Research
About Social Ethics
Unlike individual ethics, social ethics is not primarily concerned with the actions of individuals, but rather with social structures and institutions. It asks how society can be organized in a good and just way. Similar terms for this discipline include social ethics, political ethics, political philosophy, or (practical) social philosophy. As a theological discipline, social ethics stands in the tradition in which the field is also referred to as Christian social ethics or Christian social teaching.
Mission Statement
Research in social ethics is theologically grounded and interdisciplinary in orientation. Due to the complexity of modern societies, it requires the systematic incorporation of insights from related disciplines relevant to social ethics (e.g., philosophy as well as the social, political, and economic sciences). The Department of Social Ethics currently conducts research with empirical-sociological, sociological-theoretical, and theological references. In doing so, it applies methods from the humanities, as well as philosophical-ethical and social science methods.
The department’s main areas of focus
, in addition to basic research in (social) ethics, include: technology (digitality, “artificial intelligence,” automation) and society, media ethics, political ethics, peace ethics, and business ethics. You can find more information about our areas of focus here or on the profile pages of the respective faculty members.
The Institute's Main Areas of Research
Basic research in the field of ethics, and specifically social ethics, is a central component of the department’s research and teaching activities and serves as the foundation for research in the field of applied ethics. In addition to clarifying the foundations and traditions of the discipline, basic research includes engaging with current debates and theories in philosophical and theological (social) ethics, as well as an interdisciplinary examination of developments in the related disciplines relevant to social ethics (e.g., social sciences, political science, and economics).
Although the boundaries between political ethics and peace ethics are often blurred, Christian social ethics engages particularly deeply with the issues of peace, war, and violence. So-called “Christian peace ethics” is a subdiscipline of social ethics that has developed over time and has a long tradition in the Church’s social teaching. Central to this are questions regarding the legitimacy of violence, war, and conflict, as well as the conditions for achieving peace in a globalized world. Christian peace ethics is characterized by a pacifist concern, which is reflected in the concept of just peace, a central guiding principle today (see Frühbauer 2022, 485ff.).
Frühbauer, Johannes J. (2022), Peace, in: Marianne Heimbach-Stein, Michelle Becka, Johannes J. Frühbauer, Gerhard Kruip (eds.): Christian Social Ethics. Foundations – Contexts – Themes. A Textbook and Study Guide: Friedrich Pustet Publishing House, Regensburg, 485–497).
Technology is by no means a new subject of (social) ethics. However, the ethical examination of issues related to technology and digitality has grown increasingly important in recent decades due to the wide range of technological developments. This is evident, among other things, in the fact that ethical questions regarding so-called “artificial intelligence (AI)” are now an integral part of public and political debates, and research on this topic is advancing rapidly. The examination of technology and society within the field of social ethics is part of these discourses and formulates normative guidelines (see Riedl 2022, 280; 287f).
Riedl, Anna Maria (2022), Technology, in: Marianne Heimbach-Stein, Michelle Becka, Johannes J. Frühbauer, Gerhard Kruip (eds.): Christian Social Ethics. Foundations – Contexts – Topics. A Textbook and Study Guide: Friedrich Pustet Publishing House, Regensburg, 280–299).
As a discipline concerned with the question of how society or a political order can be structured in a good and just manner, (Christian) social ethics overlaps significantly with political ethics. The department’s research in political ethics focuses, among other things, on issues of democracy and human rights, as well as an examination of theories of justice and concepts of power and governance. Also central is the discussion of fundamental social rights against the backdrop of the social principles of personality, solidarity, and subsidiarity, which are central to Christian social ethics. Last but not least, the research focuses on ecological issues and questions of sustainability, which are becoming increasingly important due to climate change (see Spieß 2022, 241ff.).
Spieß, Christian (2022), Politics, in: Marianne Heimbach-Stein, Michelle Becka, Johannes J. Frühbauer, Gerhard Kruip (eds.): Christian Social Ethics. Foundations – Contexts – Topics. A Textbook and Study Guide: Friedrich Pustet Publishing House, Regensburg, 241–260).
Business ethics refers to the ethical examination of economic structures and systems. Economic issues are of crucial importance to questions of justice. Business ethics is therefore an important field of research within social ethics. Social-ethical research on the economy focuses on considerations regarding the just organization of the market economy, for example, based on the principle of the common good or under the concept of the “eco-social market economy.” In addition, current challenges such as climate change or demographic change and their economic impacts play an important role (see Kruip 2022, 261ff.).
Kruip, Gehard (2022), Economy, in: Marianne Heimbach-Stein, Michelle Becka, Johannes J. Frühbauer, Gerhard Kruip (eds.): Christian Social Ethics. Foundations – Contexts – Topics. A Textbook and Study Guide: Friedrich Pustet Publishing House, Regensburg, 261–279).
The ethics of public communication, also known as media ethics, addresses the question of what constitutes good and proper conduct in the field of media and public communication. An ethical examination of media and public communication addresses values and principles that are important in media work, but also asks how actors working in this field should act. Central to this is, among other things, the question of what an ethically responsible and just structure for organizations and institutions in the field of media and public communication might look like (see Filipović 2025).
Filipović, Alexander (2025): Media and Public Communication from an Ethical Perspective. In: Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen, Elisabeth Klaus, and Ulrike Röttger (eds.): Communication Studies. An Introduction to the Communicative and Media Foundations of Society: Springer VS.
BikiEthics
(kurz: BiKiEthics)
Project Leaders: Prof. Alexander Filipović, Noreen van Elk, Ph.D.
