Responsibility

Understanding and taking responsibility is a central issue in our increasingly complex society and is important in all areas of personal and professional life. The goal of this course is to encourage students to reflect on their own responsibility in different contexts and to provide a deeper understanding of the aspects of responsibility.

The course begins by describing the philosophical and ethical foundations of responsibility. Fundamental questions are explained: What does it mean to be responsible? Is it even possible to be responsible? What are we responsible for, and can we be held responsible for unintended or unforeseen consequences? Who bears responsibility, and how do areas of responsibility relate to our social position and our individual life projects?

The topic of responsibility in different areas of life will be presented and explored in detail. To this end, the topics of responsibility in science, “good scientific practice” and the limits of scientific freedom will be examined. The role of the scientific system in evaluating scientific conduct will be explained. In addition, the experiences and reflections of long-standing responsible persons will be presented in order to make responsibility visible and explainable in society. Personalities from politics, the media, business, medicine and public administration will report on their experiences.