Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2022
Science in Perspective  In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Type A: Enhancement of Reflection CompetenceSiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-0726-00L | History II: Global (Anti-Imperialism and Decolonisation, 1919-1975) | W | 3 credits | 2V | H. Fischer-Tiné | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture will give an insight into the formation of anticolonial nationalist movements in Asia and Africa from the beginning of the 20th century onwards and discuss the various dimensions of dismantling of colonial empires. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The lecture will give students an insight into the history of the non-European world, looking specifically into the political, economic, social and cultural transformation on the backgrounds of colonial penetration strategies and the resistance of anti-colonial movements. The aim is to show that societies in Asia and Africa are not just the product of colonial penetration or anti-colonial resistance, but that both aspects influenced the present political, economic, social and cultural perception of these parts of the world to a considerable extent. A nuanced knowledge of the long and arduous process of decolonisation is hence important to understand today's geopolitical constellation, still characterised by the struggle for a just post-imperial world order. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Jansen, J.C. und Osterhammel, J., Dekolonisation: Das Ende der Imperien, München 2013. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | A detailed syllabus will be available in due course at http://www.gmw.ethz.ch/en/teaching/lehrveranstaltungen.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0812-08L | Heureka V: Politics and Society in Discussion in Antiquity and Today | W | 2 credits | 2V | C. Utzinger, M. Amann, B. Beer, A. Broger, F. Egli Utzinger, R. Harder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | A Lecture Series on Ancient Greece and Rome and Their Impact on Later Periods | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students learn about ancient forms of government from different eras (Athenian democracy, Roman republic and Roman principate) and the social, scientific and technical context of their emergence. They gain insight into a theoretical discourse that extends from antiquity to the present. Already in antiquity, philosophers and scientists such as Plato and Aristotle tried to intervene in the social debate and to put their theoretical findings into practice (relationship between model and reality). Using literary and material sources, participants reflect on the aftermath in pre-modern and contemporary constitutional debates. They also analyze art and architecture as a means of political propaganda. They recognize that architectural forms, starting in antiquity, have been and continue to be used as propaganda tools in modern states. The students are able to take an informed position in current constitutional debates by knowing ancient and modern developments and arguments. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Unsere Kultur und wissenschaftliche Tradition haben eine lange Geschichte. In der aktuellen Heureka-Reihe soll diese Kultur ausgehend von der Analyse der verschiedenen Staatsformen und der gesellschaftlichen Diskussionen beleuchtet werden. Insbesondere soll der Bezug zur heutigen Gegenwart mit ihren aktuellen staatspolitischen Fragen hergestellt und die Verwurzelung der modernen Diskussionen in der Antike aufgezeigt werden. Dabei geht es auch um die enge Verflechtung wissenschaftlicher und technischer Entwicklungen und politischer Systeme: Die Entstehung der Demokratie im antiken Athen ging mit einer kulturellen und wissenschaftlichen Vorreiterrolle dieser Stadt einher. Die frühen Naturwissenschaften entwickelten sich parallel zur ersten Demokratie, wurden aber in der folgenden Krisenzeit von der Demokratie bedroht. Heutige Technik (z.B. facebook-Algorithmen) gefährdet umgekehrt die Demokratie. Wie gehen wir damit um, dass in Diktaturen wissenschaftlich und ökonomisch identifizierte Handlungsfelder, wenn sie politisch anerkannt sind, sofort umgesetzt werden, wie sich aktuell an Chinas Massnahmen zur Verbesserung der Luftqualität zeigt? Naturwissenschaft steht immer im Wechselspiel mit den politischen Systemen und der gesellschaftlichen Matrix, in die sie eingebettet ist. Veränderungen in der Staatsform können also nie isoliert betrachtet werden. Beispielsweise veränderten materialtechnische Entwicklungen im Heer mehrfach die Truppenzusammensetzung und bewirkten eine Machtverlagerung in der Politik und Gesellschaft. Die Vorlesungsreihe gliedert sich in sechs thematische Module (1-6): Sitzung 1-2 (Modul 1): Alle Macht dem Volk? Athenische und moderne Demokratie Sitzung 3-4 (Modul 2): Fort mit dem König - die römische Republik Sitzung 5-6 (Modul 3): Ein starker Mann muss her - die römische Kaiserzeit Sitzung 7-8 (Modul 4): Im Zeichen des Kreuzes - der Aufstieg des Christentums Sitzung 9-10 (Modul 5): Jetzt sprechen die Philosophen - antike und moderne Staatsutopien Sitzung 11-12 (Modul 6): Die Macht der Bilder - Bilder der Macht Sitzung 13: Lernzielkontrolle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 052-0806-00L | History and Theory of Architecture IV | W | 2 credits | 2V | L. Stalder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This two-semester course is an introduction to the history of architecture from the Second Industrial Revolution in the 1850s to the Oil Crisis in the 1970s in Europe. Students will be able to identify the “things”—technical objects and ensembles—that transformed architecture, and to relate them to the technical, scientific, and cultural concerns that introduced them as key features of modernity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To introduce students to the history and theory of architecture, the course has three objectives. First, students will be able to identify the “things” that transformed architecture in modernity, and the crucial events, buildings, theories, and actors that characterize their history. Second, students will be able to describe how these “things” operated at different scales, focusing less on the formal level, and naming instead the different forms of expertise that constituted them historically, as well as the processes within which they were embedded. Third, students will be able to reflect on a series of apparatuses, devices, and building parts that are in fact micro-architectures which have often been neglected, despite their pivotal role in shaping the daily lives of modern societies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course proposes a new approach to the study of the history and theory of architecture in Europe during modernity. It focuses less on single architects or their buildings, and more on those “things” that have brought profound transformations in the built environment and daily life over the last 200 years, such as the revolving door, the clock, and the partition. The notion of “thing” includes both the concrete building parts and the concerns associated with them, such as material performance, social synchronization, and individual expression. To understand buildings as assemblages of “things,” therefore, does not mean to diminish their significance, but on the contrary to add reality to them, to understand them in terms of the complex, historically situated, and diverse concerns within which they were designed. Each lecture introduces one “thing” through a genealogy that shaped it, from patents and scientific discoveries and technological advancement, to cinema, the visual arts, and literature. A set of renowned projects as well as lesser-known buildings from all around Europe offer a variety of case studies to describe these “things,” to understand how they operated in relation with one another, and to identify the theories and tactics that architects mobilized to make sense of them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | https://stalder.arch.ethz.ch/lectures/history-and-theory-of-architecture-iv_en | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Location: 1st Hour: Lecture, HPV G 4 (LIVESTREAM: https://video.ethz.ch/live/lectures/hoenggerberg/hpv/hpv-g-4.html; RECORDINGS: https://www.video.ethz.ch/lectures/d-arch/2022/spring/052-0806-00L) 2nd Hour: Seminars in groups, HIL (see Website: https://stalder.arch.ethz.ch/lectures/history-and-theory-of-architecture-iv_en) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0791-00L | Environmental History - Introduction and Overview  Number of participants limited to 80. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Gisler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Introduction into environmental history as a discipline that ask for the human-nature-relationships from a long-term and spatially defined perspective. By presenting a selection of different topics the lecture provides access to new questions and insights. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Introduction into environmental history; survey of long-term development of human-nature-interrelations; discussion of selected problems. Improved ability to assess current problems from a historical perspective and to critically interrogate one's own standpoint. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Humans live in and with nature, depend on it, change it permanently: as bio- and geological agents they intervene, reshape, leave prints, improve, reproduce and demonize nature; in short, they’re “doing environment”. Namely in the 20th century, the "era of ecology" (Joachim Radkau) or the age of the “Great Acceleration” (John McNeill), human interventions in their environments have increased exponentially. But nature itself is also constantly changing, adapting, striking back. This leads to a constantly changing interrelation between human and nature. This interdependence is at the core of this lecture. The introduction into “environmental history” offers an overview of the human-environment-relationship in a long-term perspective. It outlines concepts such as the anthropocene, climate and energy as well as questions of environmental policy and the history of the environmental movements. It is meant to expand the competencies for the assessment of current problems and the critical questioning of one's own point of view. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course material is provided in digital form. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | - Kupper, P. (2021). Umweltgeschichte, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. - Radkau, J. (2011). Die Ära der Ökologie, München: Beck. - McNeill, J.R. (2000). Something new under the sun: An environmental history of the twentieth-century world, New York: Norton. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students are asked to write an exam during the last session | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0080-00L | New Forms and Contents in Nonfiction Writing Number of participants limited to 30. | W | 3 credits | 2S | W. Eilenberger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course will give an introduction into the new forms of reflection, also of topics from the natural sciences, in nonfiction writing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To develop an understanding for the functions and forms of contemporary non-fiction. To acquire elementary competences in non-fiction writing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Sachbücher (engl. non-fiction-books) erleben auf dem Buchmarkt derzeit eine Renaissance. Als primärer Zweck dieser Gattung gilt oder galt die Wissensvermittlung, insbesondere als Vermittlung wissenschaftlich generierter Inhalte an ein breites Lesepublikum. Die Entwicklung der Gattung dient damit als aussagekräftiger Indikator für die Dynamik des Verhältnisses von Wissenschaft, Wissensvermittlung sowie den diesbezüglichen Erwartungshorizonten einer interessierten Öffentlichkeit. Anhand ausgewählter Publikationen (und daran anschließenden Übungen) wird der Kurs diesen Dynamiken nachgehen und dabei insbesondere neuere formale wie inhaltliche Entwicklungslinien untersuchen, wie etwa der Trend zum narrativen Sachbuch, zu explizit wissenschaftskritischen Sachbüchern oder auch stark prominenzgetragenen Publikationen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0431-00L | What is (Not) Human? On the History of Anthropology | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Hagner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Anthropology as a scientific discipline is a brainchild of European Enlightenment and has formed the modern view of human beings in an often very problematic way. In this seminar we will discuss the most important anthropological theories and practices in historical context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this seminar is (1) to give a critical introduction into the history of anthropology since the 18th century and (2) to facilitate a discussion on how we can cope today with this tradition in a responsible way. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | One of the most important slogans of the Enlightenment was that the true object of the study of mankind was man himself. To underline this claim, an independent science of man was even founded, anthropology. This science has repeatedly fallen into disrepute for conveying a false image of man, because since the 18th century it generated racist ideas about the nature of man, often in connection with colonialist claims and the legitimization of slavery. Today, we are confronted with the material legacy of this anthropology, stored in museums and universities in the form of bones, skulls, anatomical specimens, photographs, and cultural artifacts - and not infrequently subject to claims for restitution from the states concerned. The seminar will focus on learning about the history of anthropology and stimulating a discussion on how we can responsibly deal with this tradition today. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0304-00L | Science Fiction | W | 3 credits | 2S | A. Kilcher, C. Weidmann | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In the age of mechanization, “scientific romances” (H.G. Wells) emerged, which amplify the new possibilities of knowledge in distant futures and foreign worlds. In the seminary, these are to be contextualized in terms of the history of knowledge as well as politics. We also discuss theories of science fiction, with their euphoric or critical reflections on hypertechnical societies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Concept and history of science fiction - Theory of science fiction and related forms (e.g. utopia, fantasy) - Contexts of the history of knowledge and technology in the 19th and 20th centuries. - Potential of science fiction to criticise technology and society | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | What became a popular genre of film - reinforced by digital techniques - has its beginnings in literature around 1900: the fictional imagination of scientific and technical future worlds. In the midst of the age of industrialization and mechanization, “scientific romances” (H.G. Wells) were created, which combine natural science and fantasy and reflect new possibilities of knowledge in distant futures and alien worlds. It is not only about scientific-technical speculation (such as space travel, robots, AI, para-scientific experiments), but also about negotiating social and political alternatives, be it in an affirmative and utopian or in a critical and dystopian way. This fictitious exaggeration of scientification is to be examined in the seminar on the one hand historically, using literary examples and their historical contexts (from Jules Verne, HG Wells, Theodor Herzl, Kurd Laßwitz and Robert Kraft to Isaac Asimov, Stanislaw Lem, Philip Dick and Ursula Le Guin, among others ). This brings into view scientific-technical as well as social, economic and political contexts (e.g. totalitarianism, socialism, cold war). Secondly, it is about theories of science fiction that reflect this genre from different perspectives and, using it symptomatically, arrive not only at general literary and scientific observations, but also at euphoric or critical considerations of hypertechnical societies (including Roland Barthes, Umberto Eco, Darko Suvin, Donna Haraway). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0157-84L | Health and Disease Particularly suitable for students of D-BIOL, D-HEST | W | 3 credits | 2V | M. Hagner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Health and disease belong to the fundamental conditions of human life. Thus, human beings have conceived different ideas and theories concerning health and disease in history. It is the aim of this lecture series to introduce this historical variety in transcultural perspective from antiquity to the present. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | It is the aim of this lecture series to introduce this historical variety in transcultural perspective from antiquity to the present. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0433-00L | Bioethics and the Shadow of the Holocaust: A Comparative, Interdisciplinary Outlook | W | 2 credits | 1S | R. Zalasik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course deals with impact of the Holocaust on discourse of bioethics in Israel, the U.S. and Germany from the end of WWII until the present. It explores the questions how and to what extent Nazi medical crimes (euthanasia, human medical experiments, involvement of German doctors in the murder of handicaps, mentally ill, Jews and concentration camps prisoners) has influenced medical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course aims to critically explore the development of bioethics and the shadow of the Holocaust Israel, Germany and the U.S. constructing a triangle of the representative of the victims, the perpetrators and the victorious with the emphasize on beginning and end life, fertilization technologies and informed consent. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Bioethics in its current form has emerged only after World War II. The influence of the Holocaust played a direct role in its development especially with the Nuremburg doctors’ trials and the creation of the “Nuremberg Code”, which was written by American doctors and jurists in an effort to avoid the recurrence of such medical atrocities and to clearly differentiate between the crimes committed by Nazi doctors and ordinary medical research. A common claim is that the Holocaust had a deep influence on the birth of bioethics, and the Nuremberg code, being a watershed moment in its history. In contrast, some scholars contend that the Nuremberg trials and the Nuremberg Code had a rather limited influence on the development of bioethics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0199-00L | History of Mathematics from Antiquity to 17th Century : Magnitudes, Numbers and Equations | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Sammarchi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Far from being fixed and timeless notions, magnitudes, numbers and equations are three objects that were conceived by mathematicians in a -sometimes radically- different way, and that were influenced by their historical context. The course analyses the evolution of these objects from Greek Antiquity to the beginning of 17th century, via Arabic and Latin Middle Age, and the Italian Renaissance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course aims are: - to introduce students to the historical dimension of mathematics; - to develop a critical understanding of mathematical notions; - to have a general idea of the history of mathematics until 17th century; - to acquire skills in order to read and comment mathematical texts written in the past ages and in different cultures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | After a methodological introduction to the history of mathematics, we analyse texts written by mathematicians such as Euclid, al-Khwarizmi, al-Khayyam, Fibonacci, Cardano, Stifel, Descartes. The aim is to understand what magnitudes, numbers and equations are for these scholars. Students are also led to consider: - the cultural and sociological consequences of the invention of the printed book; - the history of the classification of mathematical sciences; - the history of the scientific institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0172-00L | Around 1936: The New Language of Science Number of participants limited to 40. As a research seminar, this course is mostly suitable for MA and PhD students. | W | 3 credits | 2S | J. L. Gastaldi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The years around 1936 witnessed an intense intellectual production in all fields of knowledge. All those contributions had a common denominator: the reorganization of their fields around a formal conception of language, which changed our linguistic practices both in science and in everyday life. This seminar proposes a comparative reading of those texts, to understand that transformation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | During the seminar, students will be able to: ⁃ Acquire a broad interdisciplinary perspective on the history of formal languages and sciences ⁃ Obtain philosophical and historical tools for critically assessing the status language and sign systems in scientific practices - Become acquainted with concepts and methods in the history and philosophy of science ⁃ Develop a critical understanding of the notion of formal ⁃ Discuss the methodological capabilities of historical epistemology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The years around 1936 (say, between 1934 and 1938) were the occasion of an intense and fertile intellectual production, opening new and long-lasting perspectives in practically all fields of knowledge, from mathematics and physics to linguistics and aesthetics, and even inaugurating or prefiguring new disciplines such as computability, complexity or information theory. Indeed, within those few years, famous seminal papers and works appeared by authors such as Einstein, Turing, Church, Gödel, Kolmogorov, Bourbaki, Gentzen, Tarski, Carnap, Shannon, Fisher, Hjelmslev, Schoenberg or Le Corbusier. Despite the diversity of fields of knowledge concerned by this intense production, all those contributions seem to have a common denominator. In essence, they all concern a reorganization of their respective fields around a new conception of language as being of a purely formal nature. In hindsight, it can be said this simultaneous intellectual effort ended up changing our conception and practice of language, of what it means to read and write, both in science and in everyday life. However, although simultaneous, those efforts were not necessarily convergent. Multiple tensions, incompatibilities and fragile alliances accompanied the emergence of orientations such as computability theory, complexity theory, structuralist mathematics, proof and model theory, logicism, information theory, structuralist linguistics or aesthetical formalism and constructivism. This seminar proposes, then, to perform a comparative reading of those original texts, to understand the nature of that transformation, the convergences and divergences between the different projects at stake, and how the singular way in which they have historically communicated still determines our contemporary practices and conceptions of language. Students will be required to choose one of the proposed texts corresponding to their area of competence, and present it to the other students in an accessible way. Presentations will be followed by a collective discussion, putting in perspective all the texts discussed so far. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | As a research seminar, this course is mostly suitable for MA and PhD students | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0070-00L | Environment and the Sciences | W | 3 credits | 2G | N. Guettler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Climate crisis, species extinction and pandemics have made the study of "environment" one of the most important topics in contemporary science. But when did the scientific study of the environment begin, and how did social changes and political upheavals in the 19th and 20th centuries alter the concept of the environment and ecology? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In the lecture, students become acquainted with the fundamental trajectories of the development in the modern environmental sciences. Through brief and joint analysis of selected source material, the knowledge they gain is applied to concrete topics and critically evaluated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The lecture focuses on the development of interdisciplinary "environmental sciences" in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the emergence of an environmental consciousness in related fields such as architecture and the humanities. Emphasis will be placed on the transformation of ancient natural history into a modern ecology, the role of (geo)political factors such as colonialism and the Cold War, the influence of infrastructures on modern environmental sciences, and the importance of social movements and popular science initiatives. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0015-00L | The Good Citizen: Global Historical Perspectives on Citizenship (1800 - 2000) | W | 3 credits | 1S | E. Valdameri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Examining citizenship as a contested category, the course focuses on the technoscientific discourses and practices that have historically been adopted to define citizens. Students are introduced to critical literature in this area and explore in particular the relationship existing between citizenship, biopolitics and technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students learn the history of citizenship from ca 1800 onwards through readings taken from the multidisciplinary scholarship on the topic with a focus on different cultural and political settings. Providing insights into the ever-shifting meaning of citizenship, the course explains this category in relation to scientific and technological changes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This seminar aims to explore the complex and often ambivalent effects that technoscientific discourses and practices and technologies of biopower have had on norms, practices and institutions of citizenship. It does so by considering, in particular, the impact that technoscientific developments have had in terms of inclusion/exclusion and emancipation/control of citizens. In particular, the role of biology, (colonial) biomedicine, data science, surveillance technologies and biometric identification techniques are objects of substantial reflection that promise to provide students from natural and technical sciences with new perspectives on their core subjects by raising ethical questions about the role and responsibility of these in relation to citizenship issues. The seminar is thematically structured, adopts a multidisciplinary perspective, and uses scholarly texts and concrete examples from different world-regions and periods to familiarise participants with the different dimensions of, and historical variations in, citizenship as well as with the major shifts in understanding this category. It considers topical issues like the implication of digital technologies on political participation, social inclusion, and state borders; the effects of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and genetic advancements on formal membership and immigration policy; the forms of resistance that such practices have spurred locally and globally. Critically engaging with these topics, students a) examine and reflect on the complex, problematic, and often contradictory relationship existing between citizenship, biopolitics and technology; b) relate what they have learnt to their core scientific subject or to contemporary debates while considering historical continuities and discontinuities; c) revisit and broaden their understanding of citizenship while learning to use it as an analytical lens to make sense of the globalised world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0434-00L | History of Nonfiction Books | W | 3 credits | 2S | I. Barner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | How are nonfiction books produced, read, evaluated, sold? What is the place of nonfiction books in the changing publishing cultures since the beginning of the 20th century? And what do nonfiction books do with the knowledge they express? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The seminar focuses on joint reading and discussing original sources and secondary texts on the history of the relationship between science, the book market, and the public. Students will learn to critically engage with sources and with research literature from the fields of literary studies, history of knowledge, and the history of the book. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The seminar aims to combine a historical overview of selected examples of the history of non-fiction books with the general question of the influence of publication processes and formats on (scientific) knowledge. The focus will be on the social contexts, formats, and media involved in the production, distribution, and reception of nonfiction books. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0498-00L | Structures of Confinement: The Global History of Prison Architecture | W | 3 credits | 2V | S. M. Scheuzger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course discusses the history of prison architecture in its broader social, political, economic, scientific, legal and cultural contexts. The building of prisons and its developments are dealt with from the Early Modern Age to the present particularly in their relations to changing concepts and practices of punishment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | A) The students are familiar with important historical developments of prison architecture. B) They are able to relate these developments to the concepts of penal confinement changing over space and time. C) They are able to assess central elements of prison architecture with regard to their objectives and implications critically. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 862-0111-00L | Technical Tower Buildings. A History of the Productive Vertical. Participants limited: 30 | W | 3 credits | 2S | R. Delucchi, B. Berger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Water towers, silos, fire watch towers and distillation towers: Why were they built - as towers? How did their vertical orientation reorganize the perception, control and use of space? How did the function of the tower shape its form? The seminar investigates technical tower buildings from the perspective of the history of technology and of construction. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be introduced to the interdependencies of technical, architectural and social change. Through the interdisciplinary implementation of the seminar, the students learn from each other different techniques of scientific work, as well as analytical approaches to technical buildings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Technical tower buildings are sites of distribution, storage and transformation. These functions are closely related to their vertical orientation. High rising television towers can better distribute signals, water towers allow constant pressure for water distribution and distillation towers the gradual fractionation of crude oil. Towers work on their own or as an element of a homogeneous or heterogeneous collective. Outlook towers autonomously guide the visitors' views to the surroundings; a wide-area forest firefighting operation can rely on an infrastructure network of fire watch towers; the tower-like structures of an industrial site or a rocket launch site create a visually as well as functionally mixed ensemble. Why were towers built? How did they reorganise the perception, control and use of space? How did a new relation between visibility and view, between closeness and distance, between communication and control, between past and future develop in the use of towers - through their appearance itself, during ascent and descent, through filling and emptying, as well as through their use? How did the function of the tower shape its form? How did conversions or extensions change proven and familiar tower typologies so that individual towers became unique buildings? We will use approaches from the history of construction and the history of technology to investigate these questions. The first part of the seminar is dedicated to the reading of secondary texts and the methodological introduction (documentation on investigations on site, classification and constructive analysis of buildings, research in archives, source analysis); in the second part, individual objects, ensembles or infrastructural tower networks will be examined in group work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0080-00L | New Forms and Contents in Nonfiction Writing Number of participants limited to 30. | W | 3 credits | 2S | W. Eilenberger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course will give an introduction into the new forms of reflection, also of topics from the natural sciences, in nonfiction writing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To develop an understanding for the functions and forms of contemporary non-fiction. To acquire elementary competences in non-fiction writing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Sachbücher (engl. non-fiction-books) erleben auf dem Buchmarkt derzeit eine Renaissance. Als primärer Zweck dieser Gattung gilt oder galt die Wissensvermittlung, insbesondere als Vermittlung wissenschaftlich generierter Inhalte an ein breites Lesepublikum. Die Entwicklung der Gattung dient damit als aussagekräftiger Indikator für die Dynamik des Verhältnisses von Wissenschaft, Wissensvermittlung sowie den diesbezüglichen Erwartungshorizonten einer interessierten Öffentlichkeit. Anhand ausgewählter Publikationen (und daran anschließenden Übungen) wird der Kurs diesen Dynamiken nachgehen und dabei insbesondere neuere formale wie inhaltliche Entwicklungslinien untersuchen, wie etwa der Trend zum narrativen Sachbuch, zu explizit wissenschaftskritischen Sachbüchern oder auch stark prominenzgetragenen Publikationen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0335-00L | LITERATURE AND DARWINISM. Outlines of Biopoetics | W | 3 credits | 2V | M. Cometa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an extensive analysis of the biocultural turn in literary theory, the lectures will focus on the so-called Literary Darwinism, both in its orthodox version and in the forms that draw on the sciences of the mind and cognitive archaeology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Outlining the basic features of a "biopoetics". This means bringing together the sciences of “bíos” with literary theory in the broader context of a study of the narrative niche of Homo Sapiens. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In the famous conference on Darwinism in art (1883) Francesco De Sanctis, while expressing unconditional admiration for the English scientist and writer, already warned scholars of literature and aesthetics on the risks of a too mechanical application of the principles of the new biology to the Humanities. However, he did not fail to grasp the inevitability of a comparison with the "new science" that Charles Darwin had founded. More than a century later, the science of literature is called, with new arguments, to this dialogue and to overcome, once and for all, the thesis of the "two cultures". After an extensive analysis of the biocultural turn in literary theory, the lectures will focus on the so-called Literary Darwinism, both in its orthodox version and in the forms that draw on the sciences of the mind and cognitive archaeology. Today, outlining the basic features of a "biopoetics" means bringing together the sciences of “bíos” with literary theory in the broader context of a study of the narrative niche of Homo Sapiens. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0330-00L | 19th Century Man and Animal. New Shares | W | 3 credits | 2V | C. Millet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The question of the animal always refers to that of the borders, which separate its world from that of humans, but also invite to think their own crossing. This sharing refers to questions of an ecological, economic, political, legal and metaphysical nature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | We will try to undo, through the prism of the question of the animal, the image of a monolithic 19th century, an aggregate solidified by the scientistic ideology of productivism, colonialism and specific violence, to make it a space of debates, conflicts and contradictions from which our present is largely derived. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | There is no more animal than human in itself, but historical constructions produced by heterogeneous, complex and conflicting practices and orders of discourse. The question of the animal always refers to that of the borders, which separate its world from that of humans, but also invite to think their own crossing. This sharing refers to questions of an ecological, economic, political, legal and metaphysical nature. We will try to undo, through the prism of the question of the animal, the image of a monolithic 19th century, an aggregate solidified by the scientistic ideology of productivism, colonialism and specific violence, to make it a space of debates, conflicts and contradictions from which our present is largely derived and in which it can benefit from reflecting on itself by taking into account what Serge Audier calls its "forgotten promises”. At the same time, we will reflect on the relationship of 19th century works to the sciences of their time in an attempt to think about the relationship of literature to sciences and to science in terms of popularization, ideological assimilations, but also critical displacements and counter-proposals. Our reflections will lead us to contemporary discussions about the rights and the future of animals. More information on the course can be found here: https://francais.ethz.ch/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0329-00L | Cultural Extraction. The Transfer of Cultural Heritage from Africa to Europe, 19th-20th Century | W | 3 credits | 2V | B. Savoy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The seminar offers an insight into the history of the appropriation of Africa's material heritage by European powers between the 1860s and the 1940s. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The seminar pursues two objectives: on the one hand, to inform about the chronology, methods and actors of the vast heritage translocation that took place during the colonial era between the African continent and Europe. On the other hand, in direct contact with archival documents, to analyze the historical sources that allow us to reconstruct this history that has long remained in the shadows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We will analyze the different stages of the extraction of cultural heritage from Africa for the benefit of European museums, the actors involved, the techniques employed, the nature of the objects moved, but also the use that may have been made of them (or not), in the capitals of Europe. Furthermore, the consequences of these displacements will be discussed, up to the restitution requests of the 1970s-2020s. Part of the seminar will be organized as "investigations" based on real archival documents. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0300-60L | Franz Kafka. Modernism's Literary Knowledge | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Kilcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course offers an overview of Kafka's texts while revealing a twofold perspective. On the one hand, the text as a literary composition occupies central stage; at the same time, however, the aim is to understand the interrelatedness of these texts with cultural, political, economical and literary discourse of Kafka's time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1) Students are acquainted with Kafka's texts; 2) students are familiar with the historical, cultural and political contexts of Kafka's work; 3) students gain insight in Kafka's process of writing; 4) students gain insight into the nature of knowledge of Kafka's texts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0432-00L | Time in Science and Literature Does not take place this semester. | W | 3 credits | 2S | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the role of time and temporality in science and literature, c.1800 to the present. We will study how time has been used to shape ideas and assumptions in science and society across Western Europe and North America during modernity to assess how understanding the temporal features of Western culture can transform our understandings of science and society both past and present. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course equips students with the skills to assess how time has shaped social, economic, political, and scientific developments since 1800. Students will be able to compare and contrast competing models of time in scientific and literary forms, identify key exchanges in thinking about time across genres, and explain how time informed distinct theories or approaches in science and literature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Time is a major feature of life, existence, and the universe, but its workings are often unnoticed in everyday life. It is all too easy to assume that time, like space, is a mere dimension in which events unfold or a helpful framework for us to measure change. Yet the means of reckoning time, its perception, and its influence on individuals and societies have changed throughout the course of history. Across different periods and in different contexts, people have sought to conceptualize time for a variety of reasons, from proposing a metaphysics of the world to dividing the day into ‘hours’ that facilitate the coordination of trade and communication across the globe, to understanding the tempo of daily life. As early as the 4th century AD, St Augustine ruminated on the relationship between past, present, and future in the context of a declining Western Roman Empire. A millennium and a half later, in a world shaken by the seemingly unstoppable acceleration of modernity, the philosopher Henri Bergson sought to understand how humans became conscious of ‘duration’ while Albert Einstein and Henri Poincaré attempted to resolve the relativity of time measurement. To this day, individuals around the world struggle to manage the time pressures exerted in daily life. This course explores the role of time and temporality in science and literature from the 18th century to the present. We will study how ideas about time have been developed, applied, and challenged across scientific and aesthetic domains during the period of ‘modernity’ or Neuzeit in Western Europe and North America. In the process, we will explore how time has been used to shape ideas and assumptions in science and society, and how evaluating the temporal dimension of ‘Western’ culture can transform our understanding of science and society – both past and present. In the first half of the semester, we will consider the history of time, how change and continuity have been conceptualised, the birth of modern chronology, the ‘Horological Revolution’, and ideas of ‘progress’ and ‘development’ in 19th-century science and literature. Subsequent classes will explore key aspects of temporality through the lens of specific scientific and aesthetic developments. These include the rise of modern physics, sociology, psychology, futurology, science fiction, accelerationism, modernism, postmodernism, and time during and after coronavirus. Weekly themes will be explored through a close reading of key texts drawn from the history of science, literature, critical theory, and history, allowing for a wide-ranging discussion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0340-01L | Writing Technology: Symbols, Codes, and Translating Machines | W | 3 credits | 2V | P. Gerard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the two sides of writing technology. On the one hand, it examines today’s most ubiquitous writing technology: the digital writing of modern computers. On the other, it considers a set of literary texts that reflect on such technology in writing. The goal of the course is to habituate ourselves to moving between these two sides. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | After completing this course, students will be able to provide examples of the role literary texts played in the development of communications technology as well as cite instances where literature reflects on the implications of such technology. Drawing on our readings, students will be able to debate the relevance of humanist postulates—such as the difference between rhetoric and grammar, meaning and information, thinking and calculating—to our digital culture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In this course we will examine the two sides of writing technology. On the one hand, we will direct our attention to that most conspicuous writing technology of our world: the coded symbols of digital computers. On the other hand, we will consider a set of fictional works that explore the forms, uses, and implications of such technology in writing. We will also regularly jump back and forth between the two sides of the issue, literally and figuratively re-coding literary writing in the language of information theory to see what is lost—and what is gained—in translation. The tutelary spirit of our course is the American mathematician Claude Shannon, the author of The Mathematical Theory of Communication and the founder of information theory. But Shannon’s own muse was Edgar Allen Poe, whose 1843 story, “The Gold-Bug,” inspired Shannon to regard language as a probabilistic system susceptible to mathematical analysis. A passionate reader of Poe, Shannon was also fascinated by the vertiginous vocabulary of James Joyce’s novels, texts whose exceptional information content he contrasted with C.K. Ogden’s proposal for “Basic English,” a simplified, “universal” language consisting of only 850 English words. We will examine all of these sources as well as others so that we may reconnect the key terms of Shannon’s theory (“information,” “code,” “message,” “translation,” etc.) with the literary traditions that—at least in part—inspired him. Over the course of the semester, we will turn from specific writing technologies to more capacious logics of control: writing technologies ‘writ large.’ After looking at the machine languages and feedback mechanisms that underwrite the mid-century field of cybernetics, we will read excerpts from Samuel Beckett’s experimental novel, Watt, and examine how it imagines the intersection of human cognition with digital logic. Watt, Beckett’s hapless protagonist, obliges us to reexamine the programs we habitually follow and to ask ourselves, ‘watt’ has digital communications technology done to how we live and how we think? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0299-00L | Literature, Art and Politics in Fin-de-siècle Paris, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin | W | 3 credits | 2V | S. S. Leuenberger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Literature and art in 1900 were characterised by the conflict between the perception of decline and the hope of renewal. Analysis of literary, philosophical and critical theory texts illustrates that some authors were not merely passive observers of the crisis, they also experienced it first-hand in their writing. This crisis subsequently became the model for a new form of linguistics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The lecture is part of the ‘Science in Perspective’ course programme: students will learn about literature, art and philosophy at the turn of the 20th century with case studies featuring literary, epic, dramatic and discursive texts from around 1900 which are characterized by the conflict between the perception of decadence, decay and death on the one hand, and hope of rebirth, renewal and rejuvenation on the other hand. Analysis of these texts illustrates that several authors not only observed the language crisis, the increasing awareness of the impossibility of representation through language, which was accompanied by a questioning of the self (I), but they also experienced it in their writing. This crisis subsequently became the model for a new form of linguistics. These literary forays, and indeed other ideological and political thinking and models of salvation and future at the time, including socialism, anarchy, psychoanalysis and Zionism will also be addressed in the lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The reading list includes literary texts and discursive texts, amongst others, from Stéphane Mallarmé, Stefan George, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Ernst Mach, Hermann Bahr, Richard Dehmel, Christian Morgenstern, Sigmund Freud, Bertha Pappenheim, Else Lasker-Schüler, Arthur Schnitzler, Theodor Herzl, Robert Walser and Thomas Mann. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0324-00L | Writing Nature, Knowing Nature | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Jany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | "Nature" is, once again, on everyone's lips. This is also true with regard to the the book market. "Nature writing" is a booming genre. But why? What is so appealing about it? What can narrative and essayistic writings about nature tell us that the natural sciences seemingly cannot tell? What kind of knowledge does it generate? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Starting with current "Nature Writing", we will revisit classics of the genre and then go back to antiquity (essentially a time "before nature") to discuss these questions. We will focus on motifs, metaphors, concepts and (primal) scenes that shape our understanding of and need for nature until this day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0083-00L | Immediacy of Knowledge: Politics and Aesthetics | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Alon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course aims at studying discourses of immediacy in modernity. It conveys central positions of science studies and aesthetics which thematise immediacy affirmatively and critically and situates them historically. