Ulrike Weichert

Philosophy Department

Curriculum Vitae:

Ph.D. project:

From history to nature - The Political Hermeneutics of Leo Strauss

What is Political Hermeneutics? My research project focuses on the relations between the author, the medium of writing and the recipients. The invention of scripture separated the transfer of knowledge from its temporal and spacial dependence which previously used to be a predominantly dialogical and psychagogical exchange. The problem of a mainly written transfer of knowlegde and leads the author to anticipate the imperfection of his readers. The relation become imperfect because the recipients are unable to understand the text in the very way in which the author intended. The weakness of writing manifests itself in the fixed form of the written text which is, when published, available to anyone who can read.

By choosing a written text to express his thoughts, the author abandons the option to speak appropriately and consider the situation or the addressees. He is no longer able to transmit his ideas to an adequate circle of recipients. The written text as such cannot choose his readers. Authors with a philosophical focus face the problem that their text might fall into the hands of persons who might not agree with its political or religious implications. The form of a written demonstration of ideas therefore needs to minimise the dangers of an indisputably hostile interpretation. In politics, an open criticism of the existing normative order bears the risk that the author, being considered a revolutionary or political agitator, has to face a personal burden of persecution or social exclusion. The author therefore needs to avoid direct opinions and thoughts and circumvent a positively allocatable standpoint by applying different positions and counterarguments within the text.

My research is concerned with an analytical characterisation and exemplary study of Political Hermeneutics. Predominatly I want to reveal the reasons why and how an esoteric (as directed inwards) coding within the text developed and how this coding arose from the conflict of normative claims of order within the spheres of politics, religion and philosophy. This esoteric coding could exemplarily provide an opportunity to handle the problem of contradicting norms.

Object of my research is Plato's Politeia with which I want to demonstrate which heuristic and epistemological surplus value a political hermeneutical paradigm can reveal in contrast to traditional interpretations. My project therefore pays special attention to the paradigm of the Tübingen School concerning Plato's unwritten doctrine. With these results, Political Hermeneutics shall prove to be a method for interpreting philosophical texts which also withstands Plato's criticism of writing in the Phaedrus.

Arbeits- und Interessenschwerpunkte:

• Political Philosophy
• Media Science
• Ancient Philosophy

Function within the Cluster/Membership in Projects and Groups:

• Member of the study group Conflicts in the area of Religion and Politics
• Member of the study group Media
• Member of the study group Political Platonism in modern history Christianity

Publications:

Monograph:

• Christian Hengstermann, Ulrike Weichert (Hgg.): Anne Conways "Principia philosophiae" - Materialismuskritik und Alleinheits-Spekulation im neuzeitlichen England. LIT-Verlag (Pontes: Bd. 52), Berlin, Münster, Wien 2012.

Articles:

• Anne Conway. Eine Philosophin des 17. Jahrhunderts. In: Hengstermann/Weichert (Hgg.): Anne Conways "Principia philosophiae" - Materialismuskritik und Alleinheits-Spekulation im neuzeitlichen England. Berlin, Münster, Wien 2012, 41-65.
• Actio vitalis. Anne Conways Metaphysik der lebendigen Bewegung. In: Hengstermann/Weichert (Hgg.): Anne Conways "Principia philosophiae" - Materialismuskritik und Alleinheits-Spekulation im neuzeitlichen England. Berlin, Münster, Wien 2012, 151-170.
• Erforscht die Schriften! Origeneische Hermeneutik in George Rusts Letter of Resolution. In: Fürst, Alfons/Hengstermann, Christian (Hgg.): Autonomie und Menschenwürde. Origenes in der Philosophie der Neuzeit, Aschendorff, Münster 2012, 199-221.
• Der unvollkommene „Vorgriff auf Vollkommenheit“: Die Auseinandersetzung Hans-Georg Gadamers mit Leo Strauss. In: Kasten, Madeleine (Hg.) u.a.: Hermeneutics and the Humanities: Dialogues with Hans-Georg Gadamer, Leiden University Press, Leiden 2012, 78-116.
• Coping with contingency – Mass media as a functional equivalent to religion? In: Bulletin of VIII MSSR Conference: Religion and Media, Moskau 2011, 321-332.

Miscellaneous /Conference Proceedings:

• Conference proceeding Kolloquien zum Nachleben des Origenes: Die "Cambridge Origenists". 12.11.2010-13.11.2010, Münster in:  H-Soz-u-Kult, 10.12.2010.
• Conference proceeding Autonomie und Menschenwürde. Origenes in der Philosophie der Neuzeit. 10.2.2010-11.2.2010, Münster, in: H-Soz-u-Kult, 8.3.2010.
• Parteien als Willensbildner – Ein normativer Rückblick. In: Stiftung neue verantwortung, 5.4.2010.
• Policy Brief - Zehn Thesen für eine politische "Partei der Zukunft" in: Stiftung neue verantwortung 01/10, Berlin 2010.
• Diverse Online-Publikationen innerhalb des Forschungskollegs Gesellschaft und Kontingenz auf www.gesellschaftundkontingenz.de

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