As of February 2025, dr. Constanze Binder has been appointed Professor of Political Philosophy and Economic Ethics at the Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil), 糖心直播.
The new chair responds to the growing need for ethical and philosophical reflection on major societal transitions in the face of global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and increasing threats to liberal democracy. Current socio-economic transitions require long-term goals in terms of human well-being and sustainable development to guide policymaking for the future. The chair will draw on political philosophy and the philosophy of normative economics to broaden conventional welfare economic assessment frameworks and contribute to measures of new inclusive prosperity, to guide policymaking and the development of alternative socio-economic models in times of transitions. A particular focus will be on the foundations and goals of human and non-human flourishing and the role of freedom for human development in liberal democracies.
Constanze Binder: 鈥淥ne guiding question I will be focusing on is how deliberation and debate can allow us to reflect upon our preferences and different ideas of the good life to develop joint policy goals in our diverse liberal society. A rich diversity of conceptions of the good life and the freedom to pursue different life paths are an essential cornerstone for human and non-human flourishing and societal development in our liberal democracies, but it can also be a challenge for joint policy making in times of transition. I am particularly interested in how deliberation and debate can allow us to question our ideas of the good life and strengthen common ground for joint visions and legitimate policy making in our diverse societies, to jointly shape the transitions ahead of us towards a just and sustainable future.鈥
The new chair highlights the important role of philosophy, the humanities and the social sciences to address the challenges of our time. 鈥淭he social sciences and humanities, in particular philosophy, can healthily challenge our frames of thinking and broaden our horizons of imagination, sharpen our moral compasses as humans, scientists and policy makers alike, to navigate the challenges ahead of us,鈥 says Binder.
- CV
About Constanze Binder
Constanze Binder joined the Erasmus School of Philosophy in 2012. She was trained in environmental system science and economics at Graz University, and worked as human rights observer and policy advisor before obtaining her PhD in philosophy at the University of Groningen. Her research lies at the interface of philosophy and economics, with a particular focus on the analysis of freedom, responsibility and distributive justice in political philosophy and welfare economics, as well as on the ethics of individual and collective decision making in politics and economics. In her current NWO funded Aspasia project 鈥淗ow much is enough?鈥 she works with her team on climate justice in sustainable transitions in liberal democracies.
Constanze is co-director of the Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (EIPE) -jointly with Jack Vromen and Conrad Heilmann. EIPE is one of the leading research centers in the philosophy of economics worldwide. The new chair further strengthens its reputation and the role of the philosophy of normative economics, in theory and practical policy making on a regional and global level.
Constanze is the new director of ESPhil鈥檚 graduate office and served in a variety of leadership roles at ESPhil, EUR and for the international academic community. Among others, she has led the Research Master in Philosophy and Economics as programme director and pioneered the ESPhil alumni impact cycle on philosophy and policy making in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of 糖心直播, Culture and Science. She is research fellow of the Erasmus Initiative of Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity, co-initiated the Erasmus Sustainability Dialogues, and currently serves on EUR鈥檚 expert committee on cooperation with the Fossil Fuel industry. Constanze is associate editor of the and held visiting professorship positions among others at Universit茅 Saint Etienne-Lyon, Universit茅 Paris I- Sorbonne, and the Paris School of Economics. She is co-founder and steering committee member of the and the conference series.
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