Christian Seidel
Professor
Christian Seidel is a professor of philosophical anthropology in the Department of Philosophy at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He is, together with Gregor Betz, co-head of CompPhil²MMAE.
Having studied philosophy, logic & philosophy of science, psychology, mathematics and economics at universities in Munich, Bologna, Berlin and London, he completed his PhD in philosophy in Bern and held postdoctoral positions in Zurich, Erlangen and Münster.
Christian’s research and teaching interests include moral theory, climate ethics, intergenerational justice, risk ethics, autonomy, as well as morality (and moralism) in public discourse. He also specialises in 19th-century British moral and social philosophy. His philosophical heroes are John Stuart & Harriet Taylor Mill, Henry Sidgwick and Derek Parfit.
Interests
- Fundamental questions of moral philosophy
- Applied ethics
- Norms of public discourse
- British moral and social philosophy of the 19th century
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Bern
M.Phil. in Philosophy, Logic & Philosophy of Science,
pre-degree ("Vordiplom") in Psychology,
B.Sc. Mathematics & Economics
Munich, Bologna, Berlin, London
Publications
Books
Monographes & Edited Collections
(2026).
Besser um die Zukunft streiten (How to argue better about the future).
München:
Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Co. KG.
(2022).
Was ist Moralismus? Über Zeigefinger und den Ort der Moral (What is moralism? About pointing fingers and the place of morality).
(Was bedeutet das alles? (What does all this mean?)).
Ditzingen:
Reclam.
(Ed.)
(2020).
Kritik des Moralismus (Critique of moralism).
(stw, 2328).
Berlin:
Suhrkamp.
(Ed.)
(2019).
Consequentialism: New Directions, New Problems.
(Oxford Moral Theory).
Oxford/New York:
Oxford University Press.
(2017).
Climate Justice: An Introduction.
London/New York:
Routledge.
(2016).
Selbst bestimmen. Eine philosophische Untersuchung personaler Autonomie (Self-determination. A philosophical examination of personal autonomy).
(Ideen & Argumente (Ideas & arguments)).
Berlin/Boston:
de Gruyter.
(2015).
Ethik des Klimawandels. Eine Einführung (Ethics of climate change. An introduction).
(2nd, extended edition)
Darmstadt:
Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (Scientific Book Society).
(2013).
Ethik des Klimawandels. Eine Einführung (Ethics of climate change. An introduction).
Darmstadt:
Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (Scientific Book Society).
Articles
in journals
(2024).
Werte und Wertvorstellungen in der Moral moralischer Rede. Einige Überlegungen zum Phänomen des Moralismus (Values and value concepts in the morality of moral speech. Some reflections on the phenomenon of moralism).
Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Philosophie und Ethik (Journal for Didactics of Philosophy and Ethics).
2024
(2), p. 35–45.
(2021).
The Deontic Transfer Principle.
Erkenntnis.
86
(5), p. 1185–1195.
(2020).
Die normative Grundlage intergenerationeller Unternehmensethik. Zwei Ansätze, zwei Schwierigkeiten (The normative basis of intergenerational business ethics. Two approaches, two difficulties).
Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik (Journal of Business and Corporate Ethics).
21
(2), p. 128–164.
(2020).
The Philosophical Biography of the Utilitarian Tradition: Is Sidgwick a Point of Culmination?.
Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung (Journal of Philosophical Research).
74
(1), p. 124–140.
(2019).
Zwei (mal zwei) Perspektiven in der Zukunftsethik (Two (times two) perspectives in future ethics).
Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung (Journal of Philosophical Research).
73
(1), p. 138–143.
(2017).
Précis zu Selbst bestimmen. Eine philosophische Untersuchung personaler Autonomie (Précis on Determining the Self. A philosophical investigation of personal autonomy).
Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung (Journal of Philosophical Research).
21
(2), p. 289–293.
(2017).
Feasibility, normative heuristics and the proper place of historical responsibility – a reply to Ohndorf et al..
Climatic Change.
140
(2), p. 101–107.
(2017).
Repliken (Replicas).
Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung (Journal of Philosophical Research).
71
(2), p. 305–313.
(2015).
Equality, justice and feasibility: an ethical analysis of the WBGU’s budget approach.
Climatic Change.
133
(3), p. 397–406.
(2014).
On “Imperfect” Imperfect Duties and the Epistemic Demands of Integrationist Approaches to Justice.
