relate the current transformation of science, truth and temporality to a broader range of domains such as subjectivity, cognition, norms, political and social structures.

Epistemic Response-Ability. Knowing as a Relational Practice. (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Ines Kleesattel

Inhalt: Which knowledges matter? How are knowledge practices violent? Who is a subject, who an object of knowledge? And how can one conceive of a scientific objectivity that would not be quite so violent? Epistemology deals with questions of what is, or more precisely: what constitutes legitimate knowledge. Following the critical epistemologies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Theodor W. Adorno, Michel Foucault, Donna Haraway and others, we will discuss how knowledges and their underlying philosophical premises are permeated by power, discrimination and violence, and to what extent there is no epistemology without ethics (and aesthetics). Furthermore we will explore theories of ecological and responsible knowledges, which understand “response-ability” as the “capacity to respond” (Haraway); suggest to consider knowing as a collective relating that involves more-than-human agents (Bruno Latour); plead for the necessity to introduce hesitation and risk into science (Isabelle Stengers); and which devote themselves to a non-disciplinary “arts of noticing” (Ana Tsing).

Epoche und Technik. Von der Steinzeit zum Lichtjahr (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Anthimos Georgiadis

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 10:15 - 11:45 | 25.10.2019 - 24.01.2020 | C 12.111 Seminarraum

Inhalt: We often assume today that technological change is a major factor in societal change and that it tends to lead to historical progress. In this seminar we will put it as question: How much did sciences, materials available and discoveries stamped the society in general and embossed the epoch of human evolution? How did science and technology evolve as human activities? How do they relate to the larger civilization? The seminar will focus on historical transitions in terms of changes in materials use and technologies applied and connect them with changes in policy, culture and way of living starting with: the Neolithic Revolution and coming to Nanotechnology or furthermore the future of the 21th century.

Feministische Philosophie (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Kristin Theresa Drechsler

Termin:
wöchentlich | Mittwoch | 12:15 - 13:45 | 23.10.2019 - 22.01.2020 | C 6.321 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Ziel der Feministischen Philosophie ist es, traditionelle Dualismen, wie die von Subjekt und Objekt, Geist und Körper, Natur und Vernunft aufzulösen. Grundlage ist die Annahme, dass nicht nur explizite Beispiele einer Ausgrenzung und Herabwürdigung der Frau in der philosophischen Tradition, sondern auch vermeintlich neutrale Grundbegriffe, wie Wahrheit, Mensch, Vernunft oder Wissen auf sexistischen Implikationen basieren. Was die Feministische Philosophie der traditionellen Philosophie entgegenstellt, kann als Theoretische Praxis verstanden werden, deren Ziel es ist, die Erfahrung der Geschlechtlichkeit und das Geschlecht als Kategorie in die Selbstreflexion der Philosophie aufzunehmen. Hierbei geht es nicht darum, eine neue Wahrheit zu konzipieren. Vielmehr steht sie für eine Diskontinuität des Denkens, dessen Dreh- und Angelpunkt eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit der philosophischen Tradition und der patriarchalen Gesellschaft ist. Im Seminar werden wir Auszüge einflussreicher Texte der Feministischen Philosophie gemeinsam lesen und ihre verschiedenen Nuancen herausstellen. Hierbei werden wir uns sowohl klassischen Positionen aber auch jüngeren Auseinandersetzungen zuwenden. Das Seminar ist einerseits Raum für Textdiskussion, soll aber auch Experimentierfeld für andere Denk-Formate sein.

Forms of Modelling of Physical Systems, also for Humanists (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Paolo Mercorelli

Termin:
14-täglich | Mittwoch | 08:15 - 11:45 | 23.10.2019 - 22.01.2020 | C 40.106 Konrad-Zuse-Raum

