Gernot Böhme

Gernot Böhme ( born January 3, 1937 in Dessau ) is a German philosopher. He was professor of philosophy at the Technical University of Darmstadt and has emerged especially his work on aesthetics, nature, body and philosophy of technology as well as his conception of practical philosophy as a competence for coping with life. With numerous publications on Plato, Kant and Goethe, as well as interviews and articles for newspapers and magazines, he also became known through the trade circles. Böhme wants to keep under the terms of the technological civilization which humanity and nature, and in particular whether the physical nature of man to look for.

Life and work

Gernot Böhme, brother of Hartmut Böhme, studied mathematics, physics and philosophy at the University of Göttingen and the University of Hamburg. Böhme in 1966 received his doctorate in Hamburg with a thesis about the tenses. The transition from science to philosophy he owed his mentor Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, with whom he worked closely in Hamburg and later in Starnberg. With this he shares an interest in Plato and Kant, as well as skepticism about the secondary literature and the basic view that one can only understand a philosopher when one grasps his claim to truth. From 1965 to 1969 he was a research assistant at the University of Hamburg with Weizsäcker and later at the University of Heidelberg at Georg Picht, a cousin Weizsäcker. Between 1970 and 1977 he worked as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of the living conditions of the scientific and technical world in Starnberg. In 1973, Böhme habilitated with a work on the theory of time in Plato, Aristotle, Leibniz and Kant at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Munich. Böhme in 1977 became professor of philosophy at the TU Darmstadt. He took numerous international guest professors. His research interests include classical philosophy, especially Plato and Kant, science research, theory of time, natural philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, technical civilization, philosophical anthropology and Goethe. Boehme's research on the philosophy of Plato are primarily aimed at bringing together the younger philological research Plato with the history of science. From this, a systematic presentation of Plato's theoretical philosophy is grown. It states at the same time as the Aristotelian categories have emerged from discussions of the Platonic Academy. Boehme's introduction to philosophy appeared in several editions published by Suhrkamp Verlag. His work ethics in the context was also translated into English. Böhme was 1997-2001 Speaker of the Research Training Group Technology and Society. He was also temporarily a member of the research project economic culture through art at the University of Witten / Herdecke. His retirement was made in 2002. Since 2005 he is Director of the Institute for Private practice of philosophy eV ( IPPH ) in Darmstadt. His wife Farideh Akashe Bohemian died 2008.

Classical philosophy and ethics

Practice of philosophy means for Gernot Böhme, that life issues must be formulated and a way of life is under preparation. At the same time it is connected to itself with the work. This philosophical tradition denies the professional philosophy of science in the modern age. But philosophy is not only a science, as practiced at the university. It is both worldly wisdom and way of life. In the philosophy of life as it comes, as it were to train themselves, building on Socrates and the ancient world as a man. Philosophy as worldly wisdom is based on Kant, it has identified that philosophy that deals with what anyone interested. This is now especially to the socially significant issues. Socrates as type represents an anthropological condition, which is characterized by awareness. This includes awareness of the not-self ( daimon ) of his own existence. Concern for one's own self leads not mean that the other would even denied his. For dealing with the irrational components of the self forms are to be developed, which make them appear manageable, necessary and useful. In Kant Gernot Böhme research has emerged through this together with his brother Hartmut Böhme published book The Other of reason. He presents a psychoanalytically influenced critical view of modernity. The Kantian epistemology turns out to Böhme as a theory of an alienated knowledge, the ideal of the autonomous reason people than hard-won self-control strategy. In contrast, Bohme sets for the " other of reason " one, especially so for nature, the human body, the imagination, the desire and the feelings. Subsequently Böhme has a new interpretation of the Critique of Judgment - presented and a reconstruction of the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science - the beautiful as atmosphere. Böhme criticized the Kantian concept of the Incarnation through education.

Aesthetics as Aisthetik

Gernot Böhme strives to expand the philosophical aesthetics thematically. He designed aesthetics as Aisthetik, so as a general theory of perception. In the center of attention now should stand design, nature and art. Aesthetics has not only the task of imparting modern art. An exclusively intellectualist interpretation of art objects will be rejected. She has to deal with the new relationship with the increasingly shaped by human nature. Play a special role in the aesthetics of the moods and emotions. Atmospheres are the first and decisive reality for the aesthetics of Boehme. This is to support spatial cues. They form the common reality of the perceiver and the perceived. Boehme understands the perception as a modality of bodily presence. He then emphasizes the emotional component. Perception is primarily feeling the presence or the Feel of a certain atmosphere for him. The atmosphere belongs neither to the object nor the subject but is a co-presence on this side of the subject- object split. Only later did the atmosphere differentiated from a first-person and the object - pole of the relation and solidifies in the dual subject-object structure.

