13109 - Philosophy of Technology and Nature Modulübersicht

Module Number: 13109
Module Title:Philosophy of Technology and Nature
  Technik- und Naturphilosophie
Department: Faculty 5 - Business, Law and Social Sciences
Responsible Staff Member:
  • Prof. Dr. rer. nat. phil. habil. Schwarz, Astrid
Language of Teaching / Examination:English
Duration:1 semester
Frequency of Offer: Every winter semester
Credits: 6
Learning Outcome:After passing the module, students should:
  • understand main philosophical theories of “nature”
  • interrogate the concept of “nature” and to expose its numerous ideological and cultural manifestations.
  • identify the main ethical dimensions of “nature”, and their crosscultural and political dimensions.
  • gain insight into reading, writing, and visual practices about “nature”and understand the power of narratives and storytelling to shape our environmental present and future.
Contents:What is “nature”? Is “nature” the same in all times and cultures? Is the “nature”/culture distinction still worth drawing? This module seeks to answer these and other questions, by approaching “nature” with various grounded historical and contemporary philosophical approaches. The module has two parts: „How to talk about “nature"?“ and „Living in the Anthropocene: concepts, models, and narratives in the climate crisis debate.“
The module provides an overview on how “nature” reveals itself in various environmental debates. For example, the concept of “nature” was differently interpreted in ancient times, compared to modern contemporary cultures. We will probe the different usage, the scope of historical and cross-cultural depth, the semantics, the imageries, and finally, the logical coherence of “nature” concepts. This variety of topics means that the assigned readings will draw from a wide range of sources.
With respect to handle current ecological and technocultural problems, a conscious reflection about “nature” seems to be required. Thus, the module should be also seen, in part, as a way to gain insight into reading and writing about “nature”. In this module, we will demonstrate the power of narratives and storytelling to understand and shape our environmental present and future.

Participation in the accompanying excursion is requested.
Recommended Prerequisites:None
Mandatory Prerequisites:None
Forms of Teaching and Proportion:
  • Lecture / 2 Hours per Week per Semester
  • Seminar / 2 Hours per Week per Semester
  • Self organised studies / 120 Hours
Teaching Materials and Literature:See course material in moodle.
Module Examination:Continuous Assessment (MCA)
Assessment Mode for Module Examination:
  • One short essay, max. 2 pages (20%)
  • Two reviews, max. 5 pages (each 25%)
  • 2 oral group presentations, about 15 min OR weekly submitted written answers to one short question on the topical readings to be determined by the instructor (30%)
Evaluation of Module Examination:Performance Verification – graded
Limited Number of Participants:None
Part of the Study Programme:
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Architektur / keine PO
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Betriebswirtschaftslehre / keine PO
  • Abschluss im Ausland / eBusiness / keine PO
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Energietechnik und Energiewirtschaft / keine PO
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Environmental and Resource Management / keine PO
  • Bachelor (research-oriented) / Environmental and Resource Management / PO 2015
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Physik / keine PO
  • Master (research-oriented) / Transformation Studies / PO 2024
  • Abschluss im Ausland / Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen / keine PO
  • Abschluss im Ausland / World Heritage Studies / keine PO
 This module has been approved for the general studies.
Remarks:None
Module Components:Lectures and seminars in the corresponding field.
Components to be offered in the Current Semester:
  • no assignment