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Kant in the Morning, Contracts in the Afternoon
How I navigate two professional worlds as an academic philosopher and a business lawyer
When someone asks what I do for a living, I take a deep breath first. Because the short answer — “I work at a university in the field of Practical Philosophy and as a freelance business lawyer” — typically raises more questions than it answers.
“Practical Philosophy? Isn’t philosophy inherently impractical?” And: “How do these fit together — profound thinking and hard-nosed legal paragraphs?” Valid questions. Time for a behind-the-scenes look at my professional double life. Or: How to stitch together two different jobs, spanning both Germany and Switzerland.
Monday: Between moral dilemmas and contract clauses
The week begins with a ritual: coffee and calendar check. My inbox is filled with messages from students with existential questions about their bachelor’s thesis and research for the upcoming seminar (which they must organize themselves), an urgent request for a lengthy article on labor law, and invitations to meetings. Fortunately digital since Covid.
In the morning, I lead a project session on Ethics and AI with a group of more or less enthusiastic students. We discuss whether…
