WittenLab. Zukunftslabor Studium fundamentale

Research Area History and Philosophy of Knowledge

The Philosophy and History of Economics research area examines how the way of thinking about and practising economics has changed in the modern era. Using transdisciplinary approaches, it draws not only on sources from the history of economics and economic thought, but also on material from the history of philosophy, art and culture, as well as discourses from the history of knowledge and science. Whether it be the concept of efficiency, the idea of growth or the narrative of progress – we need the past of the economy to rewrite its future.

The Early Modern Period was characterised by increased global interconnectedness. European expansion led to intensified personal exchanges between people worldwide, often based on inequality or violence. This section explores how the exchange of cultural knowledge and knowledge about cultures took shape within this new global context. Finally, it also examines the relationship between culture and knowledge, how the two are interdependent, and how we can understand both concepts.