Department of Biology

Ethics, Theory, and History of the Life Sciences

 

Univ.- Prof. Dr. Thomas Potthast

 

Since 1996, the Department of Biology has had its own chair, which is the only permanent place in Germany for philosophical-interdisciplinary research and teaching in the field of Ethics, Theory and History of the Life Sciences.

Ethical questions emerge with regard to new discoveries and technologies in numerous fields such as genetics and molecular biology, the neurosciences, or ecology and nature preservation.

Embedded in the Philosophy and History of Science, applied Ethics deals with the above-mentioned topics in an interdisciplinary perspective. Overall, research and teaching should contribute to reflecting on the fund of knowledge and implications of bioscientific research and to integrating it into a holistic conception of man. Further perspectives are also opened up with reference to the challenges of sustainable development.

A close cooperation of the chair exists with the university-wide International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW): https://www.uni-tuebingen.de/de/8682

Thomas Potthast has headed the Ethics Center together with Regina Ammicht Quinn since 2014. He is also head of the "Nature and Sustainable Development" research area there, with numerous inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching activities: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/21553

Contact

Postal address:
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
Faculty of Science
Department of Biology
Ethics, Theory, and History of the Life Sciences
Wilhelmstraße 56
D-72074 Tübingen – Germany

Secretary office/Webmaster

Sigrun Heinze
Wilhelmstraße 56, 2. OG R. 3.36
 +49 (0) 7071  29 77191
+49 (0) 7071  29 5211
 sigrun.heinze[at]uni-tuebingen.de

Office opening hours
Di., Do. 13.30 -16 Uhr, Mi., Fr. 8.30 Uhr - 12 Uhr.

Library of the chair

Opening hours

please contact the secretary's office.

Lending

The lending period in our library is limited to one week.

Research

OPAC-searche in the catalogs of the Tübingen University Library as well as the faculty and institute libraries.

Address

Chair of Ethics, Theory and History of the Life Sciences
Library, R. 3.36
Wilhelmstraße 56

D-72074 Tübingen – Germany
 +49 (0) 7071  29 77191
ethik.biowissspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de