" In the perception of the atmosphere I feel kind of environment I find myself. Thus, this perception has two sides: on the one hand the environment that exudes a mood quality, on the other hand, I, as I participate in my mental state at this sentiment and the fact perceive that I 'm here now. [ ... ] Conversely atmospheres the way in which things present themselves and environments. "

The atmosphere is poured on an indefinite kind in the room. The atmosphere can only be pursued by it is experienced. You have to expose her and be emotionally affected by it. For example, in a room or a certain serene reign a depressing mood. This is not a subjective mood. This atmosphere is experienced as quasi- objective externally. It is called a common condition of the ego and its environment. The phenomena of the atmosphere to be experienced as free-floating qualities, such as forces in the physical- emotional sense or as a semi- personified forces of nature. Boehme distinguishes different characters of atmospheres. Among the social characters it counts wealth, power or elegance. Heat, cold and brightness are among the synesthesia. Communicative Characters are eager for example, quiet or peaceful. Motion impressions can be oppressive, uplifting and moving. There are also scenes in the narrower sense, such as the scenes of the English Garden. In the perception that I feel not only the presence of something, but it feels it feels physically and thereby also own The things arise from the atmospheric Feel by processes of defense, differentiation and narrowing. They are perceived as dynamic, because they create atmospheres and thus our well-being. Things are characterized by their spatially fixed location, by physicality, identity and by the compression as the concentrated in a finite space potency of the atmospheric felt with the character. Only the perception of things constituted the dual subject-object relationship. They are experienced as something factual and objective outside the subject.

Anthropology and body Philosophy

Under the title Anthropology in pragmatic terms laid Böhme is what man can do on the basis of knowledge about themselves off. The knowledge background now form the human sciences of the 20th century. Humanity could be maintained in the technically become civilization only by resistance. This view also determines body Boehme's philosophy. In his book Leibsein as a task, he shows that for the human body of technical civilization is no longer given simply because he always understands itself as a body and treated. This body is defined as " the nature that we ourselves are ." The body is one's own nature, insofar as it is given in self-awareness; the body's own nature, insofar as it is given in foreign experience. Self-awareness, however, must first be re- visited in special exercises to be a consciousness of its being able to build it yourself, which is based on "affected self-givenness ". Since the concern on unausweichlichsten is evident in negative experiences, especially the pain moves to the center of anthropology Boehme. He speaks of a "birth of the subject from the pain." Only on the basis of a bodily familiarity with it decisions are possible according to Böhme, it will require from the people today as " mündigem patients." With his wife, he has written Living with a disease these insights appropriate management of diseases the book.

Technology, science and philosophy of time

In the 1970s, Gernot Böhme has established together with Wolfgang van den Daele and Wolfgang Krohn at the Max Planck Institute in Starnberg the thesis of the finalization of Science The ambiguity of the title - finis means goal or end - called especially for members of the collar freedom of science fierce criticism from, as if the authors restrict the autonomy of science. However, the theory of the finalization of the science stated rather after Thomas S. Kuhn's theory of paradigms in science, a three -phase model of scientific development, to provide the application of science itself on a scientific basis. After a period of trial and error enters a scientific discipline in the paradigmatic phase, which eventually leads to a mature theory. On the basis of which follows in the third phase, a differentiation, which is headed by application interests. The Finalisierungsthese was occupied by numerous case studies. Böhme has this work then continued with a view of ecology as a normative orientation of the science and later expanded to a critical theory of technology development. He was headed, citing Max Horkheimer of the "interest in reasonable conditions ." Philosophy of science, Böhme has published writings on the formation of quantitative concepts and methods of measurement. He distinguishes between an epistemological step, namely the conceptual organization of the phenomenon field ( quantification ), from a scientific theoretical step, the mathematical figure (scale theory). Together with the sociologists of knowledge Nico Stehr coined Böhme also in 1985 the concept of the knowledge society. When time philosopher Gernot Böhme had already been designated by his dissertation and habilitation in both historical and systematic point of view. The understanding of time as a parameter real is he one hand, the experience of time as duration and on the other hand, the regulatory function of time as the rhythmic structure of existence, for example, by day and year held against. Against the ruling in analytical philosophy double conception of time as a series of positions that are ordered by past, present and future and a series of positions according to earlier and sorted later Boehme has introduced a new fundamental dichotomy, namely, time as a representation medium and time as a form of living existence. Form of living existence is the time that we even know to exist: that which we are, extends itself over time - much like a melody.

