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Project Co-ordinator: Thomas Engel, M.A.
Contact: Dipl.-Päd. Ulrike Henckel
Duration: 9/06–12/09
Funding: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF): “Humanities in the Societal Dialogue”
The Research-Guiding Function of Metaphors from the Information Sciences and their Relevance to the Transformation of the Philosophy of Man
This project looks into the significance of research-guiding metaphors for the constitution of new concepts of man as well as alterations to pre-existing ones. The pre-suppositions introduced to natural sciences through metaphors will be reflected upon (in terms of linguistic criticism); furthermore, the reductionistic philosophy of man generated by life-science research will be critically examined. In doing so, the validity conditions for an adequate philosophy of man will be analysed in order to evaluate it with respect to the aims of science. Furthermore, a general philosophy of man will be sought through reconstructing metaphors in the way they are used in computer science and genetics (e.g. the term “information”). The Europäische Akademie pursues the particular viewpoint that such metaphors can generally be perceived as a technique: they are reconstructible through an analysis of technology and philosophical statements about the effects of technology on humans. Therefore, there is reason for technology-guided transformations of the concepts of man, whose consequences must be evaluated.
This project is being carried out by three independent research groups and is co-ordinated by the Europäische Akademie GmbH.
Project Group
Professor Dr. phil. Dr. phil. nat. Mathias Gutmann, Karlsruhe (Chair);
Professor Dr. rer. nat. Michael Bölker, Marburg;
Professor Dr. rer. nat. Wolfgang Hesse, Marburg;
Thomas Engel, M.A., Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler;
Dr. Ing. Dirk Müller, Marburg;
Benjamin Rathgeber, M.A., Marburg;
Dipl.-Inf. Aaron Ruß, Marburg;
Dr. rer. nat. Tareq Syed, Marburg.
Project Co-ordinator: Thomas Engel, M.A.
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