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Conveying basic concepts of science studies, aesthetics, and cultural studies by focusing on the discourse of immediacy in modernity Situating historically the differentiation of natural sciences vs. humanities Reflecting and historicising the question of the epistemic status of literature and the es-theticization of knowledge Reflecting and historicising the question of the relevance of literature and the arts for the humanities and natural sciences Reflection of knowledge production and methods | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Modern discourses on immediacy are as varied as life itself. They thematise scientific intuition, religious certainty and the experience of nature, they negotiate love at first sight, the sensation of belonging to a "Volk" and the hate of one's fellow human. Discourses on immediacy tend to systematically hide the medium, be it reason, a book, a film or social media. At the same time, the alleged immediacy turns out to be an impossi-ble belief, witness the discourse on intuitions, mystical enlightenment, reason or 'that gut feeling'. At the same time, the alleged immediacy can be proven to be a baseless belief: the 'groundless' hate may have been incited, the "Volk" might not exist and one's love could have been engineered by an algorithm. All the while, people tend to stick to their belief: immediacy keeps its lustre and bears a promise one abides by. This divergent and contradictory constellation which oscillates between affirmation and negation is typical of discourses of immediacy. Since the 19th century it has given rise to productivity in theory (science and technology studies as well as aesthetics) and artistic productivity. In the realm of science studies the function of the immediate has been central for Wil-helm Diltheys concept of "Erlebnis" (loosely translated as experience) and his distinction of the humanities and aesthetics vs. the natural sciences. For Dilthey, 'Erlebnis' is always strictly what one has experienced oneself. It is immediate, contrary to everything that has not been proven by one's own experience (as per by Hans-Georg Gadamer). Also the scientific disciplines which are devised in the 19th century thematise the con-cept of immediacy. Witness psychology (Wilhelm Wundt), sociology, anthropology and the science of religion, but also biology and medicine - sciences that produce knowledge on Nature. In discourses on immediacy, literature plays a changing and multi-faceted role: While for Dilthey, literature refers 'immediatly' to the "life" of those described, modernisms un-derstands literature as locus where precisely this immediacy is reflected and where the act of mediation is accentuated. We can see this in big city novels such as James Joyce's Ulys-ses (1922), where Joyce "[devises] the narrative technique of the stream of consciousness to represent with unprecedented immediacy the haphazard and fleeting passage of its pro-tagonists’ thoughts, feelings, and sensations". While within the novel genre of 21st Nature Writing, this ostentative reflexivity seems to have been reduced, the discursive proximity to writings of the genre's pioneers – Linnaeus or Darwin, for example – infers a systematis-ing point of view and therefore points to the mediation of an otherwise immediate Nature. In the course we will get to know the central positions of science and technology studies and aesthetics which develop in the wake of the differentiation of the humanities vs. the natural sciences and in which immediacy is discussed affirmatively or critically – and we will situate them in their historic context. We will study epistemological, mathematical, anthropological, psychological as well as media theoretical and literary aesthetical dis-courses of immediacy and will discuss examples from literature and the arts which negoti-ate the question of immediacy. The course will emphasize the role played by the systematic distinction of the natural sciences and the humanities in the formation of these discourses. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 363-0532-00L | Economics of Sustainable Development | W | 3 credits | 2V | L. Bretschger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Concepts and indicators of sustainable development, paradigms of weak and strong sustainability; neoclassical and endogenous growth models; economic growth in the presence of exhaustible and renewable resources; pollution, environmental policy and growth; role of substitution and technological progress; Environmental Kuznets Curve; sustainability policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim is to develop an understanding of the implications of sustainable development for the long-run development of economies. It is to be shown to which extent the potential for growth to be sustainable depends on substitution possibilities, technological change and environmental policy. After successful completion of this course, students are able to 1. understand the causes of long-term economic development 2. analyse the influence of natural resources and pollution on the development of social welfare 3. to appropriately classify the role of politics in the pursuit of sustainability goals. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The lecture introduces different concepts and paradigms of sustainable development. Building on this foundation and following a general introduction to the modelling of economic growth, conditions for growth to be sustainable in the presence of pollution and scarce natural resources are derived. Special attention is devoted to the scope for substitution and role of technological progress in overcoming resource scarcities. Implications of environmental externalities are regarded with respect to the design of environmental policies. Concepts and indicators of sustainable development, paradigms of weak and strong sustainability, sustainability optimism vs. pessimism; introduction to neoclassical and endogenous growth models; pollution, environmental policy and growth; role of substitution possibilities and technological progress; Environmental Kuznets Curve: concept, theory and empirical results; economic growth in the presence of exhaustible and renewable resources, Hartwick rule, resource saving technological change. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Will be provided successively in the course of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Bretschger, F. (1999), Growth Theory and Sustainable Development, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Bretschger, L. (2004), Wachstumstheorie, Oldenbourg, 3. Auflage, München. Bretschger, L. (2018), Greening Economy, Graying Society, CER-ETH Press, ETH Zurich. Perman, R., Y. Ma, J. McGilvray and M. Common (2011), Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Longman , 4th ed., Essex. Neumayer, E. (2003), Weak and Strong Sustainability, 2nd ed., Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 363-0564-00L | Entrepreneurial Risks | W | 3 credits | 2G | D. Sornette | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | - Dimensions of risks with emphasis on entrepreneurial, financial and social risks. - What young entrepreneurs need to know from start-up creation to investment in innovation. - Perspectives on the future of innovation and how to better invent and create. - How to innovate and scale up and work with China. - Dynamical risk management and learning from the failure of others. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | We live a in complex world with many nonlinear negative and positive feedbacks. Entrepreneurship is one of the leading human activity based on innovation to create new wealth and new social developments. This course will analyze the risks (upside and downside) associated with entrepreneurship and more generally human activity in the firms, in social networks and in society. The goal is to present what we believe are the key concepts and the quantitative tools to understand and manage risks. An emphasis will be on large and extreme risks, known to control many systems, and which require novel ways of thinking and of managing. We will examine the questions of (i) how much one can manage and control these risks, (ii) how these actions may feedback positively or negatively and (iii) how to foster human cooperation for the creation of wealth and social well-being. The exam will be in the format of multiple choice questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | PART I: INTRODUCTION Lecture 1 (19/02): Risks (and opportunities) in the economic, entrepreneurial and social spheres (D. Sornette) PART II: START-UPS AND INVESTMENT IN INNOVATION Lecture 2 (26/02): Setting the landscape on entrepreneurship and private investment (P. Cauwels) Lecture 3 (04/03 and 11/03): Corporate finance (P. Cauwels) Lecture 4 (18/03): Legal, governance and management (P. Cauwels) Lecture 5 (25/03): Investors in the innovation economy (P. Cauwels) PART III: HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE Lecture 6 (01/04): Historical perspective (P. Cauwels) Lecture 7 (08/04): The logistic equation of growth and saturation (D. Sornette) Lecture 8 (22/04): Future perspective (P. Cauwels) Lecture 9 (29/04): The fair reward problem, the illusion of success and how to solve it (P. Cauwels) PART IV: HOW TO WORK WITH CHINA “if China succeeds, the world succeeds; if China fails, the world fails” (D. Sornette). Lecture 10 (06/05): The macro status in China and the potential opportunity and risks for the world (K. Wu) Lecture 11 (13/05): The collision of the two opposite mindsets: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in China and Switzerland (K. Wu) PART V: ESSENTIALS ON DYNAMICAL RISK MANAGEMENT Lecture 12 (20/05): Principles of Risk Management for entrepreneurship (D. Sornette) Lecture 13 (27/05): The biology of risks and war principles applied to management (D. Sornette) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture notes will be distributed a the beginning of each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | I will use elements taken from my books -D. Sornette Critical Phenomena in Natural Sciences, Chaos, Fractals, Self-organization and Disorder: Concepts and Tools, 2nd ed. (Springer Series in Synergetics, Heidelberg, 2004) -Y. Malevergne and D. Sornette Extreme Financial Risks (From Dependence to Risk Management) (Springer, Heidelberg, 2006). -D. Sornette, Why Stock Markets Crash (Critical Events in Complex Financial Systems), (Princeton University Press, 2003) as well as from a variety of other sources, which will be indicated to the students during each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | -A deep curiosity and interest in asking questions and in attempting to understand and manage the complexity of the corporate, financial and social world -quantitative skills in mathematical analysis and algebra for the modeling part. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 364-0576-00L | Advanced Sustainability Economics PhD course, open for MSc students | W | 3 credits | 3G | L. Bretschger, E. Komarov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course covers current resource and sustainability economics, including ethical foundations of sustainability, intertemporal optimisation in capital-resource economies, sustainable use of non-renewable and renewable resources, pollution dynamics, population growth, and sectoral heterogeneity. A final part is on empirical contributions, e.g. the resource curse, energy prices, and the EKC. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Understanding of the current issues and economic methods in sustainability research; ability to solve typical problems like the calculation of the growth rate under environmental restriction with the help of appropriate model equations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 351-0578-00L | Introduction to Economic Policy Not for students belonging to D-MTEC! | W | 2 credits | 1V | H. Mikosch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | First approach to the theory of economic policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | First approach to the theory of economic policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Wirtschaftspolitik ist die Gesamtheit aller Massnahmen von staatlichen Institutionen mit denen das Wirtschaftsgeschehen geregelt und gestaltet wird. Die Vorlesung bietet einen ersten Zugang zur Theorie der Wirtschaftspolitik. Gliederung der Vorlesung: 1.) Wohlfahrtsökonomische Grundlagen: Wohlfahrtsfunktion, Pareto-Optimalität, Wirtschaftspolitik als Mittel-Zweck-Analyse u.a. 2.) Wirtschaftsordnungen: Geplante und ungeplante Ordnung 3.) Wettbewerb und Effizienz: Hauptsätze der Wohlfahrtsökonomik, Effizienz von Wettbewerbsmärkten 4.) Wettbewerbspolitik: Sicherstellung einer wettbewerblichen Ordnung Gründe für Marktversagen: 5.) Externe Effekte 6.) Öffentliche Güter 7.) Natürliche Monopole 8.) Informationsasymmetrien 9.) Anpassungskosten 10.) Irrationalität 11.) Wirtschaftspolitik und Politische Ökonomie Die Vorlesung beinhaltet Anwendungsbeispiele und Exkurse, um eine Verbindung zwischen Theorie und Praxis der Wirtschaftspolitik herzustellen. Z. B. Verteilungseffekte von wirtschaftspolitischen Massnahmen, Kartellpolitik am Ölmarkt, Internalisierung externer Effekte durch Emissionshandel, moralisches Risiko am Finanzmarkt, Nudging, zeitinkonsistente Präferenzen im Bereich der Gesundheitspolitik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Ja (in Form von Vorlesungsslides). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0758-00L | Ecological Economics: Foundations and Growth Critics | W | 2 credits | 2V | I. Seidl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students become acquainted with the basics, central questions, analyses of Ecological Economics. Thereby, central will be the topic of economic growth. What are the positions of Ecological Economics in this regard? What are the theories and concepts to found this position in general and in particular economic areas (e.g. resource consumption, , consumption, labour market, enterprises)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Become acquainted with basics and central questions of Ecological Economics (EE): e.g. 'pre-analytic vision', field of discipline, development of EE, contributions of involved disciplines such as ecology or political sciences, ecological-economic analysis of topics such as labour market, consumption, money. Critical analysis of growth and learning about approaches to reduce growth pressures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | What is Ecological Economics, what are the topics? Field of the discipline and basics, resource consumption, its development and measurements, measurement of economic activity and welfare, economic growth, growth critics and post-growth society, growth pressures in areas such as consumption, money/finances, enterprises, labour market; Starting points for growth-independence and post-growth society | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | No Script. Slides and texts will be provided beforehand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Spash, C. L., Ed. (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Ecological Economics: Nature and Society. Abingdon, Routledge. Seidl, I. /Zahrnt A. (2010). Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Konzepte für die Zukunft, Marburg, Metropolis Seidl, I. /Zahrnt A. (2019). Tätigsein in der Postwachstumsgesellschaft, Marburg, Metropolis Selected scientific articles will be made available one week before each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Participation in a lecture on environmental economics or otherwise basic knowledge of economics (e.g. A-Level) advantageous | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 751-1500-00L | Development Economics | W | 3 credits | 2V | I. Günther, K. Harttgen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Introduction into basic theoretical and empirical aspects of economic development. Prescriptive theory of economic policy for poverty reduction. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The goal of this lecture is to introduce students to basic development economics and related economic and developmental contexts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course begins with a theoretical and empirical introduction to the concepts of poverty reduction and issues of combating socioeconomic inequality. Based on this, important external and internal drivers of economic development and poverty reduction are discussed as well as economic and development policies to overcome global poverty. In particular, the following topics are discussed: - measurement of development, poverty and inequality, - growth theories - trade and development - education, health, population and development - states and institutions - fiscal,monetary- and exchange rate policies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | None. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Günther, Harttgen und Michaelowa (2020): Einführung in die Entwicklungsökonomik. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Voraussetzungen: Grundlagenkenntisse der Mikro- und Makroökonomie. Besonderes: Die Veranstaltung besteht aus einem Vorlesungsteil, aus eigener Literatur- und Recherchearbeit sowie der Bearbeitung von Aufgabenblättern. Die Vorlesung basiert auf: Günther, Harttgen und Michaelowa (2019): Einführung in die Entwicklungsökonomik. Einzelne Kapitel müssen jeweils vor den Veranstaltungen gelesen werden. In den Veranstaltungen wird das Gelesene diskutiert und angewendet. Auch werden offene Fragen der Kapitel und Übungen besprochen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0032-00L | Introductory Macroeconomics Number of participants is limited to 30. Prerequisite: An introductory course in Economics is required to sign up for this course. Priority for Science, Technology, and Policy MSc. | W | 3 credits | 2V | F. Eckert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course examines the behaviour of macroeconomic variables, such as gross domestic product, unemployment and inflation rates. It tries to answer questions like: How can we explain fluctuations of national economic activity? What can economic policy do against unemployment and inflation? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture will introduce the fundamentals of macroeconomic theory and explain their relevance to every-day economic problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course helps you understand the world in which you live. There are many questions about the macroeconomy that might spark your curiosity. Why are living standards so meagre in many African countries? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others have stable prices? Why have some European countries adopted a common currency? These are just a few of the questions that this course will help you answer. Furthermore, this course will give you a better understanding of the potential and limits of economic policy. As a voter, you help choose the policies that guide the allocation of society's resources. When deciding which policies to support, you may find yourself asking various questions about economics. What are the burdens associated with alternative forms of taxation? What are the effects of free trade with other countries? How does the government budget deficit affect the economy? These and similar questions are always on the minds of policy makers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0602-00L | Shaping a DCent.Society: Assessing Societal Implications of Bitcoin, Blockchains & Smart Contracts | W | 3 credits | 2V | M. M. Dapp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course investigates the potential long-term implications of distributed ledger technology on our societies. Students critically reflect the economic, political, ecological, and ethical implications of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency and the Ethereum smart contract engine (incl. DeFi) by exploring connections to disciplines such as economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and philosophy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Compare the paradigm shift from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 Distinguish a broad range of Web 3.0 concepts Hypothesize about economic, political, ecological, and ethical implications of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and decentralized applications Integrate ethical and governance considerations into the design of cryptoeconomic systems Justify own opinions about societal implications of decentralizing society | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Imagine... what if Bitcoin, Ethereum, and related distributed ledger technology will be wildly successful and flourish long-term? Which parts of our economies and societies would they affect? Could we indeed redesign our societies towards more sustainable action, more democratic governance, and more equitable finance by envisioning new ways of organizing, coordinating, and acting collectively? Or is this all make-belief because, after all, the Internet also under-delivered in important aspects of its huge promises? How can we critically reflect on the long-term implications of decentralizing technologies on our societies? Bitcoin is dividing the world. Due to its erratic price movements, some view Bitcoin as a useless Ponzi scheme at best and a complex, state-interfering “thing” at worst. Others, however herald it as the most important invention since the Internet or the printing press. In any case, the questions raised by Bitcoin are not only of academic interest: Is today’s fiat money system fair? Should people or the state create money? Is global anonymous transfer of digital value a good thing or not? Will Bitcoin supercharge renewable energy or do we need to switch it off to save the planet? Could it even bring peace by preventing states from financing wars or is this a preposterous claim? Ethereum, blockchain technology, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps) seem to be less contentious and have caught the interest of companies and government for their specific technical characteristics. However, where is the evidence that decentralized technology is beneficial inside a hierarchical, “trusted” setting? Will unstoppable dApps empower us or create rigid machines steering our behavior? So, what to make of this extremely polarized debate and how to come to reasonable own conclusions when imagining the decentralization of society? The course aims to connect the cultural and historical preconditions to the long-term societal implications of Bitcoin, Ethereum, blockchains, smart contracts, and dApps. We will research and critically reflect economic, political, ecological and ethical consequences with the aim to formulate our own opinions about what is currently happening and what might happen in the future. To achieve this multi-disciplinary goal, we establish a common understanding of the technologies and inner workings of Bitcoin, Ethereum & Co. in the first part. We discuss selected aspects such as open source software, cryptography, cryptoeconomics, incentives, and complex systems. Why and how is Bitcoin a “trustless” system – or is it not? Why is an absolute scarce digital asset a big deal – or is it not? Why and how is Ethereum a “world computer” – or is it not? Why is an unstoppable system of dApps and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) a big deal – or is it not? For a full picture, we will also examine other developments such as altcoins, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), stablecoins, and Central Bank Digital Currencies. This introduction will provide the technical background to move to the main part of the course, in which we go into depth on the potential societal implications of Bitcoin, Ethereum & Co. We will be covering various domains such as sound and fair money & its value, free trade & prosperity, incentive design & social behavior, sustainability & energy use, individual sovereignty & state control, democracy & geopolitics. We will thus be exploring connections between information technology and economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Throughout the course, students are regularly invited to debate in small interventions. They will work in teams to build their own critical analysis and arguments about a specific challenge/issue chosen from the course material. They will summarize their conclusions in a brief report and defend them in class in the final part of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture slides will be distributed on a weekly basis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Ammous, Saifedean. The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2018. Antonopoulos, Andreas M. Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain. 2nd ed. O’Reilly, 2017. Antonopoulos, Andreas M., and Gavin Wood. Mastering Ethereum: Building Smart Contracts and Dapps. O’reilly Media, 2018. Dapp, Marcus M., Dirk Helbing, and Stefan Klauser, eds. Finance 4.0 - Towards a Socio-Ecological Finance System: A Participatory Framework to Promote Sustainability. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71400-0. Dapp, Marcus M. “Toward a Sustainable Circular Economy Powered by Community-Based Incentive Systems.” In Business Transformation Through Blockchain, edited by Horst Treiblmaier and Roman Beck. Springer, 2019. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | For this ambitious and interactive course, we hope to attract students who are motivated by tackling large societal challenges with new decentralized approaches to human coordination. We think students with an open mind and interest in interdisciplinary aspects of their field of study will benefit most from this course. Programming experience is not strictly required but some basics about computer science may be helpful to see the potential societal implications of this new technology paradigm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0610-00L | The Role of Finance in Tackling Climate Change Primarily suited for Master and PhD students. | W | 3 credits | 2V | B. Steffen, F. M. Egli, A. Stünzi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course focuses on public policy to leverage finance in tackling climate change. We cover international negotiations as well as the role of governments in designing public policy for different financing actors (e.g. public and private) in developing and OECD countries. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Critically examine the role of finance (e.g. public vs private actors) in climate change and the energy transition - Develop an understanding of the role and design of public policy to direct and mobilize finance - Find out about current challenges in climate finance with a focus on Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Reaching the 2°C climate target requires massive investments in low-carbon technologies. In 2015, the Paris Agreement underlined the responsibility of governments to align finance flows with climate change mitigation. Accordingly, a market for low-carbon investments emerged, but the available climate finance falls short of what is needed. Thus, political discussions on the international and national levels concern how public policies can better use the financial system to accelerate climate change mitigation. In this course, students will learn about the role of finance for the low-carbon transition in developing countries, in industrialized countries, and specifically in Switzerland. We will discuss existing policies, their effectiveness and the underlying political economy challenges to implement them. Combining recent academic findings and hands-on insights from guest lecturers, we will analyze structural challenges, conflicting positions in international negotiations and domestic policy-making, and the role of multilateral financial institutions. The course covers four key topics: - The role of finance in climate change and the importance of public policy - International climate finance and development - Climate and energy finance in OECD countries - Opportunities (and responsibilities) for Switzerland and its financial sector The course has a highly interactive (seminar-like) character. Students are expected to give a presentation and to actively engage in the discussions. The presentation will also form part of the final grade, together with a final exam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and reading material will be made available via moodle.ethz.ch (only for registered students). