Moral for Wickedness

YouTube Premiere "From Kreisky's living room"

Philipp Blom in conversation with Alexander Somek
Moral for Wickedness

Moral reproaches hurt or annoy, especially when they come unexpectedly and from an ambush. Suddenly you are considered racist, sexist or even elitist. Thumbs are turned down and the crowd shouts »boo«. Joining in the chorus promises the participants a gain in status, because anyone who condemns others immediately joins the ranks of the good guys. But this goodness is perfidious. On closer inspection, the unwavering morality often proves to be malicious. It avoids giving reasons, rewards ducking and relies on the sheer power of the indignant. In terms of content, it cannot be generalised because it expects people to meet standards of behaviour that they do not have to meet. The malice of this morality must be understood and the law must be kept free from its influence.

In his book Morality as malice Alexander Somek, legal philosopher and critical analyst of the moral concepts of our time, deals with emotionally charged debates about gender, sexism, racism or discrimination, with the relationship between law and morality; he asks himself - and us - how the trend towards splitting into group identities affects the common good. And he asks how our moralising, consumption- and growth-oriented society is dealing with the social question and the pursuit of social justice.

Alexander Somek was born and raised in Vienna. Habilitation at the University of Vienna, first in philosophy of law (1992), then also in constitutional law (2001); Professor of Law at the College of Law of the University of Iowa; Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin; Visiting Professor at Princeton; Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics; since 2015 Professor of Philosophy of Law and Legal Methodology at the Faculty of Law of the University of Vienna.

Philipp Blom studied philosophy, history and Jewish studies in Vienna and Oxford. He lives as a writer and historian in Vienna and writes regularly for European and American magazines and newspapers.

Morality as malice. Studies in the philosophy of law was published by Mohr Siebeck in summer 2021. 202 pages, ISBN 978-3-16-160835-3, also available as an e-book.