Michael W. Schmidt

Dr. Michael W. Schmidt

  • Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS)
    Postfach 3640
    76021 Karlsruhe

Current positions

Fields of work

  • Philosophy of mobility and mobility futures
  • Methodology (reflective equilibrium)
  • Epistemology (understanding as epistemic concept)
  • Political philosophy (John Rawls, public reason, human rights, utopianism)

On the internet

Author IDs:
ORCID

Scientific networks:
ResearchGate
PhilPeople

 

Professional background

seit 2020 Member of scientific staff at ITAS
2018 Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, KIT
2017 - 2018 Scientific staff, Department für Philosophie, KIT
2015 - 2017 Research assistant, Department für Philosophie, KIT
2014 - 2020 Doctoral student, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, KIT
2010 - 2012 Mentor for Europäische Kultur und Ideengeschichte, KIT

Selected publications

Schmidt, Michael W.
Das Überlegungsgleichgewicht als Lebensform: Versuch zu einem vertieften Verständnis der durch John Rawls bekannt gewordenen Rechtfertigungsmethode. Paderborn: Brill, Mentis, 2022.
doi: 10.30965/9783969752500

Brändle, Claudia; Schmidt, Michael W.
Autonomous Driving and Public Reason: A Rawlsian Approach. Philosophy & Technology, August 21, 2021.
doi: 10.1007/s13347-021-00468-1

Schmidt, Michael W.
Sidgwick, Reflective Equilibrium and the Triviality Charge. In: Utility, Progress, and Technology: Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies, edited by Michael Schefczyk and Christoph Schmidt-Petri, 247, 2021.
doi: 10.5445/IR/1000138085

Schmidt, Michael; Wendland, Michael (eds.)
Der wunderbare florentinische Geist. Einblicke in die Kultur und Ideengeschichte des Rinascimento. Karlsruhe: KIT Scientific Publishing, 2011.
doi: 10.5445/KSP/1000023908