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | A reading list will be provided via moodle.ethz.ch (only for registered students). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0649-00L | International Development Engineering | W | 1 credit | 2V | I. Günther, K. Shea, E. Tilley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this seminar, students will learn from researchers around the globe about technological interventions designed to improve human and economic development within complex, low-resource setting. Students will also get familiar with frameworks from social sciences and engineering, helping them to understand, and evaluate the discussed technologies and to put them into a broader context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | • Students will get familiar with frameworks from social sciences and engineering needed for innovation in a complex, low-resource setting. • Students will learn about concrete examples of technological interventions designed to improve sustainable development and critically reflect on them. • Students get a broad understanding of some of the most important issues and discussions related to global sustainable development. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In the introductory class, students will learn about challenges related to global sustainable developments and how they have developed over time. Students will then get exposed to frameworks from social sciences and engineering disciplines, which will help them analyze technologies designed for low-resource settings. In the remaining sessions thought leaders from the field of development engineering will present a wide range of innovations from sectors such as health, water and sanitation, education and governance that will then get discussed with students. Since many of this thought leaders will come from around the globe at least 50% of sessions will be online. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0101-01L | Introduction to Practical Philosophy Particularly suitable for students of D-MAVT, D-MATL | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Practical philosophy deals in a descriptive and evaluative way with the realm of the practical, that is, with action, practices, norms of action, and values held by people and societies. Ethics and political philosophy are branches of practical philosophy. This introductory course will treat some of the main questions and introduce students to the thinking of central figures in the field. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | At the end of the course, students (1) will be familiar with still highly influential answers to some of the main questions (see below, section "contents") in practical philosophy. (2) They will be able to better evaluate how convincing these answers are. (3) Students' own thinking concerning normative, e.g., ethical issues, will be more precise, due to a more sophisticated use of key concepts such as good, right, morality, law, freedom, etc. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Ethics is an account and instruction of the good, that could be reached by conscious, intentional behaviour (=action). Ethics is an essential part of practical philosophy. Therefore one of those central questions, which will be discussed in the course, is: 1. What is the meaning of words like "good" and "bad", used in ethical language? What is meant by "good", if one says: "Working as a volunteer for the <Red Cross> is good"? Does one mean, that doing so is useful, or that it is altruistic, or that is fair? Further questions, to be discussed in the course, are: 2. Are moral judgements apt to be justified, e.g. judgments like "Lower taxes for rich foreigners in the <Kanton Zug> are unjust" or "Every person ought to be entitled to leave any religious community"? If so, how far a moral judgment's justification can reach? Is one right in arguing: "It is possible to show the truth of the proposition (a):The emissions of nitrogen dioxide in Zurich is far beyond the permissible limit (80 mg/m3). But it is not possible to verify the proposition (b): In our times, the inequal global distribution of wealth is far beyond the permissible limit. Proposition (a) states an objective fact, whereas (b) expresses a mere subjective evaluation, though that evaluation might be widely spread. 3. What are just laws, and what is the relationship between law and morality? 4. Is freedom of a person, though presupposed by criminal law and morality, nevertheless an illusion? These questions will be partly discussed with reference to seminal authors within the western philosophical tradition (among else Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant). Contemporary philosophers like Jürgen Habermas, Thomas Nagel, Ernst Tugendhat or Bernard Williams will be included, too. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Preparatory Literature: -Dieter Birnbacher, Analytische Einführung in die Ethik, 2. Aufl. Berlin: de Gruyter Verlag 2006. - Simon Blackburn, Think. A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, Oxford: University Press (=UP) 1999, chapters 3 und 8. - Philippa Foot, <Virtues and Vices> in: diess., Virtues and Vices and Other Essays in Moral Philosophy, Oxford: UP 2002, and <Morality, Action and Outcome>, in: dies., Moral Dilemmas and Other Topics in Moral Philosophy, Oxford: UP 2002. - H.L.A. Hart, <Positivism and the Separation of Law and Morals, in: Harvard Law Review 71 (1958), pp. 593-629. - Detlef Horster, Rechtsphilosophie zur Einführung, Hamburg: Junius Verlag 2002. - Robert Kane, <Introduction: The Contours of the Contemporary Free Will Debates>, in: ders., (Hg.), The Oxford Handbook of Free Will, Oxford 2002. – Thomas Nagel, The Limits of Objectivity, in: The Tanner Lectures on Human Values 1980, Vol I., ed. Sterling McMurrin , Cambridge et al.: UP 1980, pp. 75-139. - Ulrich Pothast, <Einleitung> in: ders., (Hg.), Seminar: Freies Handeln und Determinismus, Frankfurt/M.: suhrkamp taschenbuch wissenschaft 1978, pp. 7-31. - Bernard Williams, Morality. An Introduction to Ethics, Cambridge: UP (=Canto Series) 1976. - Peter Winch, The Idea of a Social Science, 4.Aufl. London 1965, ch. II. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course will be a mixture of lecture and seminar. For getting credit points, essays on given or freely chosen subjects have to be written. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0179-00L | Ethical Issues in Animal Research | W | 2 credits | 2G | G. Achermann, A. K. Alitalo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students are able to identify, describe and evaluate moral concepts, principles and leading normative approaches in animal ethics, to use these theoretical resources for constructing their own more well-grounded and reasoned positions for or against the use of animals in research and for critically assessing other people’s moral arguments in contemporary debates on animal experimentation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are able to identify, describe and evaluate moral concepts, principles and leading normative approaches in animal ethics, to use these theoretical resources for constructing their own more well-grounded and reasoned positions for or against the use of animals in research and for critically assessing other people’s moral arguments in contemporary debates on animal experimentation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | I. An introduction into moral reasoning 1. Ethics – the basics: 1.1 What ethics is not… 1.2 Recognising an ethical issue (awareness) 1.3 What is ethics? 1.4 Ethics: a classification 2. Normative Ethics: 2.1 What is normative ethics? 2.2 Three different ways of thinking about ethics: virtue theories, duty-based theories, consequentialist theories 3. Arguments: 3.1 Why arguments? 3.2 The structure of moral arguments 3.3 Two types of arguments 3.4 Assessing moral arguments 3.5 Flaws in arguments/logical fallacies 3.6 The difference between debate and dialogue II. Bringing moral theory to bear on animal research 1. What is moral status? 1.1 The concept of moral status; 1.2 Moral considerability – criteria for moral status: a) moral individualism (sentience, consciousness), b) moral relationalism; 1.3 Moral significance – three general views: a) the clear line view, b) the moral sliding scale, c) moral equals view; 1.4 Full moral status – the concept of personhood 2. Ethical perspectives on the moral status of animals (moral individualism): 2.1 Indirect theories: Worldviews/theological theories, Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, Peter Carruthers; arguments against indirect theories: the argument from species overlap; 2.2 Direct but unequal theories: Carl Cohen, Raymund G. Frey, The concept of dignity; 2.3 Moral equality theories: Peter Singer, Tom Regan 3. Alternative perspectives on human relations to other animals (moral relationalism): 3.1 Steven Cooke; 3.2 Garret Merriam; 3.3 Nicola Biller-Andorno 4. Conclusions III. Ethical issues in animal biotechnology 1. Intrinsic concerns 2. Extrinsic concerns IV. Implications for practice 1. Implications for policy making: 1.1 Normative theories and the political debate 1.2 Regulation in the context of moral disagreement, The overlapping consensus 1.3 The continuing debate… 2. Animal experiments in practice: 2.1 What is an animal experiment? 2.2 Fundamental responsibilities of researchers 2.3 Importance of scientific rigor and scientific validity; The 3R’s; 2.4 The weighing of interests 3. Focus: Experiments on mice 4. Focus: Experiments using non-human primates: Examples of ETH Zurich and University of Zurich; A real case revisited; 5. Focus: Experiments on farmed animals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0183-00L | Feminist New Materialisms: Philosophies of Physics, Biology and Society | W | 3 credits | 2S | R. Wagner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Reading and reflection on Karan Barad's and Deboleena Roy's new materialist feminist philosophies of physics, biology and the social. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Acquaintance with contemporary feminist new materialist philosophies of science ans society - Ability to apply these ways of thinking to the context of scientific practice and their social impact | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In this course we will read excerpts of Karan Barad's "meeting the universe half way" and Deboleena Roy's "Biology, becomings and life in the lab". These books apply feminist philosophies and new-materialist approaches in order to break the boundaries between our thinking about the natural or material on the one hand and the social or discursive on the other. They engage classical ontological/epistemological questions in the philosophy of science as well as socio-political and ethical questions in a continuous manner, emphasizing a feminist point of view. The course will follow their reasoning and analyze it in the context of contemporary philosophy and science studies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-65L | A Sampler of Histories and Philosophies of Mathematics Particularly suitable for students D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MATH, D-PHYS | W | 3 credits | 2V | R. Wagner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course will review several case studies from the ancient, medieval and modern history of mathematics. The case studies will be analyzed from various philosophical perspectives, while situating them in their historical and cultural contexts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course aims are: 1. To introduce students to the historicity of mathematics 2. To make sense of mathematical practices that appear unreasonable from a contemporary point of view 3. To develop critical reflection concerning the nature of mathematical objects 4. To introduce various theoretical approaches to the philosophy and history of mathematics 5. To open the students' horizons to the plurality of mathematical cultures and practices | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0101-67L | Philosophy, Science, Teachings of Wisdom. On the History of Epistemic Attitudes | W | 3 credits | 2V | M. Hampe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Philosophical theories, scientific explanations, and teachings of wisdom that aim at the transformation of attitudes to life are different forms of cognitive approaches to the world and to man, which can in the history of thought not always be clearly distinguished. This lecture-course will give an overview of the development of these modes of thought. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students should get to know and understand different modes of thought and gain an overview of their history. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Philosophical theories, scientific explanations, and teachings of wisdom that aim at the transformation of attitudes to life are different forms of cognitive approaches to the world and to man, which can in the history of thought not always be clearly distinguished. This lecture-course will give an overview of the development of these modes of thought. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0169-00L | Self and Selflessness in Science and Literature | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Hampe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this seminar we will read new texts on the theory of the self that concern questions like: What is a self? How does it arise (if it arises)? How stable is it? Do only humans have a self? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students should learn to understand philosophical, psychologcial, billogical and neuro-scientific theories of the self, to evauate them and to relate them to each other. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Humans recognize themselves in the mirror, they can use the indexical terms "I" and "me", they can memorize their life. What makes these competences possible? What are the consequences of realizing them iin a human life? Are humans different from animals because of them? We will tackle these questions by reading texts from such different disciplines as philosophy, psychologym biology and the neuro-sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0154-00L | Philosophy – Weltanschauung/Worldview – Science Does not take place this semester. | W | 2 credits | 1S | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | "Worldview" as a word in everyday language (which sounds somewhat old-fashioned today) has a wide range of meanings. The term emerged in philosophical contexts a good two hundred years ago; it was and still is used today in the disciplinary self-reflection of philosophy as well as the sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Gaining insights into the relationship between philosophy, worldview and science, into their historical development and current problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | "Worldview" as a word in everyday language (which sounds somewhat old-fashioned today) has a wide range of meanings. It can denote a form of sensual perception of the world, but can also be understood in the sense of opinion and conviction; it can express an individual form of consciousness as well as a collective one, the identity-forming orientation system of a certain way of life. The term emerged in philosophical contexts a good two hundred years ago after a premise began to lose its matter-of-course nature, which it still possessed in Immanuel Kant's thinking, namely the assumption that philosophy, as an intellectual activity, is equally oriented towards "wisdom" and "science". The concept was and still is used in the disciplinary self-reflection of philosophy as well as the sciences. Important aspects of the problem history associated with this constellation (which also includes the emergence of "scientific worldviews") are to be developed and discussed on the basis of some texts from Kant to Blumenberg; this not least with the intention of searching for role models and tasks that might be appropriate for philosophy today in the field of tension between science and wisdom, discipline and the search for meaning. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0013-00L | Limits of Knowledge | W | 3 credits | 2S | R. Gutschmidt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In science, mathematics, and philosophy, limits of knowledge seem to exist that cannot be transcended. Starting from the philosophical tradition of skepticism, we will discuss examples of such limits and their significance for science and for our understanding of the human condition. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The participants shall learn how to deal with foundational philosophical questions. In an interdisciplinary context, they will be guided to reflecting on limits of science that cannot be transcended in principle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Even though our knowledge persistently increases, philosophy discusses limits of knowledge that may be uncrossable. As an example, skepticism argues that our knowledge is always relative and cannot be secured from a standpoint of absolute objectivity. Even mathematics seems to face absolute limits of knowledge, since it cannot grasp, for example, the set of all sets, which constitutes the domain of mathematics. Not least, there are philosophical questions that seem to be unanswerable, as, for example, why there is anything at all and not rather nothing. If such limits really are uncrossable, the question arises how we are supposed to deal with these constraints. What does it mean for science that there is no absolutely objective standpoint, what does it mean for mathematics that it cannot grasp its domain, what does it mean for us that we cannot know why anything exists at all? On the basis of primary and secondary literature, we will discuss in the seminar such absolute limits of knowledge and their significance for science and for our understanding of the human condition. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0353-00L | What is Life? Approaches from a Scientific, Philosophical and Theological Perspective (UZH) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 3279 Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2S | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | What is life? Attempts to answer this question are numerous. Is it the self-movement of the soul that constitutes the principle of life (Aristotle)? Is it an "élan vitale" that underlies life (Bergson)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In the sciences, highly complex theories of processual forms of organisation of life are advocated, in which the focus is not on definitions of life, but on various characteristics (such as energy and metabolism, self-regulation, communication/irritability, reproductive capacity, etc.) in their interactions. In theology, life is understood, among other things, as a gift of the Creator God, who makes humans and animals living beings through his breath of life. - The seminar takes the first steps towards answering the question "What is life? - from scientific, philosophical and theological perspectives. For each perspective, selected classical positions will be studied and brought into an interdisciplinary discussion. More current topics such as "artificial life" and extraterrestrial life will also be addressed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-81L | How Free Are We? Philosophical Theories on Freedom and Determinism Particularly suitable for students of D-BIOL, D-HEST, D-INFK, D-CHAB, D-HEST, D-PHYS | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | We are praised for our achievements and blamed for our failures. It is presupposed that our doings are something that is up to us. "It is up to us" often expresses our attitude to treat us as free beings. But are we really free, hence responsible for our behavior? Or is our behaviour entrenched in conditions properly understood as deterministic ones? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants should learn to know and evaluate answers to the following questions: 1. How do determinists conceive of determinism and freedom? 2. What has freedom1 to be like, if we adult and healthy human beings should be responsible for our actions? 3. Are we justified in claiming that we do possess such a freedom1? 4. Is a scientific world view compatible with the ascription of freedom1 to us? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 052-0518-22L | Theory and Practice: Martin Kippenberger Contra Valerio Olgiati This course is offered the last time in FS22. | W | 2 credits | 2G | C. Posthofen, A. Brandlhuber | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Martin Kippenberger “Psychobuildings” against Valerio Olgiati “Non-referential architecture”. The little book by the artist and that of the architect are the starting point for reflections on a referential conception of space and thus of architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students gain insight into the spectrum of epistemological and perceptual theories, learn to read them and analyze and critique their respective requirements. From this work an object relationship model is developing in progress, which serves self-examination in the design process as well as the evaluation of architectural situations in general and in particular. The writing of "scientific diaries" in which the contents of the colloquium are combined with the everyday experience of the students in free form, trains the concentrated result-oriented thinking in general, as well as in architectural situations. The special form of the writing of the "cientific diary" leads abstract theory together with the experience of the students and make the knowledge cratively available in their own way. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Martin Kippenberger “Psychobuildings”, against Valerio Olgiati “Non-referential architecture”. The little book by the artist and that of the architect are the starting point for reflections on a referential conception of space and thus of architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Hand out at the first meeting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0058-01L | Swiss Foreign and Security Politics Since 1945 (without Tutorial) | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Wenger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course provides students with an overview of the main features of Swiss foreign and security policy since 1945. The focus is on the emergence and development of security policy strategies and instruments in a historical context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The participants have a solid overview of the evolution of Swiss foreign and security policy since 1945. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The first part of the lecture clarifies the term "security" and analyzes the change of its meaning in politics and academia over time. The focus of the second part is on the development of Swiss security policy since 1945. We will look at the different concepts of security policy, which range from "total defense" to cooperative security. We then will analyze the gap between planning and execution, focusing on the two key developments of security policy, that is foreign policy and armed forces. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Mandatory reading: Spillman, Kurt R., Andreas Wenger, Christoph Breitenmoser and Marcel Gerber. Schweizer Sicherheitspolitik seit 1945: Zwischen Autonomie und Kooperation. Zürich: Verlag neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2001. The book is out of print, students can access the text in the virtual class room (Moodle). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is supported by a virtual class room (Moodle). If you have questions concerning the lecture, please contact Oliver Roos, oliver.roos@sipo.gess.ethz.ch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0010-01L | Conflict Research II: Civil Wars (Without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Juon, L.‑E. Cederman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Introduction to research on civil wars. This course covers the causes, processes and solutions to civil conflicts and wars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Knowledge on different causes of civil wars. - Knowledge on processes during civil wars. - Knowledge on different solutions and strategies to end civil wars. - Application of theory to current examples of civil wars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course focuses on civil war, which is the most common type of political violence. The course is divided into three blocks: The first part analyses the causes of civil wars. The second part focuses on processes during ongoing civil wars, such as mobilization and conflict diffusion. The third part investigates in the factors that contribute to effective peace building. Research questions: What are the causes of civil wars? What happens during civil wars? How do civil wars end? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Participation in the preceding course, Conflict Research I: Political Violence, is recommended. