Skip to main content
Foto von Dr. Hilkje Hänel
Photo: Hilkje Hänel

Dr. Hilkje Hänel

Please note: Currently, I'm interim professor in philosophy at Georg-August University Göttingen. 

Research:

I work mainly in political philosophy and epistemology, social and feminist philosophy, and applied ethics -- with a particular focus on the intersection of social and institutional injustices, epistemic oppression, recognition failures, social ontology, and marginalized agency under ideological and oppressive social structures. Further research interests are in philosophy of disability and chronic illness, migration ethics, and non-ideal theory.

I've studied philosophy at Georg-August University Göttingen, University of Sheffield, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I've taught philosophy classes at Humboldt Unibersity of Berlin, Freie University of Berlin, Potsdam University, Oldenburg University, and University of Oslo. I've also held the Helene Lange visiting professorship at the department of philosophy at Oldenburg University and a DFG-Walter-Benjamin grant at the department of philosophy as well as the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University. I've also worked as assistant professor/postdoc in political theory at Potsdam University (currently on leave) and in practical philosophy at Freie University in Berlin.

Since October 2021, I'm the principal investigator of a DFG-research network with sixteen international researchers on the topic of The Relation between Theories of Epistemic Injustice and Recognition Theory. I'm also an associate member of the Potsdam Center for Post-Kantian Philosophy as well as Ethics in Motion. Feminist Ethics and #MeToo (EMFEM) funded by the Icelandic Research Fund.

Publications:

I have published articles and books on the following topics: epistemic oppression and injustice, recognition theory, migration ethics, philosophy of disability and medical ethics, structural injustice and racism, responsibility and collective accountability, consent, philosophy of sex, rape and rape myths, sexist ideology, conceptual amelioration, non-ideal theory, and women in academia. My articles have appeared in European Journal of Philosophy, Ergo, Inquiry, Journal of Social Philosophy, Hypatia, Social Epistemology, Philosophy and Social Criticism, Theoria, Zeitschrift für Praktische Philosophie, Constellations and others.

I'm also the author of two public philosophy books: Wer hat Angst vorm Feminismus (C.H. Beck, 2001) and Sex und Moral (Metzler, Series #PhilosophieOrientiert, 2021). And I have just finished a book on epistemic injustices for de Gruyter (Grundthemen Philosophie, forthcoming April 2024).

Most of my papers and talks can be found on academia.edu or on philpapers.

I also have a homepage: hilkje-haenel.weebly.com

I'm corresponding editor of Transforming Political Philosophy (de Gruyter). The series' focus is on new and excellent work in political philosophy from marginalized philosophers and/or on marginal topics and theories; work that provides interesting and fruitful intersections of traditional and contemporary theories; and work that bridges Western political philosophy and other philosophies, particularly with an applied focus on global issues. The series is open both to theoretical as well as applied political and social philosophy.

I'm also co-editor of fem.phil Gegenwärtige Feministische Philosophie (Metzler). fem.phil is the first book series in contemporary feminist philosophy in Germany and is now accepting proposals for monographs, edited collections, conference proceedings, dissertations, and textbooks. And I'm co-editor of the Journal of Social Ontology.

Together with Mirjam Müller und Deborah Mühlebach, I’m organizing a Berlin-Potsdam Research Colloquium on Politically Engaged Philosophy (short: PEP). If you’re interested in joining, you can find all info here: https://www.philosophie.hu-berlin.de/de/lehrbereiche/feministische-philosophie/Veranstaltungen

New Publication: Hänel, Hilkje Charlotte. Epistemische Ungerechtigkeiten, De Gruyter, 2024.

Office Hours:

Please not that I’m currently on leave. Unless I’ve already agreed to supervise your work, I’m not available for any supervision at the moment. Please contact Philipp Dapprich in case you have questions.

E-Mail: hilkje.charlotte.haenel(Yy)uni-potsdam.de

Adresse: Universität Potsdam, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Professur für Politische Theorie, August-Bebel-Str. 89, 14482 Potsdam

Telefon: +49 331-977-3388

Foto von Dr. Hilkje Hänel
Photo: Hilkje Hänel