Priority Area 3 Humans and Humans
Not least against the backdrop of populist trends, the present is generally experienced as crisis-ridden. Supranational and domestic structures appear to be shaken, and new ways of life challenge the self-image of institutions that were considered stable, such as the family. Priority Area 3 examines these societal upheavals and the representation of the familiar in their historical, cultural and geographical complexity on an interdisciplinary basis. An essential element of this investigation are antagonistic logics that come into play internally between old and new designs, but also between different societies and cultures. Such antagonisms often have a stabilizing effect internally. The loss and regaining of trust as a de/stabilizing force is another possible object of investigation for the measures involved.
The Priority Area builds on the FoF 3 research focus areas “Transformation Processes”, “Cultural Heritage”, “Friendship and Enmity” and “Knowledge Validity” as well as on the research at the TRN “FAMILY” and the TRN “ENACTING TRUST”. Important partners are the Antiziganism Research Center and Political Sciences with an ongoing initiative on forms of "(De-)Othering", the CRC "Heimat(en)", the two Research Training Groups "Authority and Trust" and "Ambivalent Enmity" as well as the project "The Aggressor".
The following measures are funded in Priority Area 3:
TRN „Academic freedom under pressure. Discursive negotiations in polarised societies“
Academic freedom is a central prerequisite for research and teaching - both in the critical questioning of existing findings and in the independent publication of results. However, current crises such as the climate crisis and COVID-19 show that this freedom is increasingly coming under pressure. The research project examines the discursive construction of academic freedom in polarized societies and compares Germany and the USA. The aim is to analyse social, normative and linguistic mechanisms that shape negotiations and threats to scientific autonomy at a societal level. The initiative aims to systematize and network the already active reflection on the topic at Heidelberg University.
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Vahram Atayan (Translation Studies), Prof. Dr. Thorsten Moos (Theology/Ethics), Prof. Dr. Kathia Serrano-Velarde (Sociology)
TRN „Rationality in Context“
The project explores the tension between universal and context-dependent concepts of rationality. While rationality has traditionally been regarded as timeless and universal, universalist approaches are increasingly being questioned across various disciplines. Two central questions are posed: Does a different standard of rationality apply in different contexts of human life? Which contexts either foster or hinder rational behavior? These questions are examined from an interdisciplinary perspective, with the aim of developing a context-sensitive and pluralistic understanding of rationality.
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Julia Peters (Philosophy), Prof. Dr. Jochen Briesen (Philosophy), Prof. Dr. Zeno Enders (Marcoeconomics), Prof. Dr. Martin Krämer (Japanese Studies), Prof. Dr. Jan Rummel (Psychology)