Philosophy of Science and Ethics of Science
in the Context of A. Schopenhauer
November 30 – December 1, 2026 · Münster Palace · Papers in German and English
Conference Announcement
On November 30 and December 1, 2026, an international conference on the philosophy and ethics of science from systematic and historical perspectives will take place at Münster Palace. The conference focuses on the question of how central problems in the philosophical reflection on science can be reconsidered in connection with the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
In recent years, Schopenhauer has increasingly emerged as a relevant point of reference for questions in the philosophy and ethics of science. Alongside fundamental studies of his conception of science, a growing body of research has examined his relation to individual disciplines such as biology, physics, mathematics, and cognitive science.
The conference brings together international scholars to discuss these developments from both historical and systematic perspectives and to develop them further. Particular attention will be paid both to the general foundations of scientific knowledge and practice and to philosophical and ethical questions concerning individual scientific disciplines.
Main Topics
The conference will focus in particular on questions from the following areas:
I. General Philosophy of Science
- Concepts of cognition, knowledge, and science
- Forms of scientific explanation and causality
- Conceptions of space and time
- Order and systematic classification of scientific disciplines
II. General Ethics of Science
- Responsibility and compassion in the sciences
- Scientific optimism and pessimism
- Limits, functions, and meaning of scientific practice
III. Philosophy of the Individual Sciences
- Schopenhauer and evolutionary theory
- Reception in the natural sciences, including physics
- Philosophy of mathematics
IV. Ethics of the Individual Sciences
- Animal ethics in the context of scientific research
- Responsibility in scientific research
- Environmental ethics and sustainability
Aims of the Conference
The conference aims to explore Schopenhauer's philosophy as a productive framework for debates in the philosophy and ethics of science. Particular emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary connections and on combining historical research with systematic analysis. Historical perspectives on Schopenhauer's relation to science and the history of science will also be included.
Programme
The complete programme of the international conference on November 30 and December 1, 2026:
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 10:15–10:45 | Jens Lemanski: Welcome and Introduction |
| 10:45–11:30 | Thorsten Streubel: Schopenhauers Wissenschaftstheorie der Naturwissenschaften und deren (re-)visionäres Potenzial für eine neue Metaphysik im 21. Jahrhundert |
| 11:30–12:00 | Coffee Break |
| 12:00–12:45 | Ingolf Max: Schopenhauers 'Große Logik' und die Graphenlogiken von Peirce. Über zwei verwandte Utopien einer Wissenschaftsphilosophie |
| 12:45–13:30 | Javier Legris: Schopenhauer's Conception of Mathematical Knowledge: An Approach from C. S. Peirce's Pragmatism |
| 13:30–14:30 | Lunch Break |
| 14:30–15:00 | Christina Kittsteiner: Schopenhauer's Eristische Dialektik und das PLURV-Modell |
| 15:00–15:45 | Jacob Rosenthal: Mitgefühl als Kern einer Moralbegründung aus der Erkenntnistheorie. Schopenhauer und moderne Ansätze |
| 15:45–16:15 | Coffee Break |
| 16:15–17:00 | Claudia Bozzaro: Leiden als normatives Konzept in der modernen Medizin |
| 17:00–17:45 | Dieter Birnbacher: Schopenhauer und die Idee einer Induktiven Metaphysik |
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 9:45–10:15 | Madhurendra Mishra: Who Pays for Objectivity? |
| 10:15–10:45 | Abdullah Onur Aktaş / Murat Öner: Will, Form and Function: Schopenhauer's Comparative Anatomy and the Explanation of Biological Form |
| 10:45–11:00 | Coffee Break |
| 11:00–11:45 | Marco Segala: Between Epistemology and Aesthetics of Knowledge: Schopenhauer's Relevance to a Contemporary Inquiry |
| 11:45–12:15 | Vinícius Fratta Fritz: Reflections on Art and Science: On how Concepts can Lead to Ideas |
| 12:15–13:15 | Lunch Break |
| 13:15–14:00 | Laura Langone: Schopenhauer and Paul Taylor on Environmental Ethics |
| 14:00–14:30 | Daniel Elon: Schopenhauer and the Quest for the 'Theory of Everything' in Modern Physics: Perspectives Concerning the Philosophy of Science |
| 14:30–14:45 | Coffee Break |
| 14:45–15:30 | Ana Carolina Soliva Soria: Imagination ('Phantasie') and the Intuition of the World" |
| 15:30–16:00 | Timothy Secret: Reading Schopenhauer and Bichat Side by Side |
| 16:00–16:15 | Coffee Break |
| 16:15–17:00 | Alain Kassogue: Scientific Knowledge and Genealogy: What Contribution of Schopenhauer’s and Nietzsche’s Pessimism to Science Today? |
Programme as PDF
The complete conference programme is also available as a PDF.
Conference Details
Contact
Sponsors
- Schopenhauer Society
- Center for Philosophy of Science