Inhalt: Forms of Modelling of physical systems, which can be seen as a course of applied mathematics intended for humanists, aims to try to introduce those forms with their language to be used to interpret and describe systems. Beneﬁting from having knowledge in the field of applied mathematics is in the same way important as beneﬁting from having knowledge in the field of German literature, or theology, philosophy or agronomy for example. Humanists with no experience in training in the formal notation of applied mathematics, which, in nearly every case, works as compactness over explanatory transparency, have difficulties in making their way through an argument depending on that form. And there is, in general, no way to “ﬁgure it out” without that kind of training. As mentioned, applied mathematics, in nearly every case, works as compactness over explanatory transparency and represents, nevertheless, a clear paradoxically valid mystification of the reality. Humanists can have interest to build a proper set of concepts for dealing with modelling and simulation forms. Modelling and simulation forms of physical systems can be represented using different but equivalent structures such as equations with variables defined in real time, block diagrams, equations with variables defined in the imaginary domain or others. But, paradoxically, without those mathematical valid mystifications they become mostly unintelligible. To conclude, independently of the motivations of each of us, the most important aim is to try knowing our soul better, as long as we are assuming that our soul manifests itself in different but, in the meantime, complementary forms. (Free interpreted from De Anima, Aristotle).

History of Science: Issues & Contexts (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Nicolas Dierks

Inhalt: Our modern culture has been deeply shaped by science and technology. This seminar is devoted to reconstructing and understanding some of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of science. Those changes in scientific ideas never happened quietly or without conflict. In the seminar we will touch on heated debates from the Copernican Revolution to Einstein's relativity.

How to generate a beneficial human footprint? - The Triple-Top-Line Approach (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Michael Braungart

Termin:
wöchentlich | Montag | 12:15 - 13:45 | 21.10.2019 - 20.01.2020 | C 12.112 Seminarraum

Inhalt: The principle of the Triple-Bottom-Line, common since 1994, aims at a positive development of economy and society in the form of economic growth and social equality and freedom. In contrast, the third pillar of ecology is often equated with a zero-impact mentality. The resulting measures, above all the focus on resource efficiency, usually do not contribute to a fundamental improvement of the core problems, but at best delay the negative effects. The Triple-Top-Line approach and the Cradle to Cradle approach, on the other hand, demand positive effects from all three pillars of sustainability, i.e. that all products and business models deliver added value for economy, society and ecology. The credo of "free of" production no longer applies, but rather the comprehensive positive definition of all products within the organic and technosphere. In order to achieve this goal of a positive footprint, a fundamental redevelopment of innovative business models is required, such as the transition to service models in the consumer and consumer goods sector. In addition, the forthcoming changes through digitization offer a multitude of possibilities to contribute to the achievement of the formulated goals (e.g. blockchain technology as the basis of sustainable supply chain management). The students in the seminar deal with the questions: How can a positive footprint be realized and what will business models of the future look like? The high diversity of student backgrounds offers an optimal basis for interdisciplinary work. Depending on the thematic focus, it is possible to develop novel business models in cooperation with companies.

Knowing colour (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Timon Beyes

Inhalt: Colour is inescapable. It fills and forms the world, shaping what can be felt and known, desired and expressed. Yet where colour is and how it works are notoriously tricky and contested questions. Is it in our minds or bodies, or is it ‘out there’ in the word? Is colour perception culturally specific or universal? Does the way we talk about colour influence how we perceive it? Is it a mere appendage to social status – the black of intellectualism and artistry, say, or the muted colours of refinement – or does it shape social organization, e.g. as a tool of marketing or the manipulation of moods? As if behaving on its own terms, colour has proved to be supremely indifferent to scholarly categories, definitions and ordering systems. That colour remains one of the most puzzling phenomena for academic inquiry might explain its comparable neglect in the social and cultural sciences. ‘Colour passes us by in the same way in which we do not notice our own breathing until it stops, by which time it’s a little late’, writes the anthropologist Michael Taussig. This seminar is dedicated to noticing colour and investigating the perennial problem of knowing colour. The emphasis lies on historic and recent attempts to understand colour as a cultural and social force: what it does rather than what it is. How can we think and explore colour as a ‘medium of transformation’ (Walter Benjamin) that shapes, and that is shaped by, the social?

