Thorsten Helfer

thorsten.helfer(at)uni-saarland.de
Bldg. A2 3, Room 0.21,
Tel. +49 (0)681 302-2351

Interests

Currently, I am particularly interested in theories of well-being, value theory, normativity and rationality. In my PhD thesis I investigate whether Desire-Satisfactionism of well-being requires desires that are somehow idealized, and how this concept of idealization should be constructed in order to get an adequate theory of well-being. Desire-Satisfactionism holds that the satisfaction of desires is what constitutes well-being. But this cannot be true of all desires. I might want to eat a peanut butter sandwich even though, unknowingly, I have just developed a severe peanut allergy. The satisfaction of this desire certainly does not seem to contribute to my well-being. So, these actualised versions of Desire-Satisfactionism seem to be extensionally inadequate. Considerations like this here led philosophers to the view that we need some idealisation of our epistemic position. If we go to one extreme, we could say that only those desires are relevant for my well-being that I would have in the case of full idealisation – after obtaining knowledge of all relevant facts and fully representing them to myself. Such idealised versions of Desire-Satisfactionism have been heavily criticized for the strength of their idealisation. The process of idealisation seems to be unclear; under certain circumstances these theories seem to clash with the resonance constraint and they might be extensionally inadequate as well. Thus both options – no idealisation and heavy idealisation – seem to be problematic for Desire-Satisfactionsm. At first view, all other positions in between fall prey to the same objections as the maximally idealised views or are hopelessly ad hoc. My plan for the first part of my PhD thesis is to shed more light on this topic of idealisation, and to investigate if there is an adequate version of Desire-Satisfactionism that can circumvent these problems. A second part will deal with concepts of desires. It is astonishing to see that only few proponents of Desire-Satisfactionism give any analysis for the concept of desires at all. There are certain concepts of desire that are less plausible as a foundation for Desire-Satisfactionism and even for, on the first view, very promising proposals there appear similar problems with idealisation. I investigate what concept of desire leads to the most plausible version of Desire-Satisfactionism.

Furthermore, my area of interest includes metaethics, population ethics and metaphilosophy. I also have a keen interest in logical positivism and empiricism, and the practical philosophy of Immanuel Kant and David Hume.

Biography

• 08/2018 – present: Research Fellow, Saarland University, Department of Philosophy, Lehrstuhl für praktische Philosophie, Prof. Christoph Fehige und Prof. Ulla Wessels
• 04/2016 – present: PhD Student, Saarland University, Department of Philosophy, Lehrstuhl für praktische Philosophie, Prof. Christoph Fehige und Prof. Ulla Wessels
• 08/2019 – 12/2019: Visiting Scholar, University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Philosophy
• 03/2018 – 07/2018: Researcher Fellow (substitution for parental leave), Saarland University, Department of Philosophy, Lehrstuhl für praktische Philosophie, Prof. Christoph Fehige und Prof. Ulla Wessels
• 09/2016 - 12/2016 and 09/2017 - 02/2018 –  Research Assistant, Saarland University, Department of Philosophy
• 07/2015: M.A., Philosophy, University of Konstanz. Thesis: »Purely Implicit Reasons and Prudential Hedonism«
• 05/2015 – 04/2016 Research Assistant, University of Konstanz, Zukunftskolleg
• 05/2013: B.A., Philosophy, University of Konstanz. Thesis: »Moral und Ästhetik – Eine Untersuchung über die Zusammenhänge am Beispiel von Jesse Prinz«
• 10/2012 – 07/2016: (Student) Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Konstanz, Department of Philosophy

Awards

• 12/2015: »VEUK Preis« for an extraordinary Master of Arts degree in philosophy by the Verein der ehemaligen der Universität Konstanz
• 12/2013: »VEUK Preis« for an extraordinary Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy by the Verein der ehemaligen der Universität Konstanz