Ethics, Policy & Environment.
17
(1), p. 39–42.
(2011).
Does leadership promote cooperation in climate change mitigation policy?.
Climate Policy.
11
(2), p. 901–921.
(2011).
Personale Autonomie als praktische Autorität (Personal autonomy as practical authority).
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie (German Journal of Philosophy).
59
(6), p. 897–915.
Articles
in collections
(2025).
Henry Sidgwick. Philosophische Biographie, Werk, Wirkung – und die Transformation des Utilitarismus (Henry Sidgwick. Philosophical biography, work, impact – and the transformation of utilitarianism).
In:
Handbuch Utilitarismus (Utilitarianism handbook).
Pub. by Vuko Andrić & Bernward Gesang.
Berlin:
J.B. Metzler, p. 289–300.
(2024).
Altruismus und Unparteilichkeit. Ein Explikationsvorschlag (Altruism and impartiality. A proposal for explication).
In:
Altruismus. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven.
Pub. by Dagmar Kiesel, Sebastian Schmidt & Thomas Smettan.
Berlin:
J.B. Metzler, p. 133–161.
(2024).
Zukunftsvergessenheit. Ein Klärungsversuch (Forgetting the future. An attempt at clarification).
In:
Moral und Zeit.
Pub. by Petra Gehring & Reinold Schmücker.
Hamburg:
Meiner.
[In publication.]
(2024).
Hedonism.
In:
Mill-Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung (Mill Handbook. Life – Work – Impact).
Pub. by Frauke Höntzsch.
Berlin:
J.B. Metzler, p. 273–281.
(2024).
Moralischer Intuitionismus (Moral intuitionism).
In:
Mill-Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung (Mill Handbook. Life – Work – Impact).
Pub. by Frauke Höntzsch.
Berlin:
J.B. Metzler, p. 63–77.
(2020).
Kritik des Moralismus. Eine Landkarte zur Einleitung (Critique of Moralism. A map as an introduction).
In:
Kritik des Moralismus (Critique of Moralism).
Pub. by Christian Neuhäuser & Christian Seidel.
Berlin:
Suhrkamp, p. 9–34.
(2020).
Wie moralistisch dürfen wir sein? Moralismus als Herausforderung für eine ‚praktische‘ praktische Philosophie (How moralistic can we be? Moralism as a challenge for a ‘practical’ practical philosophy).
In:
Kritik des Moralismus (Critique of moralism).
Pub. by Christian Neuhäuser & Christian Seidel.
Berlin:
Suhrkamp, p. 206–240.
(2019).
New Wave Consequentialism. An Introduction.
In:
Consequentialism: New Directions, New Problems.
Pub. by Christian Seidel.
Oxford/New York:
Oxford University Press, p. 1–28.
(2018).
Der Klimawandel als ethische Herausforderung (The ethical challenge of climate change).
In:
Diercke Weltaltlas: Klimawandel im Geographieunterricht. Bewusstseinsbildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung.
Pub. by Christiane Meyer, Andreas Eberth & Barbara Warner.
Braunschweig:
Westermann, p. 174–181.
(2016).
The Costs of Moralizing. How About a ‘Government House Climate Ethics’?.
In:
Climate Justice in a Non-Ideal World.
Pub. by Clare Heyward & Dominic Roser.
Oxford/New York:
Oxford University Press, p. 277–295.
(2016).
The Moral Problem.
In:
Handbuch Handlungstheorie (Handbook of action theory).
Pub. by Michael Kühler & Markus Rüther.
Stuttgart:
J.B. Metzler, p. 309–315.
(2013).
Two Problems with the Socio-Relational Critique of Distributive Egalitarianism.
In:
What can we believe? What should we do? Section contributions of the eighth international congress of the Society for Analytic Philosophy e.V..
Pub. by Miguel Hoeltje, Thomas Spitzley & Wolfgang Spohn.
Duisburg-Essen:
DuEPublico, p. 525–535.
(2012).
Autonomie und prozedurale Unabhängigkeit: Eine Verhältnisbestimmung anhand der Debatte um Menschenwürde (Autonomy and procedural independence: A definition of the relationship based on the debate about human dignity).
In:
Crossing Borders - Grenzen (über)denken - Thinking (across) Boundaries. Beiträge zum 9. Kongress der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Philosophie.
Pub. by Alfred Dunshirn, Elisabeth Nemeth & Gerhard Unterthurner.
