Léonie Droste, M.A.

Personal information

• 2019– Doctoral Fellow, SNF Förderungsprofessur, Philosophisches Seminar, University of Zurich
• 2016–2019 MA studies in General Philosophy, LMU Munich
• 2017–2019 Student assisant, LMU Munich, Chair of Practical Philosophy and Ethics
• 2012–2016 BA in Philosophy, Language, Literature, Culture, LMU Munich
• 2005–2011 Studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
• 2002–2003 Visiting student in Philosophy and History of Art, University of Münster

Research interests

Moral philosophy, topics in applied ethics, especially family ethics and ethics of childhood, ethics in the context of political action

PhD project

Working title: Wert und Normativität von Geschwisterbeziehungen (The Value and Normativity of Sibling Relationships)

Main supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jörg Löschke (UZH)
Co-supervisors: Prof. Dr. Monika Betzler (LMU), Prof. Dr. Peter Schaber (UZH)

Unlike parent-child relationships and friendships, sibling relationships have so far received little philosophical attention. This is astonishing for several reasons: on the one hand, these relationships are often the longest relationships in our lives, which means that siblings know each other in totally different phases of development and life situations, and see each other as continuous factors in their own lives - often from childhood onwards into old age. In this way, siblings can bear witness to important life events in the life of the other and share common identity-forming narratives. Depending on circumstances, specific goods which are valuable for human life may be derived from this, whose occurrence depends on sibling relationshsips. On the other hand, a glance at cultural history shows us that we take sibling relationships to be normatively loaded in a certain way. Values such as solidarity and loyalty, but also the phenomenon of sibling rivalry, play a role here. One does not have to like one's siblings, and one does not have to share any interests with them, to explain to someone why one behaves in a certain way towards one's brother or sister: "He is my brother; she is my sister." - generally, this is a sufficient justification of special sympathy, a certain basic trust or even feelings of duty. But can rights and duties between siblings be defended from an ethical perspective? And do siblings thereby also stand in a particular normative relationship to third parties?