180130 FS Philosophy and the Public Sphere (2020W)

The interest in philosophy beyond the scientific-academic sphere has markedly increased lately. Not least due to political crises and recently the Corona Pandemic, fundamental philosophical and ethical questions are discussed intensively, not only at universities but also in the broader public. In addition to the feuilleton, these discourses take place primarily in philosophically oriented popular magazines, TV formats and blogs. The growing public interest in philosophy is countered by a traditional academic skepticism against any form of popular philosophy, as it, allegedly, can only provide a simplified, distorted and ultimately false picture of philosophy. However, a systematic investigation of the relationship between philosophy and the public sphere on the basis of concrete examples is still pending. The research seminar "Philosophy and the Public Sphere" starts here and wants to use selected examples to investigate how philosophy is viewed, communicated and instrumentalized outside the strictly academic context. The field of tension between philosophical science and its popular marketing will be examined, as well as the question of addressees and political implications. The following will be analyzed in detail: philosophical "bestsellers", philosophical popular magazines ("der blaue reiter", "Hohe Luft", "Philosophie-Magazin", "Abenteuer Philosophie"), philosophical TV formats ("Sternstunde Philosophie", "Das philosophische Quartett", "Precht"), philosophical blogs ("Slippery Slopes"), philosophical contributions in radio formats ("Salzburger Nachtstudio") and philosophical contributions in the science supplements of more demanding daily newspapers (NZZ, FAZ).
After a jointly made pre-selection (type of media, period of investigation) and the development of concrete questions (image of philosophy, topics and problems, persons, significance of the history of philosophy, topicality etc.), research groups with 3 - 5 members should appraise the selected media, analyse them critically and evaluate them with regard to the area of conflict between public relevance and philosophical standards. In a blocked joint final session (presence or digital) the results will then be presented and discussed. If possible, the seminar should take place as a mixture of face-to-face teaching and digital teaching; if necessary, both the research groups and the presentations can take place digitally.
The aim of the research seminar is an exemplary but systematic and publishable analysis of the image and relevance of philosophy in the German-speaking public. In this way, the research seminar also aims to make a relevant contribution to the university's "Third Mission".