LFU:online

Intimate knowledge of practical philosophy with a special emphasis on legal philosophy; advanced philosophical reasoning; interdisciplinary competence

According to Montesquieu in his On the Spirit of the Laws (1748), a democracy cannot function without virtue of its citizens. But which virtues, i.e., abilities or ethically relevant qualities, exactly do democrats need? In addition, which are of primary importance in modern mass democracies characterized by social pluralization, ideological/cultural heterogeneity and, most recently, increasingly by polarizing discord? How can democratic virtues be brought to life in concrete situations? Moreover, can they be taught or proliferated? By reading and discussing classical and contemporary texts, we will elaborate the moral foundations of democracy as a way of life and relate them to current European and global developments.

Reading and discussions

in combined form  

will be announced during lecture