Duration: April 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany
Who We Are
Welcome to the website of the externally funded project “The Concept of Education in the Context of AI in Higher Education Institutions – An Ethical Perspective” (BiKiEthics for short)!
We are a young, interdisciplinary team conducting research on ethical and socio-political issues related to digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI). As part of the externally funded BiKiEthics project, we aim to investigate whether and how the use of AI-based technologies in higher education institutions changes our conceptions of what education is and what it should be. In a second step, we would like to explore the question of what consequences this changed understanding of education has for our society and how these developments should be evaluated from an ethical perspective.
Have we piqued your interest? Here you will find further information on the project’s research questions, objectives, perspectives, and target groups. We hope you enjoy reading on!
Project Description
The ongoing digital transformation and advancements in technology and artificial intelligence are presenting new challenges for colleges and universities. On the one hand, the challenge lies in developing new, digital forms of learning and teaching that meet today’s requirements. On the other hand, given the expected rise in costs and demands, the question arises as to how digital technologies can be used to enhance the efficiency and quality of the education system itself. Applications in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, are proving promising in this regard.
The project is based on the conviction that the question of how an ethically responsible use of AI-based technologies is possible within higher education institutions cannot be answered solely from the perspective of data protection and fairness. An examination of the goals and ideals associated with higher education institutions’ understanding of education, as well as the effects of the use of AI-based technologies on this understanding, is also essential. This is because conceptions of education are not static but change in relation to societal, cultural, technical, and social factors. Educational technologies, according to our thesis, are not only based on societal conceptions of education but can also shape and alter them to a greater or lesser extent.
The project therefore begins its ethical analysis of the use of AI-based educational technologies in higher education by addressing the question of whether and how these technologies affect our understanding of education, how this change can be assessed, and how this can be incorporated into an ethical analysis of AI educational technologies in higher education.
Project Design
- Reconstruction and evaluation of “ideas of higher education”
- Analysis of the AI systems intended for use in higher education institutions.
- Expert and focus group interviews (students) on the relationship between the goals of higher education and AI systems.
- Evaluation of the consequences of AI in higher education organizations for the goals of higher education.
- Recommendations for policy action in the area of AI transformation in higher education institutions
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Filipović
Leiter des Fachbereichs Sozialethik und Projektleiter
Tel.: +43-1-4277-30342
E-Mail: alexander.filipovic(at)univie.ac.at
Noreen van Elk, Ph.D.
Universitätsassistentin (Postdoc) und stellv. Projektleiterin
Tel.: +43-1-4277-30346
E-Mail: noreen.van.elk(at)univie.ac.at
Dr. Christoph Tröbinger, MA
wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter Post-Doc
Tel.: +43-1-4277-30343
E-Mail: christoph.troebinger(at)univie.ac.at
Jacqueline Michl, BA MA
E-Mail: jacqueline.michl(at)univie.ac.at
Policy Paper on the Ethics of AI Technologies in Higher Education Published
Based on the findings of the BiKIEthics project, the paper offers recommendations for action regarding funding policy and higher education and education policy.
Recent developments indicate that higher education will undergo significant changes due to increasing digitalization and the application of AI-based technologies. These changes affect both teaching at universities and the overall organization of higher education. To shape these changes in a sustainable, ethical, and responsible manner, a critical ethical debate is of great importance. The “BiKIEthics” research project at the University of Vienna examined how the use of AI-based technologies affects the understanding of education. The project concluded that AI technologies are shifting the understanding of education toward a more individualized and self-directed form of education.
Based on the project’s findings, recommendations for action are presented for funding, higher education, and education policy. These are intended to help ensure that AI-based technologies are used in higher education in a sustainable and ethically responsible manner.
You can read the paper here: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.34853.68324
You can access the English version here: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17980.62085
Workshop on the externally funded project “BiKiEthics” – November 7 and 8, 2022
Successful workshop as part of the externally funded project “BiKiEthics” on November 7 and 8, 2022.
As part of the research project on the organization of higher education through AI systems from an ethical perspective, the “BiKiEthics” team invited experts from various disciplines to a workshop last week. Over the course of two days, discussions focused on AI systems in higher education, the impact of new technologies on traditional understandings of education, and the future opportunities and risks of higher education in Germany and Austria. Interesting presentations by experts such as Dr. Sabine Behrenbeck (German Research Council, Cologne), Prof. Dr. Thomas Köhler (TU Dresden), and Prof. Dr. Matthias Kettner (University of Witten-Herdecke) sparked relevant debates and were complemented by a presentation on the current research phase of the “BiKiEthics” project.
Many thanks to the speakers and experts for their interest and participation in the workshop, as well as for their diverse insights and willingness to engage in discussion.
A complete overview of the individual presentations and the workshop schedule can be found here.
Our article “Conceptions of education and ethics of AI in higher education: An exploratory qualitative study” has just been published in the *Journal of Open, Distance, and Digital Education*.
What is it about?
Artificial intelligence is also a major topic at universities. Naturally, AI ethics must also play a role when AI is used in institutions of higher education.
In our paper, we argue that the use of AI in higher education is changing what we understand by education. AI ethics in higher education is therefore not just about data protection, transparency, bias, and accountability. It is also about how we are using AI to transform institutions in such a way that higher education is no longer what it used to be.
We present a study in which we analyze interviews with experts from the German-speaking higher education landscape. We spoke with them about AI and higher education and how the hype surrounding AI is changing everything.
Filipović, A., Beck, C., van Elk, N., Tröbinger, C., & Michl, J. (2025). Conceptions of education and ethics of AI in higher education: An exploratory qualitative study. Journal of Open, Distance, and Digital Education, 2. https://doi.org/10.25619/x06x8c41