“It’s an easy matter to preach morals, but not so easy to practice them.” This variation on a quote by Schopenhauer describes the discrepancy which often occurs between ethical principles and actual practice – both on the part of private persons as well as commercial enterprises. But why is it that so few people adhere to the moral standards they (most plausibly) preach to others? “What makes it so difficult to reach ethical decisions?” This will be the topic addressed by Professor Dieter Birnbacher (photo), University of Düsseldorf, in a public lecture to mark the opening of the Bremer Universitäts-Gespräche (BUG) on 11 November 2010 at 6 p.m. in Stadtwaage (Langenstraße 13). Based on topical issues surrounding environmental and bio ethics his lecture deals with the difficulty of reaching ethical decisions.
This will be the opening lecture of the 23rd Bremer Universitäts-Gesprächen, which this year is dedicated to the theme of ethics in complex decisions involving economic actors. Among the invited speakers are experts from business and industry who are actually faced with making such decisions. The lecture series presents a forum for them to discuss surrounding issues with the scientists and scholars who analyze the processes involved. This year the University Lectures are being held under the patronage of Josef Hattig, former Bremen Senator for the Economy and member of the BLG Supervisory Board [Bremer Lagerhausgesellschaft]. Professor of Philosophy, Dagmar Borchers, and Professor of Economics, Georg Müller-Christ – both members of the University of Bremen – have the task of academic coordination. Welcoming addresses will be held by Bernd Petrat for the Wolfgang Ritter Foundation, this year’s patron, Josef Hattig, and die Bremen Senator of Science, Renate Jürgens-Pieper. The lecture on Thursday evening is open to the public.
The Universitäts-Gespräche will be continued on Friday 12 November in a non-public session in the Park Hotel, Bremen. The event is being organized by the Wolfgang Ritter Foundation, the University of Bremen, and the “unifreunden”, friends of the University.