Presentations

• Talk, XXV Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Philosophie, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, September 2021
• Commentary on “Hidden Desires: A Unified Strategy for Defending the Desire-Satisfaction Theory” by Xiang Yu, 13th Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, University of Colorado, Boulder, August 2020
• “Hedonism and the Object View”, Humboldt University, Research Colloquium (Prof. Kirsten Meyer), June 2020
• “Vagueness of Desires (in Well-Being)”, Saarland University, Workshop in Practical Philosophy, May 2020
• “Hedonism and the Object View”, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe – Saarbrücken Colloquium of Philosophy, February 2020
• “Philosophische Dimensionen des Klimawandels”, Filmhaus Saarbrücken, Ringvorlesung KlimaKrise KlimaSchutz, January 2020
• “Hedonism and the Object View”, University of Colorado, Boulder, Center for Values and Social Policy, October 2019
• “There is Still Hope for the Resonance Constraint”, Saarland University, Workshop in Practical Philosophy, May 2019
• “The Resonance Constraint of Well-Being”, Saarland University, Workshop in Practical Philosophy, November 2018
• “Two Dilemmas for Desire-Fulfilment Theories”, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 15th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies, July 2018
• “A Pleasure-Based Concept of Desire and Desire-Fulfilment in Well-Being”, University of Konstanz, Research Colloquium (Early Lunch Philosophy), February 2018
• “A Pleasure-Based Concept of Desire and Desire-Fulfilment in Well-Being”, Saarland University, Workshop in Practical Philosophy, January 2018
• “Between Intuitions: The Satisfaction Requirement in Desire-Theories of Well-Being”, Saarland University, Research Colloquium, May 2017
• “Satisfaction Requirement Reconsidered”, Saarland University, Workshop in Practical Philosophy, July 2016
• “Two Kinds of Naturalism and Hare's Property of the Good”, University of Konstanz, Research Colloquium (Prof. Dina Emundts), November 2014
• “Moral und Ästhetik – Eine Untersuchung über die Zusammenhänge am Beispiel von Jesse Prinz”, University of Konstanz, Research Colloquium (Prof. Dina Emundts), January 2013

Teaching

• “Food Ethics“ Saarland University, Summer Term 2021
• “Berühmte Argumente der Philosophie des Geistes” (Famous Arguments in the Philosophy of Mind) Saarland University, Winter Term 2020
• "Das Gute Leben - Theorien des Wohlergehens" (The Good Life - Theories of Well-Being) Saarland University, Summer Term 2020
• “Klimaethik” (Climate Ethics) Saarland University, Winter Term 2019
• “Die Wiege der Analytischen Philosophie: Logischer Positivismus und Empirisimus” (The Cradle of Analytic Philosophy: Logical Positivism and Empiricism) Saarland University, Summer Term 2019
• “Lernwerkstatt Gleichheit und Differenz: Pädagogische Praxis und philosophische Theorie der demokratischen Schule” Saarland University, Summer Term 2019
• “Immanuel Kant: Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten” (Groundworks of the Metaphysics of Morals) Saarland University, Winter Term 2018
• “Lernwerkstatt Gleichheit und Differenz: Pädagogische Praxis und philosophische Theorie der demokratischen Schule” Saarland University, Summer Term 2018
• “Handlungsgründe und Wünsche” (Reasons and Desires) Saarland University, Summer Term 2018
• “Wohlergehen, Wünsche und Lust: ein Lektüreseminar” (Well-Being, Desires and Pleasure) Saarland University, Winter Term 2017

Conference Organisation

• “Karlsruhe – Saarbrücken Colloquium of Philosophy” (with Daniel Oster), Saarland University, February 2022 (coming up)
• “Workshop on Welfare” (WOW) (with Jonas Harney), Saarland University, July 2021 (coming up)
• »Karlsruhe – Saarbrücken Colloquium of Philosophy« (with Jonas Harney), February 2019
• As research assistant: »Neo-Kantian Perspectives on the Exact Sciences« by Francesca Biagioli and Marco Giovanelli, University of Konstanz, January 2016
• As research assistant: »Im Zweifel für den Zweifel? – Neue Arbeiten zum Skeptizismus« (Contemporary Works on Skepticism) by Jochen Briesen, University of Konstanz, December 2012

Voluntary Engagement and Membership

• Member of the Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie e.V. (German Society for Analytic Philosophy)
• Member of the Gesellschaft für Utilitarismusstudien e.V. (German Society for Utilitarian Studies)
• Member of the Scientists for Future Saarland
• Member of the Saarländischer Landesverband der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Demokratiepädagogik (German Society for Pedagogy of Democracy)