Ongoing Research Projects

New Directions in Plant Ethics

2014-2018

This project addresses the life of plants in the context of ethics. Its research project investigates values in growing plants and in cultivating plants, the ethics of gardening, meta-ethical concepts in plant ethics (flourishing, moral status, moral significance of plants) and applications of plant ethics.

Scope: Moral status of plants, ethics of plant cultivation

The project is supported by the FWF (330 000 Euros).

Research Platform Nano - Norms - Nature

2015-2018

This research platform brings together scientists from jurisprudence, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences in order to develop a normative assessment of the nano-nature interface. In particular, the researchers explore normative guidelines that are applicable to future developments in nano-sciences. This includes debate about issues of nano-release into nature, approaches to planetary medicine that include nano-technologies, and enhancement of natural beings. The overall goal is the exploration of a set of principles that contribute to regulatory frameworks and to norms that institutions subscribe to in developing nano-materials.

Scope: Research at the interface of geo-physics, environmental ethics and law.

The Research Platform is supported by the University of Vienna (330 000 Euros).