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Please Irritate me: What can we know – and what should we do?
Event
- Starts on
- 09.12.26
- Ends on
- 09.12.26
19:00 — 20:30
PalaisPopulaire
Unter den Linden 5
10117 Berlin
Event access: Public
Peter-André Alt and physician and philosopher Christiane Woopen talk about freedom, responsibility, and what constitutes a good life.
- Topics
New medical and technological advances are continually expanding the boundaries of what we can learn about ourselves. In medicine, for example, it is now possible to identify the risk of developing certain diseases long before they manifest themselves. But what does it mean to learn about a disease that may not develop for decades – or perhaps never at all? Does the ability to know something also imply an obligation to act on that knowledge? How do we make decisions when different values and interests come into conflict?
These are the questions we will explore with Christiane Woopen in the latest edition of "Please Irritiate Me!". A physician and philosopher, Woopen is one of the most prominent voices in contemporary ethical debates. As Director of the Center for Life Ethics at the University of Bonn, she examines how profound societal transformations – from medical and technological advances to climate change, globalization, and the increasing influence of economic considerations – challenge our understanding of freedom, responsibility, and what it means to live a good life.
Together with literary scholar and spokesperson for the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft, Peter-André Alt, she will explore the possibilities and limitations of scientific knowledge. The discussion will focus on how we navigate uncertainty and conflicting interests, what guidance science can offer in times of change, and what makes a life worth living.
The event will be held in German.
Please register on the website of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft.
"Please Irritate Me" is a joint series of events organised by Die Junge Akademie and the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft.
Christiane Woopen
Christiane Woopen has held the Heinrich Hertz Professorship for Life Ethics at the University of Bonn since 2021 and is the founding director of the Center for Life Ethics. A physician and philosopher, her research explores how technological, economic, and societal changes affect our lives and the ethical questions they raise. Among other roles, she has served as Chair of the German Ethics Council (2012–2016), Co-Chair of the German Federal Government's Data Ethics Commission (2018–2019), and Chair of the European Commission's European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (2017–2021).