Publications


2025
Journal Articles
Scheer, D.; Venghaus, S.; Sardo, S.; Stark, S.; Kuppler, S.; Schmidt, M. W.; Hoyer-Klick, C.
No easy way out: towards a framework concept of long-term governance
2025. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 15 (1), 9. doi:10.1186/s13705-025-00513-3 Full textFull text of the publication as PDF document 
2024
Conference Papers
Daun, K.; Bark, F.; Tateo, D.; Peters, J.; Heinlein, J.; Wendt, J.; Heidemann, N.; Kruijff-Korbayová, I.; Kohlbrecher, S.; Friedrich, J.; Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.; Hillerbrand, R.; von Stryk, O.
A Holistic Concept on AI Assistance for Robot-Supported Reconnaissance and Mitigation of Acute Radiation Hazard Situations
2024. 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Safety Security Rescue Robotic, New York, 12-14 November 2024., 40–45, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi:10.1109/SSRR62954.2024.10770059 
Presentations
Hillerbrand, R.; Milchram, C.; Schippl, J.; Schmidt, M. W.
Integrating Social and Ethical Aspects in Mobility Planning: A Capabilities Approach
2024. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology and the Society for Social Studies of Science: Conference Making and Doing Transformations (EASST/4S 2024), Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 16–19, 2024 
Scheer, D.; Venghaus, S.; Sardo, S.; Stark, S.; Kuppler, S.; Schmidt, M.; Hoyer-Klick, C.
A framework concept of Long-term Governance
2024. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology and the Society for Social Studies of Science: Conference Making and Doing Transformations (EASST/4S 2024), Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 16–19, 2024 
Schmidt, M. W.
The Right To Travel For Leisure and Education
2024. The Ethics of Travel, Tilburg University (2024), Tilburg, Netherlands, April 18–19, 2024 
Schmidt, M. W.; Milchram, C.
Integrating Stakeholder’s Conceptions of Fairness and Normative Reasoning: A Wide Reflective Equilibrium Approach
2024. Normative Political Theory and Empirical Research: Approaches, Methods and Challenges, Monash University Prato Centre (2024), Prato, Italy, February 1–2, 2024 
Posters
Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.
Systematizing Shared Values and Principles in AI Ethics and AI Law
2024, March. AI Ethics & Human-Computer Interaction Conference (2024), Graz, Austria, March 6–7, 2024 
2023
Journal Articles
Pilger, J.; Schmidt, M. W.
Jenseits von DABUS – Reflektionen zur Zukunft von KI-generierten Erfindungen im Patentrecht
2023. Mitteilungen der deutschen Patentanwaelte, 114 (12), 535–540 
Conference Papers
Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.; Hillerbrand, R.
Implementing AI Ethics in the Design of AI-assisted Rescue Robots
2023. 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Engineering, Science, and Technology (ETHICS), 1–1, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi:10.1109/ETHICS57328.2023.10155062 
Presentations
Benton, P.; Schmidt, M. W.
The Harm of Social Media to Public Reason
2023. ECPR General Conference 2023 (2023), Prague, Czechia, September 4–8, 2023 
Benton, P.; Schmidt, M. W.
The Harm of Social Media to Public Reason
2023. Forum on Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology (fPET 2023), Delft, Netherlands, April 19–21, 2023 
Brändle, C.; Schmidt, M. W.
The option of over-ruling autonomous vehicles’ decisions
2023. 23rd Biennial International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology: "Technology and Mobility" (SPT 2023), Tokyo, Japan, June 7–10, 2023 
Brändle, C.; Schmidt, M. W.
Two Rawlsian Ideas for Technology Assessment
2023. 21st Annual STS Conference : Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies (2023), Graz, Austria, May 8–10, 2023 
Frigo, G.; Düvel, E.; García-Portela, L.; Hillerbrand, R.; Milchram, C.; Poznic, M.; Schmidt, M. W.; Widyatmanto, J. N.
Current Issues in the Emerging Field of Normative Energy Ethics
2023. Helmholtz Energy Conference (2023), Koblenz, Germany, June 12–13, 2023 
Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.
Where Law and Ethics Meet: A Systematic Review of Ethics Guidelines and Proposed Legal Frameworks on AI
2023. International Conference on Computer Ethics: Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE 2023), Chicago, IL, USA, May 16–18, 2023 
Pilger, J.; Schmidt, M. W.
AI as Inventor? A patent system’s call for philosophy
2023. Forum on Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology (fPET 2023), Delft, Netherlands, April 19–21, 2023 
Schmidt, M. W.
Ethical Issues Concerning the International Trade of Autonomous Driving Technology
2023. Forum on Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology (fPET 2023), Delft, Netherlands, April 19–21, 2023 
Schmidt, M. W.
Ontology and the Acceptability of Autonomous Vehicles
2023. 23rd Biennial International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology: "Technology and Mobility" (SPT 2023), Tokyo, Japan, June 7–10, 2023 
Schmidt, M. W.
Formen des epistemologischen Kohärentismus
2023. Jahrestagung der WK WEW des VHB in Kooperation mit dem AK WPE der DGPhil (2023), Universität Bremen, March 24, 2023 
Posters
Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.
Discrepancies Between AI Regulation and Ethics: The case of well-being, beneficence and nonmaleficence
2023. CFP: Philosophy of AI (PhAI 2023), Erlangen, Germany, December 15–16, 2023 
Martin, D.; Schmidt, M. W.; Hillerbrand, R.
Implementing AI Ethics in the Design of AI-assisted Rescue Robots
2023. IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Engineering, Science, and Technology (ETHICS 2023), West Lafayette, IN, USA, May 18–20, 2023 
2022
Presentations
Frigo, G.; Milchram, C.; Poznic, M.; Schmidt, M.; Hillerbrand, R.
An Ethical Assessment of Digital Mobility Transitions: Perspectives from Care Ethics
2022. 5th European Technology Assessment Conference (ETAC5 2022), Karlsruhe, Germany, July 25–27, 2022 
Schmidt, M. W.
Reflective Equilibrium and Reasonable Comprehensive Doctrines
2022. Workshop: The Right and the Good in John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR), University of Pretoria, South Africa (2022), Online, October 4, 2022 
Schmidt, M. W.
The Conceptual Core of the Method of Reflective Equilibrium
2022. 11. GAP: Philosophie & Öffentlichkeit, Kongress der Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie (2022), Berlin, Germany, September 12–15, 2022 
Schmidt, M. W.; Milchram, C.
Wide Reflective Equilibrium meets social science: an approach to exploring stakeholder’s conceptions of justice in smart energy systems
2022. Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Research Conference (PIRC 2022), Leuven, Belgium, December 15–16, 2022 
2021
Conference Papers
Schmidt, M. W.
Sidgwick, Reflective Equilibrium and the Triviality Charge
2021. Utility, Progress, and Technology: Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies Ed.: M. Schefczyk, Michael [Hrsg.]; C. Schmidt-Petri, 247–258, KIT Scientific Publishing Full textFull text of the publication as PDF document 
Presentations
Brändle, C.; Schmidt, M. W.
Autonomous Driving and Public Reason: A Rawlsian Approach
2021. CEPE/IACAP Joint Conference: The Philosophy and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, (2021), Online, July 5–9, 2021 
Brändle, C.; Schmidt, M.
Autonomous Driving and Public Reason: A Rawlsian Approach
2021. Embedding AI in Society online symposium - part of the R. L. Rabb Science and Society Symposium (2021), Online, February 18–19, 2021 
Poznic, M.; Schmidt, M.
Understanding transport systems: Different perspectives on the Cologne Stadtbahn
2021. 22nd Biennial Meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Technology: Technological Imaginaries (SPT 2021), Online, June 28–30, 2021 
Rechnitzer, T.; Schmidt, M.
Reflective equilibrium is enough: Against the need for pre-selecting “considered judgments”
2021, June 11. 11th Braga Meetings on Ethics and Political Philosophy, organized by CEPS, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal (2021), Online, June 9–11, 2021 
Schmidt, M.
Highway Blues? Autonomous Driving, Hitchhiking & The Duty to Rescue
2021. Budapest Workshop on Philosophy of Technology (BudPT 2021), Budapest, Hungary, December 9–10, 2021