Darmstadt refusal formula

The involvement of science in the defense industry in the course of the arms race and the so-called NATO double-track decision was challenged on an individual Böhme moralization of science and of dealing with science. To this end, he advocated the maxim, first of all to start with yourself if you want to change something in society. He participated in 1984 therefore instrumental in the development of the Darmstadt refusal formula that shall be intended to make the moral commitment of scientists for whole groups bind and interact with the public:

"I hereby declare that I will not engage myself in the context of my work as a scientist or engineer in the development of military armor. I would rather do my best to an awareness of the contribution of my field for arms development and counteract the military use of scientific and technical knowledge. "

This statement was drafted by the Darmstadt Initiative for Disarmament and signed by about 130 scientists and technicians. It should set up moral pressure on those people working in defense research people and feared by Böhme arms escalation intellectual potential may be withdrawn. Böhme was first signatories of the Darmstadt refusal formula.

Honors and Commemorative

• Gernot Böhme's sixtieth birthday to the Festschrift appeared knowledge of nature and natural being.
• At his retirement in 2002, a Festschrift for aesthetics was published for him.
• In 2003, the Bohemian conceivable Award for obliques thinking.
• On the occasion of his seventieth birthday the commemorative practice of philosophy appeared.

Writings

• With Hartmut Böhme: The other of reason. For the development of rationality structures on the example of Kant. Frankfurt am Main in 1983. ( 2nd ed. , 1985, 3rd edition. , 1989, 5th edition. 2007)
• With Hartmut Böhme: fire, water, earth, air: a cultural history of the elements. C. H. Beck, Munich 1996, ( Paperback 2004)
• Anthropology in pragmatic ways. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt aM 1985, ISBN 3-518-11301-1.
• As Editor: Classics of natural philosophy. Beck, Munich 1989.
• Atmosphere: essays on the new aesthetic. Frankfurt am Main 1995, ISBN 3-518-11927-3.
• Theory of the image. Fink, Munich 1999.
• Aisthetik. Fink, Munich 2001.
• The nature before us. Natural philosophy in pragmatic ways. Kusterdingen 2002, ISBN 3-906336-33-6.
• Leibsein as a task. Body of Philosophy in pragmatic ways. Kusterdingen 2003, ISBN 3-906336-38-7.
• Plato's theoretical philosophy. WBG, Darmstadt 2004.
• Goethe's Faust as a philosophical text. The Grey Edition, Kusterdingen 2005.
• With Farideh Akashe Bohemian: Living with illness. The art of dealing with pain and suffering. Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-52790-6.
• With Gregor Schiemann and Dieter Mersch (ed.): Plato in post- metaphysical age. WBG, Darmstadt, 2006.
• Architecture and atmosphere. Munich 2006, ISBN 3-7705-4343-2.
• With Gisbert Hoffmann: Benn and We. Existential interpretations of poems by Gottfried Benn. Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-936532-81-4.
• Invasive mechanization. Philosophy of Technology and Technology Critique. Kusterdingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-906336-50-3.
• With WR Lafleur and S. Shimazono (ed.): Questionable medicine. Unethical research in Germany, Japan and the U.S. in the 20th century. Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 978-3-593-38582-2.
• Ethics bodily existence. About our moral treatment of its own nature. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 978-3-518-29480-2
• (Ed.) critique of meritocracy. Bielefeld and Basel 2010, ISBN 978-3-89528-797-8
• History in cross- view. The Weimar Republic in the perspective of contemporaries. Paderborn: Schöningh 2012, ISBN 978-3-506-77323-4
• (Ed.), alternative forms of economy. Bielefeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-89528-931-6
• I - self. About the formation of the subject. Munich, 2012. ISBN 978-3-7705-5386-0
• Forms of consciousness. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, 2013 ISBN 978-3-7705-5530-7.