Wien:
Österreichische Gesellschaft für Philosophie, p. 619–629.
(2012).
Eigene Gründe – wozu eigentlich? Einige Überlegungen in Richtung einer deflationären Auffassung (Own reasons – why actually? Some considerations in the direction of a deflationary view).
In:
Welt der Gründe. Kolloquienbeiträge (The world of reasons. Colloquium contributions).
Pub. by Julian Nida-Rümelin & Elif Özmen.
(Deutsches Jahrbuch Philosophie (German Yearbook of Philosophy), 4).
Hamburg:
Meiner, p. 986–1004.
(2012).
Klimawandel, globale Gerechtigkeit und die Ethik globaler öffentlicher Güter – einige grundlegende begriffliche Fragen (Climate change, global justice and the ethics of global public goods – some fundamental conceptual questions).
In:
Globale öffentliche Güter in interdisziplinären Perspektiven (Global public goods in interdisciplinary perspectives).
Pub. by Matthias Maring.
(Schriftenreihe des Zentrums für Technik- und Wirtschaftsethik am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (Publication series of the Center for Technology and Business Ethics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), 5).
Karlsruhe:
KIT Scientific Publishing, p. 179–195.
(2011).
Die gute Ethikerin und der Platz der Moral: Zwischen Moralismus und Willensschwäche (The good ethicist and the place of morality: between moralism and weakness of will).
In:
Müssen Ethiker moralisch sein? Essays über Philosophie und Lebensführung (Do ethicists have to be moral? Essays on philosophy and lifestyle).
Pub. by Christoph Ammann, Barbara Bleisch & Anna Goppel.
Frankfurt a. M./New York:
Campus, p. 85–100.
(2007).
Psychisch anders? Überlegungen zu Personsein und Identität (Psychologically different? Reflections on personhood and identity).
In:
Was ist krank? Stigmatisierung und Diskriminierung in Medizin und Psychotherapie (What is sick? Stigmatization and discrimination in medicine and psychotherapy).
Pub. by Florian Steger.
Gießen:
Psychosozial Verlag, p. 31–48.
Reviews
Bibliographies etc.
(2013).
Kommentierte Auswahlbibliographie (Annotated selected bibliography).
In:
Personale Autonomie (Personal autonomy).
Pub. by Monika Betzler.
(mentis anthologien philosophie).
Münster:
Mentis, p. 221–226.
(2010).
Rezension zu Norbert Anwander: Versprechen und Verpflichten (Review of Norbert Anwander: Promises and Obligations).
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice.
13
(1), p. 117–119.
(2008).
Rezension zu Stephen Darwall, The Second-Person Standpoint (Review on Rezension zu Stephen Darwall, The Second-Person Standpoint).
Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung (Journal for philosophical research).
62
(4), p. 609–614.
Talks
News
The newly established, DFG funded project ‘The Ethics of State Mass Surveillance’ (Head: Peter Königs, Christian Neuhäuser, Christian Seidel) invites applications for three doctoral positions for a period of three years. Of these three positions, two will be at TU Dortmund (Department of Philosophy and Political Science) and one at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Department of Philosophy). Employment can begin at the earliest possible date. The remuneration will be according to pay group E 13 TV-L, with 65 % of the regular work time.
CompPhil²MMAE cooperates with alumnus Peter Königs and Christian Neuhäuser from TU Dortmund University in a research project funded by the DFG. In three sub-projects, we are investigating the question of how modern practices of state mass surveillance in liberal societies are to be ethically evaluated – with regard to (a) the monitored individual, (b) the democratic society in which surveillance takes place, and (c) the technology companies that participate in state surveillance.
Christian Seidel and Maike Albertzart will be chairs of the Normative Ethics section at the 12th Congress of the Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP.12).
CompPhil²MMAE is involved in a scientific network on “Methods of Practical Ethics” funded by the DFG. The network will investigate moral philosophical methods in applied ethical contexts (such as AI, data protection, climate change, etc.) and reflect on the role of ethicists in the corresponding public discourses.
The Department of Philosophy is significantly involved in the Mill Handbook, edited by Frauke Höntzsch, with a total of seven contributions.
Christoph Schmidt-Petri has contributed articles on Mill’s biography, on Utilitarianism and on utility/happiness; Michael Schefczyk has written on freedom and on property and Christian Seidel the contributions on moral intuitionism and on hedonism.
