Professor for Philosophy Ulm University Germany
Prof. Dr. Rebekka Hufendiek is a distinguished philosopher specializing in the philosophy of science, human nature, and the philosophy of psychology. She currently holds a W3-Professorship at Ulm University, Germany, where she explores the intersection of emotions, cognition, and values. With a strong background in epistemology, AI ethics, and 19th-century philosophical thought, she has made significant contributions to contemporary debates on science and values.
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Education 🎓
Prof. Hufendiek earned her PhD in Philosophy (summa cum laude) from Humboldt University Berlin (2012) with a dissertation titled Enactive Emotions: An Embodied Functionalist Approach. Prior to that, she completed her Magister Artium in Philosophy and Literature (2008) at the same institution, receiving the award for the best MA thesis in philosophy. She later pursued research at the University of Exeter’s Egenis Center for the Study of Life Sciences (2016) under the mentorship of Prof. John Dupré.
Experience 🏫
Prof. Hufendiek has an extensive academic career spanning multiple prestigious institutions. Before joining Ulm University in 2023, she served as an SNF-Eccellenza Professor at Bern University (2020–2022) and held research positions at Alfried Krupp-Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald (2020), Basel University (2013–2019), Université de Fribourg (2012–2013), and Humboldt University Berlin (2008–2012)**.
Research Interests 🔬
Her research focuses on philosophy of science, science and values, human nature, and the philosophy of psychology. She also engages with situated cognition, emotions, and the critique of biological essentialism. In addition, she explores epistemology, AI ethics, and historical philosophical traditions, particularly Darwin, Nietzsche, and pragmatism.
Awards 🏆
- Best MA Thesis Award in Philosophy (Humboldt University, 2008)
- Junior Fellowship, Alfried Krupp Kolleg Greifswald (2020)
- Principal Investigator (PI) for major research grants, including the DFG-funded KEMAI Graduate School (2023) and the SNSF-funded “Explaining Human Nature” project (2020–2024).
Publications Top Notes: đź“š
Prof. Hufendiek has published extensively in philosophy of science, psychology, and social philosophy. Below is a selection of her key works:
(2016) Embodied Emotions: A Naturalist Approach to a Normative Phenomenon, Routledge. [Paperback, 2018]
(2025) “Questioning origins: the role of ethical and metaethical claims in the debate about the evolution of morality.” European Journal for Philosophy of Science. 🔗
(2023) “Beyond Essentialist Fallacies: Fine-Tuning Ideology Critique of Appeals to Biological Sex Differences.” Journal of Social Philosophy.
(2021) “Verkörperter Humanismus und humanistische Digitalisierungskritik.” Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie.
(2020) “From Natural Hierarchy Signals to Social Norm-Enforcers: What Good Are Functional Explanations of Shame and Pride?” in Social Functions in Philosophy, Routledge.
(2020) “Emotions, Habits, and Skills: Action-Oriented Bodily Responses and Social Affordances.” Cambridge University Press.
(2019) “Das Hypothesenwesen: Die genealogische Methode bei Nietzsche und Rée.” Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie.
(2019) “Die Entstehung der Moral, der Begriff der Moral und die Natur des Menschen.” Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung.
(2018) “Explaining Embodied Emotions – with and without Representations.” Philosophical Explorations.
(2017) “Affordances and the Normativity of Emotions.” Synthese.