Research profile

The philosophy department  offers a broad and intensive research environment The philosophical research in Bielefeld covers all areas of philosophy, with a focus on current topics in analytic philosophy. The Bielefeld research tradition in philosophy aims for international visibility.

You can find out more about individual research projects on the personal homepages of each department member (you can find the list here). Below you find some general information about our research profile.

A strong research department

The philosophy department is among the leading philosophical institutions in Germany. It combines a broad thematic range with a clear methodological orientation

• Methodological orientation: Bielefeld researchers are committed to the standards of clarity and argumentative rigor as they are practiced within the analytic tradition,
• Systematic focus: Our research covers logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy, philosophy of action, political philosophy and applied ethics.
• Cooperative spirit: in line with our broad range of topics, we have many cooperations with neighboring disciplines within the university as well as German and international institutions.

Within the region, the philosophy department cooperates with the philosophy departments in Bochum, Hannover, Münster and Osnabrück. With the colleagues from Münster the research group theoretical philosophy holds regular colloquia and graduate seminars

Bielefeld University – an interdisciplinary institution

Because of its strong interdisciplinary orientation, Bielefeld university is an attractive place for pursuing a PhD:

• Structure: The university has over 13 different faculties, many of which are housed in the same buildings
• Exchange: The different members of the university are in working closely together at all levels of training and across different areas of research
• Centre for Advanced Studies (ZiF): The centre supports innovative and outstanding interdisciplinary projects pursued by research groups. It also allows PhD students to interact and network with researchers that work in an interdisciplinary fashion.
• University library: Has an excellent collection of scientific literature and a strong service-centered workflow, which is reflected in important rankings