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0048-01L | International Politics: Theory and Methods | W | 3 credits | 3G | F. Schimmelfennig | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course covers the main theories (realism, institutionalism, liberalism, transnationalism and constructivism) as well as core problems of international politics such as war, peace, international cooperation and integration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | First, the course seeks to generate a better understanding of the central and specific problems of politics in the international realm, which result from the absence of centralized rule enforcement ("anarchy") . In addition, participants become familiar with the main theories of International Relations and the mechanisms and conditions these identify for solving international problems of security and cooperation. Case studies on areas and issues of international politics provide an overview of current international developments and an exemplary application of IR theory. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | 1. The subject-matter and problems of international politics Theories 2. Power and Balance: Realism 3. Problem structures and negotiations in international politics 4. Interdependence and Institutions: Institutionalism and Transnationalism 5. Democracy and Society: Liberalism 6. Identity and Community: Constructivism Issue Areas and Relationships 7. War: New Wars 8. Peace: The "long" and the "democratic" peace 9. Security cooperation: the new NATO 10. Economic cooperation: the world trade order 11. Human rights cooperation: global and regional human rights regimes 12. Environmental cooperation: ozone depletion and climate change 13. Legitimacy and democracy in global governance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Schimmelfennig, Frank: Internationale Politik. Paderborn: Schöningh Verlag, 6. Auflage, 2021. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 227-0664-00L | Technology and Policy of Electrical Energy Storage | W | 3 credits | 2G | V. Wood, T. Schmidt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | With the global emphasis on decreasing CO2 emissions, achieving fossil fuel independence and growing the use of renewables, developing & implementing energy storage solutions for electric mobility & grid stabilization represent a key technology & policy challenge. This course uses lithium ion batteries as a case study to understand the interplay between technology, economics, and policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students will learn of the complexity involved in battery research, design, production, as well as in investment, economics and policy making around batteries. Students from technical disciplines will gain insights into policy, while students from social science backgrounds will gain insights into technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | With the global emphasis on decreasing CO2 emissions, achieving fossil fuel independence, and integrating renewables on the electric grid, developing and implementing energy storage solutions for electric mobility and grid stabilization represent a key technology and policy challenge. The class will focus on lithium ion batteries since they are poised to enter a variety of markets where policy decisions will affect their production, adoption, and usage scenarios. The course considers the interplay between technology, economics, and policy. * intro to energy storage for electric mobility and grid-stabilization * basics of battery operation, manufacturing, and integration * intro to the role of policy for energy storage innovation & diffusion * discussion of complexities involved in policy and politics of energy storage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Materials will be made available on the website. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Materials will be made available on the website. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Strong interest in energy and technology policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0001-00L | Public Institutions and Policy-Making Processes Number of participants limited to 27. Priority for Science, Technology, and Policy Master. | W | 3 credits | 2G | T. Bernauer, S. Bechtold, F. Schimmelfennig | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students acquire the contextual knowledge for analyzing public policies. They learn why and how public policies and laws are developed, designed, and implemented at national and international levels, and what challenges arise in this regard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Public policies result from decision-making processes that take place within formal institutions of the state (parliament, government, public administration, courts). That is, policies are shaped by the characteristics of decision-making processes and the characteristics of public institutions and related actors (e.g. interest groups). In this course, students acquire the contextual knowledge for analyzing public policies. They learn why and how public policies and laws are developed, designed, and implemented at national and international levels, and what challenges arise in this regard. The course is organized in three modules. The first module (Stefan Bechtold) examines basic concepts and the role of law, law-making, and law enforcement in modern societies. The second module (Thomas Bernauer) deals with the functioning of legislatures, governments, and interest groups. The third module (Frank Schimmelfennig) focuses on the European Union and international organisations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Public policies result from decision-making processes that take place within formal institutions of the state (parliament, government, public administration, courts). That is, policies are shaped by the characteristics of decision-making processes and the characteristics of public institutions and related actors (e.g. interest groups). In this course, students acquire the contextual knowledge for analyzing public policies. They learn why and how public policies and laws are developed, designed, and implemented at national and international levels, and what challenges arise in this regard. The course is organized in three modules. The first module (Stefan Bechtold) examines basic concepts and the role of law, law-making, and law enforcement in modern societies. The second module (Thomas Bernauer) deals with the functioning of legislatures, governments, and interest groups. The third module (Frank Schimmelfennig) focuses on the European Union and international organisations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course materials can be found on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Readings can be found on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This is a Master level course. The course is capped at 27 students, with ISTP Master students having priority. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 857-0075-01L | Contemporary European Politics | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Troncone, S. Hegewald, J. Lipps, N. Olszewska, I. Vergioglou | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | How have the powers of the European Union expanded until now and what are the problems facing the Union today? This class offers an introduction to theories of European integration. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges of supranational governance in the context of the EU, covering a wide array of policy fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Since its start in the fifties, the European Union has evolved into a complex multilevel system, different from the nation state and different from other International Organizations. The course “Contemporary European Politics” introduces students to the institutions of the European Union and the gradual expansion of their competences. Throughout the course, we engage with current debates in EU studies on supranational decision-making in times of crisis. Upon completion, the participants are familiar with the legislative process regulating scientific and every-day life in such diverse policy fields as financial markets, climate policy and data privacy. Based on this knowledge, participants are able to identify chances and challenges of regulation beyond the nation state. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The sessions cover the following topics: - EU Institutions - Decision-making - Parliamentary Democracy - Judicial Politics - European Identity and Public Spheres - Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy - Democratic Backsliding - Political Conflict in the EU - Implementation of EU law - Eurozone - Inequality - Euroscepticism and Brexit - The Future of Integration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0057-02L | Strategic Studies II (without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | M. Berni, M. Wyss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The SiP-accredited lecture series treats high-impact strategic theory from antiquity to the present, emphasizing in particular its specific time-related context as well as the corresponding state of military technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The participants know how the understanding of strategy has evolved over time. They understand the interplay of strategy's basic components: ends, ways, means. They know the most important classics of strategy and war theory and can place them in their specific time-related context, focusing in particular on the given state of military technology. Based on the analysis of historical and contemporary examples, they are aware of the mismatch between declaration and implementation of any given strategy. They are capable of analyzing original texts and modern scholarly works in the field of strategic studies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The two-term lecture series treats classic texts of strategic studies from antiquity to the present. Term 1 covers the theories up until roughly 1900, term 2 treats the theories eversince. Theories are considered classic if they were prominent in their respective times and if they enjoyed a strong reception thereafter, be it in literature, in academic debates or as guidelines for action. Each out of some 50 theories is discussed in three steps: time-related context, core elements and reception. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Prior to the lectures, the respective slides as well as primary sources and literature (as preparatory readings) are made available on Moodle. The program is also available online (www.milak.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Peter Paret (ed.), Makers of Modern Strategy. From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age, Princeton 1986 Elinor C. Sloan, Modern Military Strategy. An Introduction, Oxon/New York 2012 Lawrence Freedman, Strategy. A History, New York 2013 John Baylis, James J. Wirtz, and Colin S. Gray (eds.), Strategy in the Contemporary World. An Introduction to Strategic Studies, New York 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is held in German. Passive knowledge of English and French are required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0647-00L | Model United Nations - International Policy-Making | W | 2 credits | 2S | L. Hensgen, F. M. Egli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course takes the UN as a starting point to acquaint students with key competences decisive for effective international policy-making to address the most pressing issues of humanity. These include intercultural negotiation, mediation and complex problem solving skills. Participants receive the opportunity to exchange with UN staff, diplomats and civil society members engaged with the UN. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Intercultural mediation, negotiation, complex problem solving, sustainable development goals and how those are addressed by the UN, team work | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Technical progress led to unprecedented opportunities and challenges for human societies. While we were never as affluent, educated and healthy as today - climate change, biodiversity loss, epidemics and widening inequality, as well as new risks from emerging technologies - such as lethal autonomous weapons and designed pathogens – pose novel challenges. Responding to these challenges requires not only profound technical knowledge but also a profound understanding of societies and the capacity to put technological solutions into practice in a globalized, intercultural and political environment. Thus, increasingly there is a need for engineers with a strong understanding of complex problem solving to address the most pressing challenges of human kind. This course takes the UN as a starting point to address complexity at international policy-making processes and to make students aware of the need for more sustainable solutions in the future. The work on real UN case studies will challenge students to critically assess global problems from different perspectives, to discuss UN resolutions brought forward and to reflect upon their potential implications. Opportunities to exchange with experts, such as UN staff, diplomats and civil society advisors will complement theoretic inputs. In this course, ETH students can complement their technical skills with key competences decisive for effective international policy-making. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course consists of 10-12 theoretical sessions as well as the preparation and participation at Zurich MUN conference. Upon request and at students’ own expense, participation at another MUN conference is also possible. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Psychology, Pedagogics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0240-01L | Designing Learning Environments for School (EW2 TD) Prerequisites: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". Adresses to students enrolled either in Teaching Diploma* (TD) or Teaching Certificate (TC) in Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics. *Except for students of Sport Teaching Diploma, who complete the sport-specific course unit EW2. | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Stern, J. Maue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Teaching is a complex skill. The lecture comprises (a) presentations about the theoretical background of this skill, (b) discussions of practical aspects, and (c) practical exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The participants have the conceptual und procedural knowledge, and skills necessary for long-term planning, preparing, and implementing good lessons. They can apply this knowledge on different topics of their scientific STEM-background. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We discuss characteristics of successful lessons and how to design such lessons by using curricula and lesson plans, teaching goals and a variety of teaching methods. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture comprises interactive parts where the participants elaborate and extend their knowledge and skills. Thus, there is no comprehensive written documentation of the lecture. The participants can download presentation slides, learning materials, and templates from "Moodle". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | The necessary literature can be downloaded from "Moodle". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture EW2 can only be attended by students who already successfully completed the lecture Human Learning (EW1). There will be two independent lectures for different groups of students. You will get further information in an email at the beginning of the semester. To get the Credits you have to - regularly attend to the lecture - have the grade 4 or higher in the final written exam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0240-17L | Designing Learning Environments for School: Educational Foundations (EW2 TC) - Prerequisite: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". - Addresses to students enrolled in "Teaching Certificate in a non-college Discipline (TC)". - The simultaneous enrolment in course 851-0240-25 Designing Learning Environments for School: Vocational Education (EW2 TC)" is recommended, but not a mandatory prerequisite. | W | 2 credits | 1V | P. Edelsbrunner, U. Markwalder, S. Peteranderl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Teaching is also a craft. In this lecture, students get to know and, wherever possible, also practice practical aspects of the teaching profession within the framework of relevant theories rom the Learning Sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students acquire basic knowledge and skills needed for planning, preparing, and implementing effective instruction. They can reflect and adapt these skills based on knowledge about findings from research in the learning sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We discuss characteristics of successful lessons and how to design such lessons by using curricula and lesson plans, teaching goals, classroom management, and a variety of teaching methods. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture comprises interactive parts where the participants elaborate and extend their knowledge and skills. Thus, there is no comprehensive written documentation of the lecture. The participants can download presentation slides, learning materials, and templates from "Moodle". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | The necessary literature can be downloaded from "Moodle". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture EW2 can only be attended by students who already successfully completed the lecture Human Learning (EW1). There will be two independent lectures for different groups of students. You will get further information in an email at the beginning of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-01L | Human-Computer Interaction: Cognition and Usability Number of participants limited to 35. Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher, J. Grübel, H. Zhao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar introduces theory and methods in human-computer interaction and usability. Cognitive Science provides a theoretical framework for designing user interfaces as well as a range of methods for assessing usability (user testing, cognitive walkthrough, GOMS). The seminar will provide an opportunity to experience some of the methods in applied group projects. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This seminar will introduce key topics, theories and methodology in human-computer interaction (HCI) and usability. Presentations will cover the basics of human-computer interaction and selected topics like mobile interaction, adaptive systems, human error and attention. A focus of the seminar will be on getting to know evaluation techniques in HCI. Students will work in groups and will first familiarize themselves with a select usability evaluation method (e.g. user testing, GOMS, task analysis, heuristic evaluation, questionnaires or Cognitive Walkthrough). They will then apply the methods to a human-computer interaction setting (e.g. an existing software or hardware interface) and present the method as well as their procedure and results to the plenary. Active participation is vital for the success of the seminar, and students are expected to contribute to presentations of foundational themes, methods and results of their chosen group project. In order to obtain course credit a written essay / report will be required (details to be specified in the introductory session of the course). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-12L | The Science of Learning From Failure Number of participants limited to 60. | W | 2 credits | 2S | M. Kapur, S. Tobler, E. Ziegler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | We can learn from failure! But, what does “failure” mean? And, what, how, and why do we learn from failure? This course covers research from the cognitive, educational, and learning sciences that addresses the role of failure in human learning. Students will critically examine how failure affects thinking, knowledge, creativity, problem-solving, etc. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will: - Critically read and analyze articles on research that addresses failure in learning. - Participate in in-class problem-solving activities around research in failure. - Discuss and reflect upon topics in both online and face-to-face formats. - Engage in activities through the online platform. - Complete a final paper on a subtopic related to failure in learning. By the end of the course, students should be able to: - Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role that failure plays in learning. - Discuss how and why failure can benefit learning. - Discuss how and why failure does not facilitate learning. - Apply understanding to a related sub-topic. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We learn from our mistakes, or rather, we certainly hope that we do. Another way to say this is that we can learn from failure. But, what does “failure” mean? And, what, how, and why do we learn from failure? This course covers research from the cognitive, educational, and learning sciences that addresses the role of failure in human learning. Students will critically examine how failure affects development of knowledge, creativity, problem-solving, and general thinking and learning. More specifically, they will have the opportunity to question and evaluate the potential relationships between the facets around failure within individual, interactional, cultural, societal, and global contexts through seminal readings and problem-solving activities oriented to real world issues. Students from any discipline are welcome to this course to learn more about how failure can be harnessed to improve our knowledge, capabilities, innovations, teamwork, and contribute to the larger global world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This seminar is an interactive course, thus attendance and classroom participation are required. "The course is held as 2 separate courses with each a maximum of 30 students: one course in German and one course in English." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0238-01L | Support and Diagnosis of Knowledge Acquisition Processes (EW3) Enrolment only possible with matriculation in Teaching Diploma (except for students of Sport Teaching Diploma, who complete the sport-specific course unit EW3) and for students who intend to enrol in the "Teaching Diploma" Prerequisites: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". | W | 3 credits | 3S | P. Edelsbrunner, J. Maue, C. M. Thurn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this seminar students learn advanced techniques to support and to diagnose knowledge acquisition processes in school. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The main goals are: (1) You have a deep understanding about the cognitive mechanisms of knowledge acquisition. (2) You have a basic understanding about psychological test theory and can appropriately administer tests. (3) You know various techniques of formative assessment and can apply these to uncover students' misconceptions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0240-25L | Designing Learning Environments for School: Vocational Education (EW2 TC) - Prerequisite: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". - Addresses to students enrolled in "Teaching Certificate in a non-college Discipline (TC)". - The simultaneous enrolment in course 851-0240-17L Designing Learning Environments for School: Educational Foundations (EW2 DZ)" is recommended, but not a mandatory prerequisite. | W | 2 credits | 1V | G. Kaufmann | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Participants acquire knowledge in vocational training system and in theory and practice of vocational education. They get to know characteristics of functions, tasks and roles in the professional world. They deduce consequences for the planning and execution of learner-tailored and effective learning in vocational education taking into account the theory and practice of vocational education. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants would be able to structure and execute learner-tailored and effective learning in vocational education taking into account the theory and practice of vocational education. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0242-03L | Introduction to General Pedagogy Enrolment only possible with matriculation in Teaching Diploma or Teaching Certificate. Prerequisite: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". | W | 2 credits | 2G | L. Haag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The basics of educational science and the field of activity of the school are conveyed in as much as they are of relevance to the field of activity of the teachers. Basic knowledge is taught methodically by the lecturers which is further deepened by the reading of selected texts and corresponding work assignments in individual and small groups. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Basics of educational science 1.1 Historical survey of education and school 1.2 Fundamental educational terms - Education as field of activity of the school - Education at school - Socialization 2. Field of activity of the school 2.1 Theory of school - Theory of school - Curriculum theory - School development 2.2 Theory of instruction - Didactic analysis - Principles of learning - Handling of heterogeneity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0240-24L | Designing Learning Environments for Schools (EW2 LD) - Portfolio - Enrolment only possible with simultaneous enrolment in course 851-0240-01L Designing Learning Environments for School (EW2 LD)! - Prerequisites: successful participation in 851-0240-00L "Human Learning (EW1)". - Adresses to students enrolled either in Teaching Diploma* (TD) or Teaching Certificate (TC) in Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics. *Except for students of Sport Teaching Diploma, who complete the sport-specific course unit EW2. | W | 1 credit | 2U | J. Maue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this lecture, you design a portfolio, i.e. a complete and elaborated teaching enviroment for schools, based on your scientific STEM-background | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture is an implementation and transfer of the theoretical inputs provided by the lecture "Designing Learning Environments for School" (EW2). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-08L | Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools for Evaluating Architectural Design Number of participants limited to 40 Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Gath Morad, C. Hölscher, L. Narvaez Zertuche, C. Veddeler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course focus is on pre-occupancy evaluation in architecture to support an evidence-based design process. Students are taught a variety of methods such as virtual reality, agent-based simulations and spatial analysis. The course is project-oriented and is open for architecture and STEM students with an interest in interdisciplinary teamwork. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This semester, students would focus on evaluating healthcare and office typologies from the perspective of building occupants’ and across scenarios, including routine operation and post-pandemic scenarios. Students will apply the tools learned in the course to compare building typologies, using various metrics including spatial proximity, visibility, orientation and movement. On the basis of this multi-objective evaluation, students would propose and evaluate design interventions across scenarios, identifying the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and threats across the various typologies. The course is tailored for students studying for B-ARCH and M-ARCH degrees and is also suitable for students in STEM faculties. As an alternative to obtaining D-GESS credit, architecture students can obtain course credit in "Vertiefungsfach" or "Wahlfach". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0253-07L | Consciousness Studies Number of participants limited to 80. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Stocker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Covers research on levels and states of consciousness. Levels: conscious vs. pre-/sub-/nonconscious. States: ordinary (OSC, waking consciousness) vs. altered states of consciousness (ASCs, e.g., sleeping/dreaming, hypnosis, meditation, pharmacologically altered state). Applications in health/clinical psychology, and implications for the scientific mind (insight, flow) are also considered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To introduce students to the basics of consciousness studies, and to thus help them to gain a deeper understanding of how the mind works. Includes practical implications for the scientific mind. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The study of consciousness involves scholars from diverse fields, such as psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, philosophy, linguistics, computer science, medicine, religious studies, anthropology, as well as literature and art studies. In this course, the study of consciousness is presented from the point of view of psychology. At the same time, the course will additionally also consider interdisciplinary viewpoints. Psychological consciousness studies involve research on levels and states of consciousness. Psychologically researched levels of consciousness are the conscious, preconscious, unconscious/subconscious, and nonconscious levels of mental processing. Psychological research on states of consciousness takes waking consciousness as the most common state (ordinary state of consciousness, OSC), using it as a baseline against which altered states of consciousness (ASC) are compared. Some of the most prominently researched ASC in psychology will be introduced in this course and include sleeping/dreaming, hypnosis, meditation, as well as ASC that are induced through either sensory deprivation/overload or psychoactive drugs. In this course, it will also be shown how a growing number of applied consciousness studies investigate the potential of being temporarily in an ASC for promoting/maintaining health (health psychology) or as part of clinical treatment (clinical psychology and psychiatry). Finally, in this course, two mental phenomena that are also highly relevant for the scientific mind – insight and flow – are also introduced from a consciousness-studies perspective. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0253-08L | Advanced Topics in Evidence-Based Design for Architecture Course requirements: Completion of the course Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design (851-0252-08L) | W | 3 credits | 2U | C. Hölscher, M. Gath Morad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students will gain advanced knowledge and practical hands-on experience with agent-based simulations and spatial analysis tools to evaluate hospital layouts from the perspective of end-users. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will build on their previous projects as part of the course “ Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design” (851-0252-08L). Students enrolled will participate in an international workshop with GSAPP at Columbia University Designing the post-pandemic hospital with evidence. for people. The course is funded by an ETH innvoedum project entitled cogARCH: linking cognition and architecture to design resilient hospitals architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-60L | Informal Learning Spaces | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher, B. Emo Nax | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is for D-ARCH students taking the Informal Learning Spaces Design Studio. Students develop their studio project to gain a better understanding of how users behave in that space. Supported by a theoretical foundation in spatial cognition, students observe, analyse and document how their case study is used by others. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of the seminar is for students to engage with what makes a good learning space. Students develop the intervention proposed in the design studio. By observing and documenting how other students interact with their interventions, students will be able to answer questions about what makes a good learning space for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | What makes a good learning space? How does this differ for students from different disciplines? This interdisciplinary seminar addresses the design of learning spaces by combining methods from architecture and psychology. Students are taught formal methods of behavioural observation so that they can observe and analyse how their intervention is used by others (students, faculty, visitors) over time. By collecting behavioural data on how their intervention is used, students will be able to assess the impact of their design on other users. The seminar encourages students to critically reflect on what elements are necessary for designing the learning spaces of the future. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Access to the course is restricted to D-ARCH students of the Informal Learning Spaces Design Studio. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Law | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0708-00L | Introduction to Law Introduction to Law as GESS Compulsory Elective Course: Students who have attended or will attend the lecture "Introduction to Law for Architecture" (851-0703-01L), "Introduction to Law for Civil Engineering" (851-0703-03L) or " Introduction to Law" (851-0703-00) , cannot register for this course unit. Particularly suitable for students of D-HEST, D-MAVT, D-MATL, D-USYS. | W | 2 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This class introduces students to basic features of the legal system. Questions of constitutional and administrative law, contract law, tort law, corporate law, intellectual property law, as well as procedural law are covered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Introduction to fundamental questions of public and private law which serves as a foundation for more advanced law classes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | 1. Privatrecht Vertragsrecht: Vertragsfreiheit, Vertragsentstehung, -erfüllung und -verletzung, Grundzüge des Kauf- und Mietvertrags. Haftungsrecht: Verschuldenshaftung und Kausalhaftung, Beschränkung der Haftung. Grundzüge des Gesellschafts,- Sachen- und Immaterialgüterrechts. 2. Öffentliches Recht Staatsrecht: Funktion und Quellen des Rechts, Aufbau und Organisation des Staates, Grundrechte, Grundzüge des Völker- und Europarechts. Verwaltungsrecht: Verwaltungsverhältnis, Verfügung, Verwaltungsorganisation, Durchsetzung des Verwaltungsrechts, Verwaltungsverfahrensrecht, Grundzüge des Polizei-, Umwelt- und Raumplanungsrechts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Unter Literatur den Link löschen und durch folgenden Link ersetzen: https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=17254 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0732-01L | Workshop and Lecture Series in Law and Economics | W | 2 credits | 2S | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The Workshop and Lectures Series in Law and Economics is a joint seminar of ETH Zurich and the Universities of Basel, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Zurich. Legal, economics, and psychology scholars will give a lecture and/or present their current research. All speakers are internationally well-known experts from Europe, the U.S. and beyond. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | After the workshop and lecture series, participants should be acquainted with interdisciplinary approaches in law and economics. They should also have an overview of current topics of international research in this area. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The workshop and lecture series will present a mix of speakers who represent the wide range of current social science research methods applied to law. In particular, theoretical models, empirical and experimental research as well as legal research methods will be represented. This series is held each spring semester. In the fall semester, the series is complemented by two specialized law-and-economics series, one on law & finance and one on innovation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | To be discussed papers are posted in advance on the course web page (http://www.lawecon.ethz.ch/workshop-and-lecture-series/lawecon.html). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0739-01L | Natural Language Processing for Law and Social Science Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MTEC | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Ash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the application of natural language processing techniques to texts in law, politics, and the news media. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be introduced to a broad array of tools in natural language processing (NLP). They will learn to evaluate and apply NLP tools to a variety of problems. The applications will focus on social-science contexts, including law, politics, and the news media. Topics include text classification, topic modeling, transformers, model explanation, and bias in language. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | NLP technologies have the potential to assist judges and other decision-makers by making tasks more efficient and consistent. On the other hand, language choices could be biased toward some groups, and automated systems could entrench those biases. We will explore the use of NLP for social science research, not just in the law but also in politics, the economy, and culture. We will explore, critique, and integrate the emerging set of tools for debiasing language models and think carefully about how notions of fairness should be applied in this domain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python is required, and some experience with NLP is highly recommended. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0732-03L | Intellectual Property: An Introduction Number of participants limited to 150 Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BIOL, D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | R. Zingg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course introduces students to the basics of the intellectual property system and of innovation policy. Areas covered include patent, copyright, trademark, design, know-how protection, open source, and technology transfer. The course looks at Swiss, European, U.S. and international law and uses examples from a broad range of technologies. Insights can be used in academia, industry or start-ups. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Intellectual property issues become more and more important in our society. In order to prepare students for their future challenges in research, industry or start-ups, this course introduces them to the foundations of the intellectual property system. The course covers patent, copyright, trademark, design, know-how protection, open source, and technology transfer law. It explains links to contract, antitrust, Internet, privacy and communications law where appropriate. While the introduction to these areas of the law is designed at a general level, examples and case studies come from various jurisdictions, including Switzerland, the European Union, the United States, and international law. In addition, the course introduces students to the fundamentals of innovation policy. After exposing students to the economics of intellectual property protection, the course asks questions such as: Why do states grant property rights in inventions? Has the protection of intellectual property gone too far? How do advances in biotechnology and the Internet affect the intellectual property system? What is the relationship between open source, open access and intellectual property? What alternatives to intellectual property protection exist? Knowing how the intellectual property system works and what kind of protection is available is useful for all students who are interested in working in academia, industry or in starting their own company. Exposing students to the advantages and disadvantages of the intellectual property system enables them to participate in the current policy discussions on intellectual property, innovation and technology law. The course will include practical examples and case studies as well as guest speakers from industry and private practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0740-00L | Big Data, Law, and Policy Does not take place this semester. Number of participants limited to 35. | W | 3 credits | 2S | S. Bechtold | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces students to societal perspectives on the big data revolution. Discussing important contributions from machine learning and data science, the course explores their legal, economic, ethical, and political implications in the past, present, and future. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course is intended both for students of machine learning and data science who want to reflect on the societal implications of their field, and for students from other disciplines who want to explore the societal impact of data sciences. The course will first discuss some of the methodological foundations of machine learning, followed by a discussion of research papers and real-world applications where big data and societal values may clash. Potential topics include the implications of big data for privacy, liability, insurance, health systems, voting, and democratic institutions, as well as the use of predictive algorithms for price discrimination and the criminal justice system. Guest speakers, weekly readings and reaction papers ensure a lively debate among participants from various backgrounds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0712-00L | Introduction to Public Law (French) | W | 2 credits | 2V | Y. Nicole | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course Public Law focuses on the fundamental concepts of constitutional law and constitutional and statutory principles of administrative law. The course also touches upon selected topics of administrative law, including the legal regulation of land use, zoning and planning, and construction law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Enseignement des principes du droit, en particulier du droit privé et du droit public. Introduction au droit. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Le cours de droit civil porte notamment sur le droit des obligations (droit des contrats et responsabilité civile) et sur les droits réels (propriété, gages et servitudes).De plus, il est donné un bref aperçu du droit de la procédure et de l’exécution forcée. Le cours de droit public traite du droit constitutionnel et du droit administratif, avec un accent particulier sur le droit des constructions et de l’aménagement du territoire, ainsi que sur le droit de l’environnement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Editions officielles des lois fédérales, en langue française ou italienne, disponibles auprès de la plupart des librairies. Sont indispensables: - en hiver: le Code civil et le Code des obligations; - en été: la Constitution fédérale et la loi fédérale sur l’aménagement du territoire ainsi que la loi fédérale sur la protection de l’environnement. Sont conseillés: - Nef, Urs Ch.: Le droit des obligations à l'usage des ingénieurs et des architectes, trad. Bovay, J., éd. Payot, Lausanne 1992 - Scyboz, G. et. Gilliéron, P.-R., éd.: Edition annotée du Code civil et du Code des obligations, Payot, Lausanne 1999 - Boillod, J.-P.: Manuel de droit, éd Slatkine, Genève 1999 - Biasio, G./Foglia, A.: Introduzione ai codici di diritto privato svizzero, ed. Giappichelli, Torino 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Le cours de droit civil et le cours de droit public sont l'équivalent des cours "Rechtslehre" et "Baurecht" en langue allemande et des exercices y relatifs. Les examens peuvent se faire en français ou en italien. Le candidat qui désire être interrogé en langue italienne le précisera lors de l'inscription et avertira les examina-teurs par écrit un mois au plus tard avant l'examen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0702-01L | Public Construction Law Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG | W | 2 credits | 2V | O. Bucher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students will be introduced to the basic principles of planning and public construction legislation (development application procedures) as well as to the basics of public procurement law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students shall have an understanding for the basic principles of planning and public construction legislation (incl. environmental law, development application procedures) as well as for the basics of public procurement law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Topics of this unit are: 1. Fundamentals of planning and public construction legislation (development, constitutional and legal foundation, basic principles and aims of spatial planning), 2. Federal, cantonal and communal planning legislation, 3. Public construction law (accessibility, zoning, construction and land use regulations [incl. environmental, water, heritage and energy use law], 4. Development application proceedings (obtaining development consent, appeal proceedings), 5. Basics of public procurement law | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | ALAIN GRIFFEL, Raumplanungs- und Baurecht - in a nutshell, Dike Verlag, 4. A., Zürich 2021 CLAUDIA SCHNEIDER HEUSI, Vergaberecht - in a nutshell, Dike Verlag, 3. A., Zürich 2020 Die Vorlesung basiert auf diesen Lehrmitteln. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | PETER HÄNNI, Planungs-, Bau- und besonderes Umweltschutzrecht, 6. A., Bern 2016 WALTER HALLER/PETER KARLEN, Raumplanungs-, Bau- und Umweltrecht, Bd. I, 3. A., Zürich 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0735-16L | Start Ups and Taxes | W | 2 credits | 2S | P. Pamini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | ETH students learn the relevancy of the tax law framework in the context of company start-ups. Based on theory and case studies, the participants discuss which regulatory options the legislator has, how it can promote innovative start-ups and where the typical pitfalls are. The consequences of direct and indirect taxes are debated both at the company and the entrepreneur level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Most of the time, scientific knowledge and the resulting technical innovations spread outside of the academic world over the activities of business ventures, specifically by developing new products and processes or by improving existing ones. As an ETH graduate who would like to practically implement her theoretical knowledge, you know the advantages and disadvantages of the manifold legal system set by the legislator, both from a private and from a tax law perspective. Start-ups differ substantially from normal kinds of enterprises. For instance, ownership can be concentrated in few hands and change over time, being opened to venture investors (e.g. in connection with private equity funds). The corporate governance can be particularly complex (e.g. including dual-class shares or an asymmetry between the degree of financial participation and the share of voting rights). The industry wherein the start-up is doing business can also be typically very volatile, preventing to find sensible comparables to value the start-up; reliable business plans are often missing. On the one hand, in this seminar you learn the regulatory options that are available to the legislator to promote innovative start-ups. In this context, you are also introduced into financial markets theory, economic policy making, innovation promotion and business strategy. On the other hand, you learn the technical knowledge in Swiss tax law that you need in case of a possible future business venture. You will be also stimulated in approaching complex problems outside of your area of specialisation thinking in a connected way. Pre-knowledge in law or in business administration is useful, but does not represent any necessary condition to participate. In the first sessions, the lecturer introduces you into the theoretical fundamentals as well as into the Swiss tax system, covering both direct taxes (such as the individual income and wealth taxes and the corporate income and capital taxes) and indirect taxes (such as VAT - value added tax, WHT - withholding tax, and stamp duties). Focusing on the field of start-ups, the discussions will deal both with individuals and corporations. The second part of the seminar will consist of the active discussion, primarily done by the seminar participants themselves, of some hypothetical business cases developed by the participants where the typical tax issues in connection with start-ups can be analysed more specifically. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0727-01L | Telecommunications Law Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET | W | 2 credits | 2V | C. von Zedtwitz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Introduction to the basics of Telecommunications Law for non-lawyers. The course deals with the legal regulations and principles that apply to telecom network operators and telecom service providers (fixed-line and mobile phone). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | By analyzing the most relevant legal provisions for a telecom provider in Switzerland students will learn about the main concepts of Swiss law. No previous legal courses required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | 1. History of Swiss Telecommunications Law 2. Regulation of network access (essential facility doctrine, types of access) 3. Universal Service 4. Phone service contracts (fixed line and mobile phone service) 5. Mobil communication radiation regulation 6. Telecommunication secrecy 7. SPAM-Avoidance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The powerpoint slides presented in the course will be made availabe online. In addition, links to relevant legal decisions and regulations will be accessible on the course website. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | No mandatory readings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Short written exam at the end of the semester (scope and materials to be defined during the course). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0735-11L | Environmental Regulation: Law and Policy Number of participants limited to 20. Particularly suitable for students of D-USYS | W | 3 credits | 1S | J. van Zeben | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The aim of this course is to make students with a technical scientific background aware of the legal and political context of environmental policy in order to place technical solutions in their regulatory context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to equip students with a legal and regulatory skill-set that allows them to translate their technical knowledge into a policy brief directed at legally trained regulators. More generally, it aims to inform students with a technical scientific background of the legal and political context of environmental policy. The focus of the course will be on international and European issues and regulatory frameworks - where relevant, the position of Switzerland within these international networks will also be discussed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Topics covered in lectures: (1) Environmental Regulation a. Perspectives b. Regulatory Challenges of Environment Problems c. Regulatory Tools (2) Law: International, European and national laws a. International law b. European law c. National law (3) Policy: Case studies Assessment: (i) Class participation (25%): Students will be expected to contribute to class discussions and prepare short memos on class readings. (ii) Exam (75%) consisting of two parts: a. Policy brief - a maximum of 2 pages (including graphs and tables); b. Background document to the policy brief - this document sets out a more detailed and academic overview of the topic (maximum 8 pages including graphs and tables); | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The course is taught as an interactive seminar and in-class participation is expected from the students. Participation will be capped at 20 in order to maintain the interactive nature of the classes. All classes, readings, and assignments, are in English. Teaching will take place over three days in January. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | The book for this course is van Zeben and Rowell, A Guide to EU Environmental Law, University of California Press, 2020 - available via https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520295223/a-guide-to-eu-environmental-law. Electronic copy of remaining readings will be provided to the students at no cost before the start of the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | No specific pre-existing legal knowledge is required, however all students must have successfully completed Grundzüge des Rechts (851-0708-00 V) or an equivalent course. The course is (inter)related to materials discussed in Politikwissenschaft: Grundlagen (851-0577-00 V), Ressourcen- und Umweltökonomie (751-1551-00 V), Umweltrecht: Konzepte und Rechtsgebiete (851-0705-01 V), Rechtlicher Umgang mit natürlichen Ressourcen (701-0743-01 V), Environmental Governance (701-1651-00 G), Policy and Economics of Ecosystem Services (701-1653-00 G), International Environmental Politics: Part I (851-0594-00 V). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0735-14L | Seminar Business Law: Contracts for Projects by Mechanical Engineers Number of participants limited to 20 Particularly suitable for students of D-MAVT | W | 2 credits | 2S | P. Peyrot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar provides an introduction into the legal aspects of projects in the machine and plant construction industries. The seminar has specific practical focus as a real life case of an industry company will be studied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In practice, students will invariably have to assume responsibility for project management. This will also include dealing with legal issues. The seminar offers an introduction into the legal basis and the legal issues of managing projects. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Topics: - law of contracts for sales, work and mandate - specifics of project contracts: definition of scope, distribution of risk and opportunities, warranties, liability - typical contract clauses, sample agreements - specific agreements used in the case study - contracts and claims management The students will be introduced into the original agreements of the real life case and the responsible persons will give introductions into the legal issues encountered during the completion of the project | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The script will be provided on the moodle platform. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The seminar is not an introductory course. Students are required to have attended an introductory lecture (e.g. Business Law by Dr. Paul Peyrot, Introduction to Law by Prof. Dr. Stefan Bechtold). For the successful completion of the seminar and for obtaining the grade, all parts of the seminar must be attended. All participants are required to participate in a group effort which has to be presented on the last day of the seminar. The grade will be a wheighted average of an individual paper based on questions out of the materials (1/3) and the group presentation (2/3). The seminar will take place on the following days: Block I: 25. Februar 2021 16:15 bis 20:00 Block II: 4. März 2021 16:15 bis 20:00 Block III: 11. März 2021 16:15 bis 20:00 Block IV: 18. März 2021 extern bei MAN Energy Solutions AG (Zürich), 8:00 bis 18:00 Block V: 15. April 2021 16:15 bis 20:00 Block VI: 22. April 2021 16:15 bis 20:00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0743-01L | Law and Natural Resources Number of participants limited to 20. | W | 2 credits | 2V | N. Dajcar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course teaches the possibilities and limits of the law in order to protect natural resources and landscapes against harm and nuisance. The complexity of the legal situation will be discussed by analysing virtual and real law cases focused on spatial projects and planning. Precise writing is an emportant aspect in this course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students know the opportunities and restrictions which are given by the law when using natural resources. They have insights into the complex environmental legal system and their application in conrete cases. The students are able to formulate typical legal questions, to understand the argumentation of courts and to solve simple legal problems with respect to environmental problems. An important goal ist the writing of precise written answers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In this course, the aim is to gain in-depth-knowledge in forest law, law of landscape and nature protection and spatial planning law | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | everything necessary will be uploaded on moodle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Griffel, A.; Raumplanungs- und Baurecht in a nutshell, Dike Verlag, 3. Auflage, Zürich/St. Gallen 2017 Griffel, A.; Umweltrecht in a nutshell, Dike Verlag, Zürich/St. Gallen 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | In this course, in-depth knowledge of forest law, landscape- and nature-protection law and spatial planning law can be gained. The webclass consists of team work. There are written works to be done (usually in german) and presentation to be held. A good part of the course is self study work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0739-02L | Natural Language Processing for Law and Social Science (Course Project) This is the optional course project for "Natural Language Processing for Law and Social Science". Please register only if attending the lecture course or with consent of the instructor. Some programming experience in Python is required, and some experience with text mining is highly recommended. | W | 2 credits | 2V | E. Ash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is the companion course for extra credit for a course project, for the course "Natural Language Processing for Law and Social Science". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be introduced to a broad array of tools in natural language processing (NLP). They will learn to evaluate and apply NLP tools to a variety of problems. The applications will focus on social-science contexts, including law, politics, and the news media. Topics include text classification, topic modeling, transformers, model explanation, and bias in language. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0744-00L | Research Paper in Law and Tech There is no need for a written application for students who have taken the pre-requisite Law & Tech or the Algorithms & Fairness course. For students who believe they have the requisite background, they should email aileen.nielsen@gess.ethz.ch with a summary of why they believe they have the relevant background knowledge as well as what topic they would be interested in to address with a research paper. | W | 1 credit | 1S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane, A. Nielsen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | A seminar to produce original research with a law and economics foundation on topics related to the intersection of law and technology. This seminar is specifically designed to help students in the sciences conduct interdisciplinary research and writing that can speak to the social science and legal communities about important topics emerging from science and technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This seminar assists students in developing original research on topics related to law and technology. Students will: Learn how to identify important and cutting edge topics in law and technology Develop high quality interdisciplinary research Produce a final work product preparatory to publication or a product launch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The form and content of each student project will be discussed early in the semester, and the semester will be spent developing the student research topic with feedback from instructors and from peers. Topics will vary according to student interest, but example scholarly content will also be read and discussed, addressing the following topics Regulations for trustworthy AI A review of the feasibility of enforcing deepfake legislation Competition law and proprietary data sets Privacy-preserving navigational tools | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Course is open only to students who have completed the fall Law & Tech course or with special permission of the lecturer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sociology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-06L | Introduction to Social Networks: Theory, Methods and Applications This course is intended for students interested in data analysis and with basic knowledge of inferential statistics. | W | 3 credits | 2G | C. Stadtfeld, T. Elmer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Humans are connected by various social relations. When aggregated, we speak of social networks. This course discusses how social networks are structured, how they change over time and how they affect the individuals that they connect. It integrates social theory with practical knowledge of cutting-edge statistical methods and applications from a number of scientific disciplines. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim is to enable students to contribute to social networks research and to be discriminating consumers of modern literature on social networks. Students will acquire a thorough understanding of social networks theory (1), practical skills in cutting-edge statistical methods (2) and their applications in a number of scientific fields (3). In particular, at the end of the course students will - Know the fundamental theories in social networks research (1) - Understand core concepts of social networks and their relevance in different contexts (1, 3) - Be able to describe and visualize networks data in the R environment (2) - Understand differences regarding analysis and collection of network data and other type of survey data (2) - Know state-of-the-art inferential statistical methods and how they are used in R (2) - Be familiar with the core empirical studies in social networks research (2, 3) - Know how network methods can be employed in a variety of scientific disciplines (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0586-03L | Applied Network Science: Sports Networks Number of participant limited to 20 | W | 3 credits | 2S | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | We study applications of network science methods, this time in the domain of sports. Topics are selected for diversity in research questions and techniques with applications such as passing networks, team rankings, and career trajectories. Student teams present results from the recent literature, possibly with replication, in a mini-conference on the day before the UEFA Champions League Final. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Network science as a paradigm is entering domains from engineering to the humantities but application is tricky. By examples from recent research on sports, sports administration, and the sociology of sports, students learn to appreciate that, and how, context matters. They will be able to assess the appropriateness of approaches for substantive research problems, and especially when and why quantitative approaches are or are not suitable. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Original research articles will be introduced in the first session. General introduction: Wäsche, Dickson, Woll & Brandes (2017). Social Network Analysis in Sport Research: An Emerging Paradigm. European Journal for Sport and Society 14(2):138-165. DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2017.1318198 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0585-38L | Data Science in Techno-Socio-Economic Systems Number of participants limited to 130. This course is thought be for students in the 5th semester or above with quantitative skills and interests in modeling and computer simulations. Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D-MTEC, D-PHYS | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, N. Antulov-Fantulin, V. Vasiliauskaite | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces how techno-socio-economic systems in our complex society can be better understood with techniques and tools of data science. Students shall learn how the fundamentals of data science are used to give insights into the research of complexity science, computational social science, economics, finance, and others. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The goal of this course is to qualify students with knowledge on data science to better understand techno-socio-economic systems in our complex societies. This course aims to make students capable of applying the most appropriate and effective techniques of data science under different application scenarios. The course aims to engage students in exciting state-of-the-art scientific tools, methods and techniques of data science. In particular, lectures will be divided into research talks and tutorials. The course shall increase the awareness level of students of the importance of interdisciplinary research. Finally, students have the opportunity to develop their own data science skills based on a data challenge task, they have to solve, deliver and present at the end of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Will be provided on a separate course webpage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Grus, Joel. "Data Science from Scratch: First Principles with Python". O'Reilly Media, 2019. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2904392 "A high-bias, low-variance introduction to machine learning for physicists" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370157319300766 Applications to Techno-Socio-Economic Systems: "The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena" (relevant for modeling pandemic spread) https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337 "A network framework of cultural history" https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6196/558 "Science of science" https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6379/eaao0185.abstract "Generalized network dismantling" https://www.pnas.org/content/116/14/6554 Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Good programming skills and a good understanding of probability & statistics and calculus are expected. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0513-00L | Economic Sociology | W | 2 credits | 2V | T. Hinz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Econony and society are closely interconnected. The lecture presents classical and new sociological approaches to address the complex relationship between economic action and social structure. Issues of specific interest are: rational decision making, consumer behavior, social networks, state and economy, entrepreneurship and discrimination. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The lecture gives an overview on the "new eonomic sociology". Students learn to analyze economic processes from a sociological point of view, e.g. the relevance of "embeddedness" into social networks for economic exchange. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In der Vorlesung Wirtschaftssoziologie soll das Verhältnis von Soziologie und Ökonomie theoretisch wie empirisch fruchtbar bearbeitet werden. Wir beschäftigen uns unter soziologischem Blickwinkel mit der Produktion, der Verteilung, dem Austausch und dem Verbrauch knapper Güter und Dienstleistungen. Austauschprozesse unterliegen strukturellen Rahmenbedingungen und Grenzen, sie bedürfen in vielen Situationen normativer Regelungen und einer unterstützenden institutionellen Umgebung. Eine Definition der Wirtschaftssoziologie könnte so lauten: Wirtschaftssoziologie umfasst alle Beobachtungen, Begriffe, Hypothesen, Gesetzmäßigkeiten und Erklärungsmodelle, die sich auf Zusammenhänge von ökonomischen und sozialen Sachverhalten und Prozessen beziehen. Arbeitsgebiete der Wirtschaftssoziologie sind beispielsweise die soziale Bedingtheit wirtschaftlicher Vorgänge, die Rückwirkung ökonomischer Prozesse für gesellschaftliche Strukturen, die sozialen Dimensionen und Verhaltensprämissen, Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen Gesellschaften bezüglich des wirtschaftlichen Geschehens und Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialem und ökonomischem Wandel. Die Vorlesung behandelt zunächst knapp die makrosoziologischen Klassiker. Die Gründerväter der Soziologie haben wirtschaftlichem Handeln eine überragende Bedeutung für die Konstitution der Gesellschaft beigemessen – ob Marx, Simmel, Weber oder Durkheim. An der Schnittstelle von Soziologie und Ökonomie sind die Mikrotheorien von herausragender Bedeutung. Die Wirtschaftssoziologie ist ein ideales Terrain für Rational Choice Soziologie. Abweichungen vom Modell des Wettbewerbsmarktes und strikter Rationalität begründen in dieser Theorierichtung besonders interessante Analysen. Die Struktursoziologie (im Extremfall: „how people don't have any choices to make“) wird durch die Konzeption sozialer Netzwerke, in denen Austauschprozesse stattfinden, berücksichtigt. Auch das interpretative Paradigma der Mikrosoziologie kann auf Fragestellungen der Wirtschaftssoziologie („the making of markets“) angewandt werden. Die Wirtschaftssoziologie versteht sich als empirisches Projekt. In der modernen Wirtschaftssoziologie finden sich eine Vielzahl von Analysen ökonomischer Institutionen, von Markt und Organisation, von Konsumverhalten, Firmennetzwerken und Schwarzmärkten. Einen Überblick zu Theorien und Anwendungsgebieten der Wirtschaftssoziologie gibt das „Handbook of Economic Sociology“ herausgegeben von Richard Swedberg und Neil Smelser (inzwischen in zweiter Auflage erschienen). Die Vorlesung beruht auf einzelnen Beiträgen, ebenso werden eigene Studien vorgestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Pdf files (in German) will be available on ILIAS. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Abraham, Martin/Hinz, Thomas (2008): Arbeitsmarktsoziologie. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag (2. Auflage). Braun, Norman/Keuschnigg, Marc/Wolbring, Tobias (2012) Wirtschaftssoziologie (2 Bände). München: Oldenbourg. Smelser, Neil/Swedberg, Richard (Hrsg.) (2005) Handbook of Economic Sociology. Princeton: UP (2. Auflage). Weitere Literatur wird zu Veranstaltungsbeginn bekannt gegeben. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Teaching in German. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 701-0712-00L | Use and Perception of Nature Among Societies Outside Europe | W | 2 credits | 2V | T. Haller Merten | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Views of what we call "nature“" in traditional societies in Africa, Asia and Southern America are presented and discussed. In such subsistence-oriented ethnic groups "nature" is often perceived as being inhabited by gods and spirits. This view is often regarded as being irrational by natural science. But what are the impacts of such religious views on the sustainable use of natural resources? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture shall give an overview of worldviews of so called traditional societies in Africa, Asia and Southern America. The aim is to understand the way such societies view what we call nature or environment and their strategies to use natural resources. The lecure shall also provide a critical analysis of such processes based on concrete case studies, in which we will discuss problems of sustainable use of natrual resources and participatory processes in the governance of such resources. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Die Studierenden werden dabei mit Vorstellungen und Ideologien von Natur konfrontiert, die sich nicht mit unserer Logik physisch-chemischer und biologischer Abläufe in der "Natur" decken, und die wir somit als "irrational" empfinden. Wir werden uns mit verschiedenen Konzepten aus dem Bereich der Religions-Ethnologie beschäftigen, die sich insbesondere im Bereich Magie, Hexerei und Orakelbefragung mit der "Rationalität" solcher Umweltvorstellungen auseinandersetzen. Seit der Beschäftigung mit der Ökosystemtheorie durch Roy Rappaport erhielt diese "wilde Denken" eine neue Funktion (Rappaport 1971, 1979). Es wurde in Zusammenhang eines gesamten Ökosystems analysiert, zu dessen Erhaltung und zu dessen Fliessgleichgewicht es diene. Diese Sichtweise, obwohl heftig kritisiert, ist von Bedeutung, weil mit der ökologischen Krise man in der industrialisierte Welt Ausschau nach neuen Konzepten hält. Diese werden teilweise in den uns fremden Bildern aussereuropäischer Völker von der "heiligen Natur" gesehen, welche uns als Lehre dienen und zu nachhaltiger Ressourcennutzung führen könnte. Zudem erscheinen die Umwelt-Bilder und Weltsichten dieser Gesellschaften (heute oftmals indigene Völker genannt) auf der praktischen Ebene als gelebter Naturschutz, den es insbesondere für die Konservierung von Biodiversität zu erhalten gilt. Heilige Orte sollen nun auch für den Schutz von beispielsweise Nationalparks oder Biosphärenreservaten dienen. In diesem Zusammenhang ist ein genauer Blick von Nöten, denn Fehlanalysen sind in diesem Bereich fatal und eine unkritische Instrumentalisierung magischer Weltsichten kontraproduktiv. Wo jedoch religiöse Weltsichten der Natur eine im Sinne der Nachhaltigkeit positive Rolle spielen können, ist der Bereich der Institutionen für das Ressourcenmanagement. Dieser Begriff wird hier im Sinne des Neuen Institutionalismus verwendet: Institutionen sind demnach Regeln, Werte und Normen, die das Handeln der Individuen beeinflussen und eine gewisse Sicherheit bezüglich dem erwarteten Verhalten der anderen Individuen einer Gemeinschaft bieten und dabei die sogenannten Transaktionskosten (Informationsbeschaffung bezüglich dem Verhalten anderer Akteure, Überwachung und Sanktionierung) reduzieren (North 1990. Ostrom 1990, Ensminger 1992). Dieser aus der Ökonomie beeinflusste Ansatz weist meines Erachtens interessante Elemente bezüglich der nachhaltigen Nutzung von Ressourcen auf, was sich bei der Nutzung von Kollektivressourcen (Com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Zur Veranstaltung gibt es kein Script, aber es wird rechtzeitig ein Ordner mit der relevanten Literatur bereitgestellt. Am Thema Interessierte Studierende können sich bereits in folgenden zwei Büchern ins Thema einlesen: - Berkes, Fikret. 1999. Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Managment. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis. - Haller, Tobias. 2001. Leere Speicher, erodierte Felder und das Bier der Frauen: Umweltanpassung und Krise bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns. Studien zur Sozialanthropologie. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Becker, Dustin, C. and Elinor Ostrom,.1995. Human Ecology and Resource Sustainability: The Importance of Institutional Diversity. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst.1995. No. 26:113-33. Berkes, Fikret. 1999. Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Managment. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis. Dangwal, Parmesh. 1998. Van Gujjars at Apex of National Park Management. Indigenous Affairs No.4:24-31. Diener, Paul and Robkin, Eugene E. 1978. Ecology, Evolution, and the Search for Cultural Origins: The Question of Islamic Pig Prohibition. In: Current Anthropology 19, No.3():493-540. Diener, Paul, Nonini, Donald and Robkin, Eugene E. 1977/78. The Dialectics of the Sacred Cow: Ecological Adaptation versus Political Appropriation in the Origins of Indias Cattle Complex. In: Dialectical Anthropology (Amsterdam) 3: 221-241. Evans-Pritchard, Edward E. 1978. Hexerei, Magie und Orakel bei den Zande. Frankfurt am Main:Suhrkamp. Evans-Pritchard, Edward und Mayer Fortes. 1983. Afrikanische politische Systeme, in: Kramer, F. und Siegrist, Ch. eds. Gesellschaften ohne Staat. Frankfurt a. Main:Syndikat: 150-174. Fairhead, James und Leach, Melissa. 1996. Misreading the African Landscape. Society and ecology in a forest-savanna mosaic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freed, Stanley A. and Freed, Ruth, S. 1981.Sacred Cows and Water Buffalo in India: The Uses of Ethnography. In. Current Anthropology 22, No.5: 483-502. Haller, Tobias. 1995.Raub der „Seelenschatten in Nord-Kamerun. Krankheit bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen“. In: Keller, Frank-Beat (Hg.). Krank warum? Vorstellung der Völker, Heiler und Mediziner, Katalog zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung. Ostfildern: Cantz Verlag. pp.302-306. Haller, Tobias. 2000. Bodendegradierung und Ernährungskrise bei den Ouldeme und Platha. Umwelt- und Ernährungsprobleme bei zwei Feldbauerngruppen in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns: Eine Folge der Adaptation an Monetarisierung und Wandel traditioneller institutioneller Rahmenbedingungen. In: Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 124 (1999): 335–354. Haller, Tobias. 2001. Leere Speicher, erodierte Felder und das Bier der Frauen: Umweltanpassung und Krise bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns. Studien zur Sozialanthropologie. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. Haller, Tobias. 2002a. „Spiel gegen Risiken in der ‘Natur’“, In: Giordano et al (Hrsg.). Ordnung, Risiko und Gefährdung. Reader des Blockseminars der Schweizerischen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Die Veranstaltung beginnt in einem ersten Teil mit einer Reihe von Vorlesungen und wird in einem zweiten Teil mit Lesen und Diskutieren von Texten (Kurzvorträge von den Studierenden) fortgesetzt (nähere Erläuterungen und Programm am Anfang der Veranstaltung). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0786-00L | Mediation in Environmental Planning: Theory and Case Studies | W | 2 credits | 2G | K. Siegwart | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is intended to demonstrate how environmental decisions can be optimized and conflicts better dealt by using mediation. Case studies will focus on construction of windmills for electricity purpose, landfills, sustainable city-planning in the field of former industrial area or the establishment of a birds- or a forest-management plan. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Develop comprehension of legal and social responses to environmental conflicts - Recognize the most important participative techniques and their ranges - Develop concepts for doing and evaluating mediation processes - Estimate the potential and limitations of cooperative environmental planning - Train communicative skills (presentation, moderation, discussion design, negotiation), especially by participating at a mediation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | To this end, we will look at the most important techniques of mediation and put them into the context of today's legislation, participation and conflict culture. The potential and limitations of the individual techniques will be discussed using current Swiss and international case studies, namely in the field of windenergy as well of landfills. Students can do conflict analyses, for instance, as part of individual and group analyses and a half-day mediation-simulation, develop technique concepts and train their own communicative and negotiation skills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A reader will be handed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 052-0704-00L | Sociology II | W | 2 credits | 2V | C. Schmid, I. Apostol, N. Bathla, J. E. Duyne Barenstein, A. Hertzog-Fraser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Sociology II presents current perspectives and methods in urban studies. Part I introduces the right to the city and hybrid urban space, with a focus on neighbourhood life (Ileana Apostol); part II discusses housing as a social and cultural practice (Jennifer Duyne); part III presents postcolonial perspectives in urban studies (Nitin Bathla and Alice Hertzog-Fraser). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture series seeks to enable students to better understand architecture and the production of built environment in its social context. It provides an introduction into the great variety of contemporary urbanization processes across the world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Sociology II focuses on current perspectives of analysis in urban studies, presenting theoretical frames of reference with the help of concrete case studies. First, the right to the city perspective will be introduced in the context of the hybrid (physical and digital) condition of space, with particular focus on urbanity and the quality of life in the neighborhood (lecturer: Ileana Apostol). In the second part, the global housing challenges and housing solutions will be discussed (lecturer: Jennifer Duyne). The third part of the course will explore postcolonial perspectives in urban studies. The first two lectures of the third part will present a survey of postcolonial urban theory and discuss spatial polarisation and everyday life in the extended urban region of Delhi (lecturer: Nitin Bathla). The following two lectures of the third part will consider the role of Rhodes-Livingstone Institute, otherwise known as the Manchester school in colonial Africa and explore contemporary debates on neo-colonialism surrounding Chinese urbanisation in Africa today (lecturer: Alice Hertzog). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | No script - Information available at the following link: http://www.soziologie.arch.ethz.ch/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Various texts, in addition to the lecture will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0024-00L | Digital Society: Ethical, Societal and Economic Challenges Number of participants is limited to 30. | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, C. I. Hausladen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will address ethical challenges coming along with new digital technologies such as cloud computing, Big Data, artificial intelligence, cognitive computing, quantum computing, robots, drones, Internet of Things, virtual reality, blockchain technology, and more... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants shall learn to understand that any technology implies not only opportunities, but also risks. It is important to understand these well in order to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits. In some cases, it is highly non-trivial to identify and avoid undesired side effects of technologies. The seminar will sharpen the attention how to design technologies for values, also called value-sensitive design or ethically aligned design. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Will be provided on a complementary website of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Will be provided on a complementary website of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Ethically Aligned Design Version 1: Link Version 2: Link Value-Sensitive Design Link Handbook of Ethics, Values and Technological Design Link Thinking Ahead https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319150772 Towards Digital Enlightenment https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-90869-4 Künstliche Intelligenz und Maschinisierung des Menschen Link Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy (J Taplin) Link How Humans Judge Machines https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humans-Judge-Machines-Cesar-Hidalgo/dp/0262045524/ Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To earn credit points, students will have to read the relevant literature on one of the above technologies and give a presentation about the ethical implications. Both, potential problems and possible solutions shall be carefully discussed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 860-0022-00L | Complexity and Global Systems Science Number of participants limited to 50. Prerequisites: solid mathematical skills. Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-MAVT and ISTP | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. Helbing, S. Mahajan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course discusses complex techno-socio-economic systems, their counter-intuitive behaviors, and how their theoretical understanding empowers us to solve some long-standing problems that are currently bothering the world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants should learn to get an overview of the state of the art in the field, to present it in a well understandable way to an interdisciplinary scientific audience, to develop models for open problems, to analyze them, and to defend their results in response to critical questions. In essence, participants should improve their scientific skills and learn to think scientifically about complex dynamical systems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course starts with a discussion of the typical and often counter-intuitive features of complex dynamical systems such as self-organization, emergence, (sudden) phase transitions at "tipping points", multi-stability, systemic instability, deterministic chaos, and turbulence. It then discusses phenomena in networked systems such as feedback, side and cascading effects, and the problem of radical uncertainty. The course progresses by demonstrating the relevance of these properties for understanding societal and, at times, global-scale problems such as traffic jams, crowd disasters, breakdowns of cooperation, crime, conflict, social unrests, political revolutions, bubbles and crashes in financial markets, epidemic spreading, and/or "tragedies of the commons" such as environmental exploitation, overfishing, or climate change. Based on this understanding, the course points to possible ways of mitigating techno-socio-economic-environmental problems, and what data science may contribute to their solution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | "Social Self-Organization Agent-Based Simulations and Experiments to Study Emergent Social Behavior" Helbing, Dirk ISBN 978-3-642-24004-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Philip Ball Why Society Is A Complex Matter https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642289996 Globally networked risks and how to respond Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature12047 Global Systems Science and Policy Link Managing Complexity: Insights, Concepts, Applications https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783540752608 Further links: http://global-systems-science.org Link Link https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/global-systems-science Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Mathematical skills can be helpful | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0745-00L | Ethics Workshop: The Impact of Digital Life on Society Number of participants limited to 40. Open to all Master level / PhD students. | W | 2 credits | 2S | E. Vayena, J. Amann, A. Blasimme, A. Ferretti, C. Landers, J. Sleigh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This workshop focuses on understanding and managing the ethical and social issues arising from the integration of new technologies in various aspects of daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Explain relevant concepts in ethics. Evaluate the ethical dimensions of new technology uses. Identify impacted stakeholders and who is ethically responsible. Engage constructively in the public discourse relating to new technology impacts. Review tools and resources currently available that facilitate resolutions and ethical practice Work in a more ethically reflective way | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The workshop offers students an experience that trains their ability for critical analysis and develops awareness of responsibilities as a researcher, consumer and citizen. Learning will occur in the context of three intensive workshop days, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills. The workshop will begin with some fundamentals: the nature of ethics, of consent and big data, of AI ethics, public trust and health ethics. Students will then be introduced to key ethical concepts such as fairness, autonomy, trust, accountability, justice, as well different ways of reasoning about the ethics of digital technologies. A range of practical problems and issues in the domains of education, news media, society, social media, digital health and justice will be then considered. These six domains are represented respectively by unique and interesting case studies. Each case study has been selected not only for its timely and engaging nature, but also for its relevance. Through the analysis of these case studies key ethical questions (such as fairness, accountability, explain-ability, access etc.) will be highlighted and questions of responsibility and tools for ethical practice will be explored. Throughout, the emphasis will be on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of policy, practice and research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-0051-01L | Military Sociology II (without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | T. Szvircsev Tresch, S. De Rosa, T. Ferst | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Addressing civil-military relations and the democratic control of armed forces. Highlighting the changes in the structures of European armed forces (technological, social and geostrategic changes). Examining the capability of society and military in Switzerland to maintain the militia principle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | • To understand the development of defense structures in Europe due to social, technological, economic and geostrategic changes and to be able to identify the respective implications; • to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of different systems of conscription; • to understand the basic principles of exercising democratic control over armed forces; • to be able to define the terms conscription and militia and to know the corresponding articles of the Federal Constitution; • to be able to critically question the militia principle of the Swiss Armed Forces within the context of technological and social changes; • to characterize the three different forms of cooperation in international military operations; • to discuss technical research questions on the basis of individual research results or projects of the Department of Military Sociology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The lecture "Military Sociology II" deals in detail with the question of why societies defend themselves against external threats. The lecture analyzes old and new wars, demonstrates tensions in civil-military relations and examines the influence of civil-democratic control of armed forces. It also provides an overview of current transformations of European armed forces (technological, social, economic, and geostrategic) and their influence on the acceptance and legitimation of the military in Western societies. This leads to the question of recruitment and manpower of armed forces and the societal need for alternative models of civic participation by the population. The lecture thus raises the pressing question of democratic control over societal areas which, due to socio-economic and technological developments, elude the traditional control mechanisms of Western societies. The course also addresses the aspect of diversity in the armed forces. Of organizational sociological interest is whether the armed forces constitute an organization like any other, or whether they represent a special case. Furthermore, the Swiss militia-type army is analyzed and the social prerequisites of maintaining the militia principle, as well as its limits for the Swiss Armed Forces are discussed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A set of slides and supplementary literature will be provided for each lecture. The texts are accompanied by a set of questions which serve as exam preparation and will be partially discussed in the lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | A selection of traditional as well as current texts will be distributed in the lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0585-48L | Controversies in Game Theory Number of participants limited to 100. | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, H. Nax, H. Rauhut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The mini-course 'Controversies in Game Theory' consists of 5 course units that provide an in-depth introduction to issues in game theory motivated by real-world issues related to the tensions that may result from interactions in groups, where individual and collective interests may conflict. The course integrates theory from various disciplines. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are encouraged to think about human interactions, and in particular in the context of game theory, in a way that is traditionally not covered in introductory game theory courses. The aim of the course is to teach students the complex conditional interdependencies in group interactions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course will pay special attention to the dichotomy of cooperative vs non-cooperative game theory through the lense of the pioneering work by John von Neumann (who—which is not very well known--was an undergraduate student at ETH Zurich). We will review the main solution concepts from both fields, work with applications relying on those, and look at the “Nash program” which is a famous attempt to bridge the two. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | John v Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. 1944. Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Games_and_Economic_Behavior) Diekmann, Andreas: Spieltheorie. Rowohlt 2009. Dixit, Avinash K., and Susan Skeath. Games of Strategy. WW Norton & Company, 2015. Ken Binmore (1992): Fun and Games. Lexington: Heath. Camerer, Colin (2003): Behavioral Game Theory. Experiments in Strategic Interaction. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Game Theory Evolving Link Evolutionary Game Theory https://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Game-Theory-MIT-Press/dp/0262731215/ Evolutionary Game Theory in Natural, Social and Virtual Worlds https://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Natural-Social-Virtual-Worlds/dp/0199981159/ Evolutionary Dynamics and Extensive Form Games Link Evolutionary Games and Population Dynamics Link Quantitative Sociodynamics https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642115455 Synergistic Selection: How Cooperation Has Shaped Evolution and the Rise of Humankind Link Survival of the Nicest https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Nicest-Altruism-Human-Along/dp/1615190902/ Evolutionary Games with Sociophysics Link Statistical Physics and Computational Methods for Computational Game Theory Link Games of life https://www.amazon.com/Games-Life-Explorations-Evolution-Behaviour/dp/0198547838 Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is thought be for students in the 5th semester or above with quantitative skills and interests in modeling and computer simulation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0557-00L | Soccer Analytics Students should be comfortable with mathematical derivations and scripting for data analysis. | W | 3 credits | 2G | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Soccer analytics refers to the use of data in tactical decision-making, strategic planning, and fan engagement in the context of association football. This course is first and foremost about data, problems, and methods. They are discussed, however, with reference to the broader context of measurement and data science in sports and society. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students gain insight into the role of data science in professional football. They learn about attempts to capture aspects of the beautiful game in observable data to inform tactical, strategic, and communicative decision-making. By appreciating difficulties that arise even in activities with highly regulated interactions such as team sports, they reflect on the use of data science in the study of collective behavior. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The content is organized into lectures with time for reflective discussions and a practical part, in which small teams use free software tools to gain first-hand experience in working with sports data. The following is a tentative overview of course contents, with exemplary aspects listed for each topic. A major element for each of the analytic topics are various forms of visualization such as timelines, step plots, scatterplots, density maps, shot maps, and networks. 1. Introduction - history of measurement and analytics in sports - laws of the game: equipment, space, time, players - data: master, match, event, tracking; sources, availability, uses 2. Scores - competitions: tournaments, leagues - ranking teams: coefficients, latent strengths - predicting results: odds, statistics 3. Individual Actions - running: heatmaps, pitch control - passing: packing, line breaking, crosses - shooting: expected goals & co. 4. Match Phases - set pieces, penalties, free kicks, etc. - possession, location, organization 5. Collective Behavior - formations: spatial distributions, proximity networks - attacking: possession value, positional play, passing networks - defending: (counter-)pressure, marking networks - team composition: plus/minus, interactions 6. Environment - recruitment: player profiles, transfer market, agents, salaries - governance: clubs, leagues, associations, confederations - engagement: attendance, merchandise, social media - simulation: robocup, esports, fantasy football - betting market Fair warning: This is the first edition of the course and it may be adjusted depending on interest and feedback. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Credits are awarded for active participation and a group project. To get the most out of the project, basic knowledge of programming languages such as python or R is advisable. Whether the course is offered again will be decided at the end of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-19L | Applied Generalized Linear Models Does not take place this semester. | W | 3 credits | 2V | to be announced | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Generalized linear models are a class of models for the analysis of multivariate datasets. This class subsumes linear models for quantitative response, binomial models for binary response, loglinear models for categorical data, Poisson models for count data. Models are presented and practised from a problem-oriented perspective. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course has a strong focus on the application of GLMs in the social, economic and behavioural sciences. Through the presentation and discussion of case studies and the analysis of a variety of data sets (e.g., demographic, social and economic data) using the software R, students will reflect on 1. the social phenomena and the research questions that can be investigated with GLMs 2. the theoretical and practical considerations that must be taken into account to apply GLMs in a rigorous way. By doing this, students will take away a broader perspective on the standard and unique challenges that the application of GLMs entails. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The following topics will be covered: * Introduction to generalized linear models * The general linear model: ANOVA and ANCOVA * Models for binary outcomes: logistic regression and probit models * Models for nominal outcomes: multinomial logistic regression and related models * Models for ordinal outcomes: ordered logistic regression and probit models * Models for count outcomes: Poisson and negative binomial models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture notes are distributed via the associated course moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | * Fox, John. (2016). Applied regression analysis and generalized linear models (Third ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. * Fox, John, & Weisberg, Sanford. (2019). An R companion to applied regression (Third ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. * Hosmer, David W, Lemeshow, Stanley, & Sturdivant, Rodney X. (2013). Applied logistic regression. Hoboken: Wiley. * Long, J. Scott. (1997). Regression models for categorical and limited dependent variables. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | A sound understanding of estimation methods, hypothesis testing and linear regression models (OLS) is required | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-07L | Open Debates in Social Network Research Number of participants limited to 30 | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Stadtfeld, A. Espinosa Rada, X. Xu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Social network research develops through contributions from many scientific disciplines. Among others, scholars of sociology, psychology, political science, computer science, physics, mathematics, and statistics have advanced theories and methods in this field - promoting multiple perspectives on important problems. We will put acclaimed (network) theories into perspective with current research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Research on social networks has developed as a highly interdisciplinary field. By the end of this seminar, students will be able to identify and compare different discipline- and subject-specific approaches to social network research (coming mostly from sociology and psychology). They will be familiar with recent publications in the field of social networks and be able to critically participate in a number of open debates in the field. Among others, these debates are centered around the types and measurement of social relations across different contexts, the importance of simple generative processes in shaping network structure, the role of social selection and influence mechanisms in promoting segregation and polarization. Learning Objectives: - Know the most relevant social network terminology and concepts - Know the most relevant sociological and psychological social network theories - Be able to develop meaningful social networks research questions - Be able to design your own social networks study - Critically examine empirical social networks research | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Social network research develops through contributions from many scientific disciplines. Among others, scholars of sociology, psychology, political science, computer science, physics, mathematics, and statistics have advanced theories and methods in this field - promoting multiple perspectives on important problems. We will critically examine acclaimed (network) theories of sociology and psychology and put them into perspective with current research. This course aims to present and structure open debates in social network research with a focus on social network processes, individual outcomes, and emergent phenomena. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0253-08L | Advanced Topics in Evidence-Based Design for Architecture Course requirements: Completion of the course Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design (851-0252-08L) | W | 3 credits | 2U | C. Hölscher, M. Gath Morad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students will gain advanced knowledge and practical hands-on experience with agent-based simulations and spatial analysis tools to evaluate hospital layouts from the perspective of end-users. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will build on their previous projects as part of the course “ Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design” (851-0252-08L). Students enrolled will participate in an international workshop with GSAPP at Columbia University Designing the post-pandemic hospital with evidence. for people. The course is funded by an ETH innvoedum project entitled cogARCH: linking cognition and architecture to design resilient hospitals architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||