Johannes Nickl

I am a Doctoral Student and CEPPA Postgraduate Member at the University of St Andrews where I work on my PhD thesis in Philosophy. In my thesis, I wish to shed new light on Kant's conception of conscience and explore the systematic role it plays within his ethical theory (I am supervised by Jens Timmermann and Simon Hope).
I was born in 1991 and studied Philosophy, German, and French Studies in Passau and Vienna. After completing my BA and MA studies and obtaining my First State Exam, I worked for two years as a Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the University of Passau at the Chair of Philosophy (Michael-Thomas Liske) before coming to St Andrews in 2019. I spent the academic year 2020/21 as a Visiting Scholar at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität in Jena (hosted by Andrea Marlen Esser).
My main philosophical interests lie in the field of Kant’s ethics. My current research is focused on his conception of conscience, the role he attaches to moral feelings, the demandingness of imperfect duties (such as beneficence, gratitude, and sympathetic participation), and the question of whether it is plausible to have moral obligations to oneself. Moreover, I have a keen research interest in Ancient Philosophy as well as the philosophy of German Idealism. My further interests include topics in ethical theory, media ethcis, and epistemology.

PhD thesis: Kant's Conception of Conscience
Supervisors: Jens Timmermann, Simon Hope

Areas of Specialisation:
Kant and Kant's Ethics
Areas of Competence:
Ancient Philosophy, German Idealism, Ethical Theory, Media Ethics, Epistemology.

Education:
- BA European Studies (Major: Philosophy, Minor: French Studies) (University of Passau)
- BA Philosophy (University of Vienna)
- MA Text and Culture Semiotics (University of Passau)
- Teacher Training (First State Exam/ Erstes Staatsexamen für Lehramt Gymnasium) (German, French, Philosophy/Ethics) (University of Passau)