Onto-Epistemology in Management (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Sarah Stanske

Inhalt: This course deals with the different onto-epistemological assumptions of modern management science by focusing especially on qualitative research. On taking this class, participants improve their understanding of research in the field of management in general and develop their skills of conducting qualitative research in particular. This course includes inter alia the following topics: (1) overview of different onto-epistemological paradigms in qualitative management research (2) onto-epistemological implications for research designs (3) onto-epistemological implications for collecting and analyzing data.

Sustainability through Law? (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Jelena Bäumler

Inhalt: Questions are to be investigated like: What is law? What is the relationship between sustainability and law? Does law promote or hinder sustainability? Which regulatory approaches exist? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches? What is or could sustainability be from a legal point of view? Should the German constitution be amended in order to establish sustainability as the benchmark for all government action?

The diffusion and variation of organizational practices (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Rainer Lueg

Inhalt: The course is designed to introduce theories, concepts and tools of organizational practices and their diffusion in a field. Specifically, it will shed light on the antecedents, processes and effects of diffusion processes, as well as the interaction with the change pattern of the diffusing practice. While examples will be discussed with a focus on social science research, the content can be transferred to practice diffusion in natural sciences and technology, life science, as well as humanities.

The Financial Art of (non)knowledge (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Erik Bordeleau

Inhalt: This seminar will explore how neoliberalism and speculative finance have redefined and operationalized our relation to knowledge and, more specifically, non-knowledge. Markets have progressively been conceived of as computing devices for communicating information (i.e. price). They have been tasked with the epistemic challenge of serving as the primary mechanism for the validation of truth (Foucault, Mirowski). From a traditional, rational choice theory perspective, competition and profit-seeking behaviours rationalize the system. In the end, the market knows best, as the fable of self-regulation goes. But if the economy is a matter of knowledge and other information asymmetries, what does it mean to know by means of financial derivatives? Derivatives operate at the limits of what is economically known(able). They have come to play an increasing role in contemporary market’s risk management strategies and value discovery processes. As Elie Ayache, an ex-financial trader turned philosopher of the market puts it, “derivatives are the un-knowledge of the future, made market.” This seminar will develop a series of transdisciplinary perspectives around Randy Martin’s seminal work, Knowledge LTD (Temple University Press, 2015). It will take up his invitation to engage with and reveal otherwise the sociality embedded in the operations of finance and the logic of the derivative, assuming non-knowledge as a productive, prospective, affective force.

Werkstatt und E-Learning Einheit zu Theorien der Gender- und Diversity-Forschung (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Katrin Hassler, Christine Katz

Inhalt: Im Rahmen des Seminars findet eine Auseinandersetzung mit zentralen theoretischen Konzepten, Methoden und Diskursen zu geschlechterbezogener Identität, Differenz und Diversity statt. Die sich daraus ergebenden forschungspraktischen und institutionellen Herausforderungen werden ebenso behandelt wie die damit einhergehenden gesellschaftlichen Konflikte und sozialen Bewegungen. Didaktischer Ausgangspunkt ist dabei zum einen die eigene Position in intersektionalen gesellschaftlichen Verhältnissen sowie zum anderen sind es die jeweiligen fachlichen Perspektiven und Hintergründe, die die Studierenden mitbringen. Es werden Texte und Ansätze behandelt aus den Gendertheorien, dem Black Feminism, den Queer Studies, zu Intersektionalität und Postkolonialer Theorie, den Disability und Transgender Studies und zu Gender und Nachhaltigkeit. Darüber hinaus werden wir uns mit anti-feministischen und rassistischen Strömungen auseinandersetzen. Ein kleiner inhaltlicher Input seitens der Studierenden ist vorgesehen und bildet die Grundlage für die Hausarbeit. U.a. geht es um Aspekte wie: • Beziehung zwischen den verschiedenen diversitäts- und differenzorientierten Bewegungen und Strömungen und ihrer fachlichen Etablierung an den Hochschulen und Institutionen • Die Verbindung und Verweise der einzelnen Strömungen und Bewegungen unter- und aufeinander • Reflexion der „Blinden Flecken“ bei der Berücksichtigung von Intersektionalität in den Bewegungen • Veränderungen von fachlichen bzw. Problem-Perspektiven durch Intersektionalität? • Welche Relevanz haben Normsetzungen für gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse?