Frodo Podschwadek
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Frodo Podschwadek is currently working as Research Associate with a focus on Research Software Engineering / Current Research Information Systems at the Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz, where he is involved in the development of software systems used by the German NFDI4Culture project.

Whenever time permits, he is also working on topics of social and political philosophy, with a strong focus on liberalism, democracy, and their intersection with areas like education, technology, and migration. He is also interested in normative ethics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of artificial intelligence.

In 2025, he is organising a panel on the challenges for democracy in the 21st century at TfPP2025.

Publications

Articles

  • Journal cover: Philosophy & Technology

    From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles: The Implication of Boredom-Induced Social Media Use for Individual Autonomy

    Philosophy & Technology

    04/2024

    publisher link
  • Journal cover: Moral Philosophy and Politics

    Inoculation Against Populism: Media Competence Education and Political Autonomy

    Moral Philosophy and Politics

    09/2019

    publisher link
  • Journal cover: Artificial Intelligence and Law

    Do Androids Dream of Normative Endorsement? On the Fallibility of Artificial Moral Agents

    Artificial Intelligence and Law

    09/2017

    publisher link

Books

  • Book cover: Die Erziehung der Vernünftigen: Politischer Liberalismus und öffentliche Bildung

    Die Erziehung der Vernünftigen: Politischer Liberalismus und öffentliche Bildung

    01/2023

    Springer VS Cham

    publisher link
  • Book cover: Educating the Reasonable: Political Liberalism and Public Education

    Educating the Reasonable: Political Liberalism and Public Education

    10/2021

    Springer

    publisher link

Chapters

  • Book cover: Handbuch Philosophie und Migration

    Grenzkontrollen und digitale Grenzregime

    Handbuch Philosophie und Migration

    (forthcoming)

  • Book cover: Handbuch Philosophie der Digitalität

    Virtuelle Realität und Politische Philosophie

    Handbuch Philosophie der Digitalität

    07/2025

    publisher link
  • Book cover: Handbuch Philosophie und Armut

    Migration und Armut

    Handbuch Philosophie und Armut

    03/2021

    publisher link

Miscellaneous

  • Teaser image: From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles

    From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles

    Recording of impulse talk at PhiDOS Second International Meeting

    14/04/2022

    publisher link
  • Teaser image: Das moralische Übel der Genfer Flüchtlingskonvention

    Das moralische Übel der Genfer Flüchtlingskonvention

    Contribution to the philosophy blog prae|faktisch

    07/2021

    publisher link

Work

Academic

  • Research Associate

    Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz

    11/2021 – now

    Research associate for digital humanities with a focus on research software engineering and current research information systems.

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant

    University of Glasgow

    09/2015 – 05/2016

    Teaching undergraduate tutorial seminars for modules in practical philosophy (ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of religion).

  • Teaching Assistant

    University of Hamburg

    05/2011 – 07/2013

    Teaching tutorials as part of the introductory modules for political philosophy and ethics.

Professional

  • Company Director

    The Mechanical Butterfly Ltd.

    01/2015 – 11/2021

    Owner of and developer for The Mechanical Butterfly Ltd.

  • Freelance Programmer

    01/2005 – 12/2014

    Freelance full-stack developer for various clients.

Education

  • PhD Philosophy

    University of Glasgow

    20142018

  • MA Philosophy

    University of Hamburg

    20112013

  • BA Philosophy / Media and Communication Science

    University of Hamburg

    20082011

  • Night school courses to obtain German A-level equivalent (Abitur)

    Abendschule Vor dem Holstentor (Hamburg)

    20042007

Talks

  • Nudging for Democracy: Political Virtues in Times of AI

    University of Passau

    25/09/2025

  • Playing Politics: On the Non-Instrumental Value of Democracy in Virtual Game Worlds

    University of Glasgow

    12/07/2025

  • Playing Politics: On the Non-Instrumental Value of Democracy in Virtual Game Worlds

    University of Passau

    20/09/2024

  • Data Rights Beyond Borders: The Case for a Liberal Approach to Transnational Data Justice

    ETH Zurich

    13/09/2023

  • Data Rights Beyond Borders: The Case for a Liberal Approach to Transnational Data Justice

    University of Salzburg

    02/06/2023

  • 'Niemand schreibt ein Buch allein' – ChatGPT in den Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften

    Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz

    08/05/2023

  • Ein Liberalismus der öffentlichen Vernunft für Nicht-Bürger:innen

    Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz

    14/02/2023

  • Knowing How to Know in the Public Sphere: Media Competence and Democratic Equality

    Paris Institute of Political Studies

    28/11/2022

  • Ethics for Digital Humanists

    Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz

    12/10/2022

  • From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles

    University of Salzburg

    30/09/2022

  • From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles

    University of St. Andrews

    10/07/2022

  • From Boredom to Authenticity Bubbles

    PhiDOS Second International Meeting

    14/04/2022

  • Langeweile und Authentizitätsblasen

    Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz

    08/02/2022

  • Public Reason for Non-Citizens

    Ruhr-University Bochum

    29/10/2019

  • Poverty, Assimilation, and Justice

    University of Salzburg

    19/09/2019

  • Respect for Simulated Persons [cancelled due to illness]

    University of Vienna

    14/02/2018

  • Public Reason for Non-Citizens

    Manchester Centre for Political Theory

    12/09/2017

  • Inoculation Against Populism: Media Competency and Political Autonomy

    University of Salzburg

    17/11/2017

  • Inoculation Against Populism: Media Competency and Political Autonomy

    University of Sheffield

    28/06/2017

  • Inoculation Against Populism: Media Competency and Political Autonomy

    LMU Munich

    26/08/2017

  • Academic Philosophy - An Expensive Taste

    University of Glasgow

    06/02/2017

  • No Endorsement Without Error: Why Full Artificial Moral Agents Must Be Fallible

    Jagiellonian University

    18/11/2016

  • Public Reason and the Limits of Responsibility

    University of Salzburg

    30/09/2016

  • Public Reason and the Limits of Responsibility

    University of Salzburg

    30/09/2016

  • Public Reason and the Limits of Responsibility

    Manchester Centre for Political Theory

    08/09/2016

  • Blurred Lines: Ethical and Political Autonomy in Political Liberal Education

    Warburg-Haus, Hamburg

    21/04/2016

  • How Playing Violent Video Games Can Make Us Better Citizens

    University of Westminster

    21/11/2015

  • How Playing Violent Video Games Can Make Us Better Citizens

    University of Pavia

    09/09/2015