Institute of Social Ethics ISE

Empowering Humanity

The Institute of Social Ethics ISE undertakes research and teaching in social ethics aiming to contribute to innovative knowledge-based foundations for a world where human dignity and freedom are respected, and the planet is flourishing. This research and teaching include scientific reflection on the ethical dimension of social contexts, challenges, and issues. Institutions, structures, and systems are the focal point.

Within the framework of research and teaching, the ISE strives for research excellence and inspiring teaching and relies on a variety of methods as well as interdisciplinarity and takes the plurality of ethics into account.

On this scientific basis, the ISE is a dialogue partner for politics, business, civil society, and the media on a local, regional, national, and international level.

MA Ethics since HS 2023
More information

New Book: Ethics and the Digital Transformation of Human Work

Kirchschlaeger, Peter G. (2025): Ethics and the Digital Transformation of Human Work: The Society-, Entrepreneurship-, Research-Time Model (SERT), Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

“Peter G. Kirchschlaeger delivers an insightful exploration into the ethical dimensions of the digital transformation reshaping our workplaces. Through engaging analysis, he examines the disruptive impact of ‘artificial intelligence’ on human labor and offers a thought-provoking framework for society on how to embrace the opportunities of innovation while addressing its ethical challenges.” Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank

New Publication on Robotics and “AI” in Care

Kaiser-Duliba, Alexandra (2025): Personalisiert – Entpersonalisiert. Ethische Beurteilung des Einsatzes von Robotik und Künstlicher Intelligenz in der Pflege anhand des Personkonzepts von Paul Ricœur. Published in the series Ethik | Ethics, Baden-Baden.

German translation published

Kirchschlaeger, Peter G. (2024): Digitale Transformation und Ethik. Ethische Überlegungen zur Robotisierung und Automatisierung von Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft und zum Einsatz von «Künstlicher Intelligenz», Baden-Baden.
English edition

Ethical Decision-Making

Kirchschlaeger, Peter G. (2023): Ethical Decision-Making, Baden-Baden.
German edition

Ethical decision-making challenges us every day - be it in our private or professional lives, be it on an organisational or institutional level, be it in a political or economic context. The textbook encourages ethical decision-making with ease and argumentative elegance - in the following four steps (SAMBA):

  1. See and Understand the Reality
  2. Analyze the Reality from a Moral Standpoint
  3. Be the Ethical Judge!
  4. Act Accordingly!

Videoportrait of Prof. Dr. Peter G. Kirchschlaeger

What is right? What is good? Insight into Theological Ethics.

Professorship for Theological Ethics

Research and Teaching of Moral Theology and Social Ethics

South Africa and madagascar

Hans Kueng - Weltethos Lecture - Next event on November 30, 2026 with Gilda Sahebi

Contact

University of Lucerne
Institute of Social Ethics ISE
Frohburgstrasse 3
P.O. Box
6002 Lucerne
Switzerland

T +41 41 229 54 73 (Administration), Room 3.B42
ise@unilu.ch
Office hours: Monday to Friday, all day

Media Inquiries: T +41 41 229 52 27
(Melina Faeh, Coordinator Innovation & Communication)
Current information by email.
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