Current Research Projects

Subjectivity, Culture, and Law in Times of Algorithmic Decentralisation (Habilitation)

The aim of my work is to establish a substantiated basis for assessing the disruptive potential of blockchain technology and AI through a cultural theoretical and philosophical discussion of the relationship between subject, technology, and institution. I critically examine the goals and ideals of blockchain technology and AI regarding their ideological entanglements and societal implications by positioning it within the broader context of Western techno-imaginary. I aim to reveal the blind spots of the dreams of proponents of these technologies and of the representations currently shaping our culture.

Virtual Ownership (Research project funded by the Institute of Advanced Studies at University of Luxembourg)

With the interdisciplinary research group Blockchain BRIDGES, I founded in early 2022 at the University of Luxembourg, we received funding to pursue our research on virtual ownership: What does it mean to be the owner of an asset when the assets or the environment in which the transaction that establishes ownership takes place are completely virtual? The aim of the project is to evaluate and elaborate the emancipatory potential of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) such as blockchains to create a more democratic and equitable version of ownership in the virtual space than the current commercialised model. 

April 7-8, 2025: Organisation of an international workshop to lay the groundwork for preparing a follow-up research project.

Blockchain and the Transformation of Justice (Research Group, EHESS Paris)

Together with Prof. Jean Lassègue (Director of Centre Georg Simmel, EHESS, Paris), I am working on a research project on the transformation of the concept of justice through so-called decentralised arbitration platforms. We aim to critically assess the latest blockchain developments in the legal field, such as mediator bots and other AI-blockchain intersections, and to develop solutions to harness their potential without falling into the traps of new, opaque power concentrations, bias, and corruption structures.

Technique – symbolique – pouvoir (Research Group with Former IEA Fellows)

In the research group I founded with Prof. Pierre Musso (Télécom ParisTech/University of Rennes) in 2019, former and current fellows of the IEA Nantes meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the dynamics between technology, symbolics and power. Currently, we focus on how conceptions and approaches to death evolve with technological progress.

Public Opinion (Research Series at the Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik)

Together with Prof. Gérard Raulet (Paris-Sorbonne, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme) and Prof. Christian Bermes (RPTU Landa) we have initiated a yearly conference series at the Inter-University Centre in Dubrovnik. We are exploring the necessity of symbolic means and mediation in political representation, emphasizing the dangers of radicalism that emerge from the trend towards direct democracy facilitated by new communication media. 

Research Collaborations

  • Since 01/2025: Active member of Critical Data Lab at Humboldt-University, led by Anna-Verena Nosthoff and Felix Maschewski
  • Since 09/2024: Active member of research group „Foundations of the philosophy of digitality„, led by Prof. Christoph Durt (TMU Munich). Monthly online meetings and discussions of foundational texts concerning AI and digitality. 
  • Since 02/2022: Founder and lead of the transdisciplinary and interfaculty research group: « Blockchain BRIDGES » at Uni.Lu discussion of blockchain-related topics with colleagues from the Computer Science, Philosophy, Economy, Law Department at University of Luxembourg
  • 01/2022 – 05/2024: Lead of research group: « Justice en ligne » with Prof. Jean Lassègue (CNRS) bi-monthly discussions with colleagues from the Centre Georg Simmel Paris and members of Kleros a blockchain startup for decentralised justice
  • Since 11/2019: Lead of research group: « Technique – symbolique – pouvoir » with Prof. Pierre Musso (Télécom ParisTech/University of Rennes) quarterly discussions with former fellows of the IEA and invited guests
  • 01/2018 – 06/2019: Conference series: « Formen ziviler und politischer Repräsentation. Eine Bestandsaufnahme auf der Grundlage der philosophischen Anthropologie und der Kritischen Theorie » together with Prof. Christian Bermes (University of Koblenz-Landau) and Prof. Gérard Raulet (University Paris-Sorbonne), October 2017 – June 2019.

Organisation of Conferences and Workshops

Planned:

  • International Conference at EHESS, Paris: « Algorithmic (Dis-)Orders: Law and Culture in Transition », in collaboration with Prof. Jean Lassègue, September 22-23, 2025.
  • Follow-up workshop at the Inter-University Centre of Dubrovnik on « Opinion. Public Opinion – The boundaries of representation. Law, language, myth » in collaboration with Prof. Christian Bermes (University of Koblenz-Landau) and Prof. Gérard Raulet (University Paris-Sorbonne), October 08-10, 2025.
  • Lecture series: « I Robot? Subjekt und Kultur im Spannungsfeld von Technologie und Imagination » together with Prof. Lena Steveker (Institute for English Studies, Uni.Lu) at the Doctoral School in Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 02-05/2025.

Completed:

  • Workshop on ‚Virtual Ownership. Assessing Ownership in the Digital Age, in the framework of the funded project VIRTOWN (Institute for Advanced Studies), University of Luxembourg, April 7-9, 2025.
  • Follow-up workshop at the Inter-University Centre of Dubrovnik on « Öffentliche Meinung und Distanz. Repräsentation und ‘Die Grenzen der Gemeinschaft’ » in collaboration with Prof. Christian Bermes (University of Koblenz-Landau) and Prof. Gérard Raulet (University Paris-Sorbonne), October 03-05, 2024.
  • « Digitalised public spaces and democracy » workshop at University of Luxembourg together with Prof. Till Dembeck and Dr. Johannes Pause, December 07, 2023.
  • « Opinion. Public Opinion » workshop at the Interuniversity Centre of Dubrovnik in collaboration with Prof. Christian Bermes (University of Koblenz-Landau) and Prof. Gérard Raulet (University Paris-Sorbonne), September 13-16, 2023.
  • « Technicité et symbolique » workshop with former fellows of the Institut d’Études Avancées in Nantes in collaboration with Prof. Pierre Musso, May 11-12, 2023.
  • « Blockchained Courts of Justice – Reality and Perspectives » workshop at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, in collaboration with Prof. Jean Lassègue, November 18, 2022.
  • « Blockchain governance: requirements vs pitfalls of decentralisation » workshop at the Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin, May 16, 2022.
  • « Structures de croyance des sociétés et technologies » workshop at the Institut d’Études Avancées, Nantes, in collaboration with P. Musso, November 7, 2019.
  • « Bindung – Bann – Verbindlichkeiten » University of Luxembourg (January 17-18, 2019) workshop in the context of the research project: « Formen ziviler und politischer Repräsentation. Eine Bestandsaufnahme auf der Grundlage der philosophischen Anthropologie und der Kritischen Theorie » together with Prof. Christian Bermes (University of Koblenz-Landau) and Prof. Gérard Raulet (University Paris-Sorbonne), October 2017 – June 2019.
  • Lecture Series « Zoom in on Europe: Culture Law Politics » together with Dr. Konstantinos Papastathis (Institute for political theory) University of Luxembourg, April 2017 – May 2018. (Invited guests: Hans-Ulrich Gumbrecht, Rainer Maria Kiesow, Michael Minkenberg.)
  • « Grenze.Entgrenzung » Workshop at the Centre Georg Simmel in Paris with colleagues from Centre Georg Simmel and the University of Luxembourg, November 19-20, 2018.

International Research Visits