Matthias Flatscher

Matthias Flatscher is Professor and Chair of Practical Philosophy (Chair II) at the Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Würzburg. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions across Europe and beyond, including teaching positions at the universities of Vienna, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, St. Gallen, Basel, Freiburg im Breisgau, and Hagen, as well as Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok. His research has been conducted at notable archives and institutions including the Brenner Archive, Husserl Archive, Goethe University Frankfurt, Free University of Berlin, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the Institute for the History of Philosophy at Emory University.

Flatscher's research focuses on the intersection of practical philosophy, philosophy of language, and political theory, with particular emphasis on discourses of responsibility, violence, solidarity, responsiveness, and alterity. His work draws extensively on phenomenological, post-structuralist, and critical theories, as well as contemporary radical democratic theory and conceptions of word-taking. His scholarly approach is characterized by a commitment to examining ethical and political dimensions through the lens of alterity, with significant contributions to understanding how language constitutes political subjectivity and social relations.

Analysis of Flatscher's recent publications reveals a consistent engagement with critical political theory, particularly focusing on radical democracy, political institutions, and the relationship between philosophical concepts and contemporary political challenges. His work demonstrates a sophisticated dialogue between continental philosophy (especially Heidegger, Derrida, Levinas) and contemporary political thought (Habermas, Rancière). Key thematic trends include the critique of post-truth phenomena, border regimes and democracy, sovereignty and political institutions, and the ethical implications of language and literature in political contexts. His scholarship consistently bridges theoretical philosophical inquiry with concrete political analysis.

Flatscher serves in several significant editorial and organizational roles: he is a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Martin Heidegger Letters issue, serves on the Editorial Boards of Heidegger Studies and GENEALOGY+CRITIQUE, and is a founding member of the Critical Theories Network. He has co-organized important academic events including the conference "Transformations of the Political" and the interdisciplinary forum .UND., and currently serves as Vice President and Secretary General of the Austrian Society for Phenomenology.

As an educator, Flatscher has developed and taught numerous courses covering practical philosophy, theories of justice, violence, solidarity, radical democratic theory, and philosophical works by Hegel, Wittgenstein, Arendt, and Derrida. His academic contributions extend to textbook authorship, including co-authoring "Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten im Philosophiestudium" (3rd edition, 2021) and "Einführung in die Sprachphilosophie" (2nd edition, 2018), which have become important resources for philosophy students. His scholarly network includes significant collaborations with researchers across Europe, particularly with Sergej Seitz, with whom he has co-authored multiple publications addressing critical theory, phenomenology, and political philosophy.