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Kroesen, J.O. (Otto)

Research profile

Otto Kroesen has studied theology and presented a thesis on the philosophy of the French-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. He presently combines the functions of students pastor and assistant professor on ‘Ethics and Technology’. After his thesis he mostly published on the work of Rosenstock-Huessy, sociologist, historian and language philosopher of the 20th century. Research interests include:
• Social and historical background of values and human qualities. Without being a relativist one can easily discern, that values and human qualities (or virtues) are not eternal, but emerge and unfold in the course of history.
• Communicative interaction. By a process of “communicative interaction” the society, a company, any group of people, constitute their version and set or interpretation of norms and values.
• History of human achievements and values.  In a process of revolutionary upheavals from the Middle Ages on, via the German reformation, the English “Great Rebellion” and Glorious Revolution”, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution, and finally the world wars a new language, a new type of man, a new order of law is (being) created.
• Europa and globalization. The mutual influence and integration of different historical achievements, values and human qualities are not so much threatened by the ongoing globalization of the economy, but in turn are conditional to this process.  - On request the text of a research project can be send especially concerning the last two points.
• Policy transfer to developing countries and exchange of social values conditional to that.

Teaching

Ethics of Technology
Communicative interaction