Hans Köchler
Encyclopedia
Hans Köchler is a professor
of philosophy
at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
, and president of the International Progress Organization
, a non-governmental organization
in consultative status with the United Nations
. In his general philosophical outlook he is influenced by Husserl
and Heidegger
, his legal thinking has been shaped by the approach of Kelsen. Köchler has made major contributions to phenomenology and philosophical anthropology
and has developed a hermeneutics of trans-cultural understanding that has influenced the discourse on the dialogue of civilizations, particularly as regards the relations between Islam
and the West. His research in political and legal philosophy—combined with his involvement with the UN—has resulted in a fundamental critique of the state-centered international system and in specific proposals for the democratization of the United Nations Organization and for a viable system of international criminal justice
.
Köchler has long worked on the philosophical basis of international relations
. He came to prominence in the world of international politics when he was nominated by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
as an observer at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
.
and established contacts with leading European intellectuals and philosophers such as Manès Sperber
, Hans-Georg Gadamer
and Rudi Supek
of the Praxis school
who he invited to his lecture series that he organized from 1969 onwards. At the beginning of the 1970s, he had joined the team around Otto Molden
, the founder of the European Forum Alpbach
. These were his formative philosophical years; he initially developed an interest in existential philosophy, transcendental philosophy and phenomenology. In particular, he undertook an epistemological critique of Husserl's transcendental idealism] and interpreted Heidegger's philosophy of Being in the sense of social critique, opening up—in the Cold War
era—a dialogue with humanist philosophers of the Praxis school
in Yugoslavia
and in Czechoslovakia
. As a doctoral student, he also had met in Alpbach with Ernst Bloch
, Arthur Koestler
and Karl Popper
.
In 1972, Köchler graduated at the University of Innsbruck with a doctor degree in philosophy
(Dr. phil.) with highest honours ("sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae"). In the years following his graduation he expanded his scholarly interest to philosophy of law and later political philosophy. Since the early 1970s he has been promoting the idea of inter-cultural dialogue which—since the last decade—has become known under the slogan of dialogue of civilizations. Köchler first outlined his hermeneutical philosophy of dialogue
and his concept of cultural self-comprehension in lectures at the University of Innsbruck (1972) and at the Royal Scientific Society in Amman
, Jordan
, in March 1974 and discussed that notion in a tour around the world (March–April 1974) for which he got support and encouragement from Austrian Foreign Minister Rudolf Kirchschläger
(later to become President of Austria
) and in the course of which he met with intellectuals and political leaders on all continents. Among his interlocutors were Yussef el-Sebai, Minister of Culture of Egypt
, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, Minister of Education, Social Welfare and Culture of India
, Prince Subhadradis Diskul of Thailand
, Charoonphan Israngkul Na Ayudhya, Foreign Minister of Thailand
, Prof. Ida Bagus Mantra
, Director-General for Culture of Indonesia
, and the President of Senegal
, Léopold Sédar Senghor
. In recognition of his contribution to the dialogue among civilizations he received an honorary doctor degree (Doctor of Humanities honoris causa) from the Mindanao State University
(Philippines
) (2004).
In 1982 he was appointed as University Professor
of Philosophy (with special emphasis on Political Philosophy
and Philosophical Anthropology
) at the University of Innsbruck. Since 1990 he has served as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). At his University, Professor Köchler also has acted as Chairperson of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Working Group for Sciences and Politics) since 1971; he was a member of the Doctoral Grants Committee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2000–2006) and is Life Fellow—since 2010 Co-President—of the International Academy for Philosophy. Since 2010 he is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Indian Yearbook of International Law and Policy.
Additional professorships: -- Visiting Professor at the University of Malaya
, Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia (1998). -- Visiting Professorial Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
, Manila
(since 2004). -- Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Pamukkale University, Turkey
(since 2008).
Köchler is the recipient of numerous honours and awards such as the History Medal of the Austrian College Society; the award "Apostle of International Understanding" (Unity International Foundation, India); the Honorary Medal of the International Peace Bureau
(Geneva); the Honorary Medal of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
; the Royal Datoship of the Sultanate of Marawi (Muslim Mindanao); the Medal of David the Invincible by the Armenian Philosophical Academy. On 18 October 2003 the Hans Koechler Political and Philosophical Society was established in the Philippines.
, within the framework of the International Society for Phenomenology. He published the first comment articles on the future Pope's anthropological conception. During the 1980s he engaged in a critique of legal positivism (Philosophie—Recht—Politik, 1985) and developed a theory according to which human rights are the basis of the validity of international law (Die Prinzipien des Völkerrechts und die Menschenrechte, 1981). He also dealt with the applicability of democracy in inter-state relations (Democracy in International Relations, 1986). Legal theory led him to questions of political philosophy, and in particular a critique of the representative paradigm of democracy. During the 1990s Köchler got increasingly involved in questions of world order
-- including the role and philosophical foundations of civilizational dialogue—and in what he has called the dialectic relationship between power
and law
. On the basis of these reflections, he made major proposals for the reform of the United Nations Organization, in particular the Security Council, and for a comprehensive system of international criminal justice.
Köchler's bibliography contains more than 380 books, reports and scholarly articles in several languages (Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Spanish, Serbo-Croat, Turkish). His publications deal with issues of phenomenology, existential philosophy, anthropology, human rights, philosophy of law, theory of international law, international criminal law, United Nations reform, theory of democracy, etc. He acts as editor of the series Studies in International Relations (Vienna), Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Innsbruck), and as member of the Editorial Board of the international academic journal Hekmat va Falsafeh (Wisdom and Philosophy), published by the Philosophy Department of Allameh Tabatabaii University
, Iran
.
Köchler has served in several committees and expert groups dealing with issues of international democracy, human rights and development such as the Research Network on Transnational Democracy sponsored by the European Commission
; the Council of Europe
's Expert Group on Democratic Citizenship (1998–2000); and the Asia-Europe Foundation
’s expert meeting on Cultural, Religious and Social Conceptions of Justice in Asia & Europe (Singapore
, 2004).
(I.P.O.), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations
and with a membership in over 70 countries, representing all continents. He was the founder and Secretary-General (1973-1977) of Euregio Alpina (Study Group for the Alpine Region), a transnational planning structure for the Alpine region and predecessor of the new concept of the "Euro Regions" in the framework of the European Union
. During the 1970s and 1980s Köchler participated in the international phenomenological movement and organized several conferences and colloquia on the phenomenology of the life-world; he was the organizer of the Eighth International Phenomenological Conference in Salzburg (1980) and is the co-founder of the Austrian Society of Phenomenology.
Other activities or functions:
-- Coordinator of the International Committee for Palestinian Human Rights (ICPHR) (1988-);
-- co-founder of the European Ombudsman Institute (1988);
-- Vice-Chairman of the Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy and Chairman of the Society's Editorial Board, Vienna (1991–2004);
-- member of the Board, NGO Committee on Development at the United Nations Center in Vienna (1994-);
-- member of the Advisory Council of the International Movement for a Just World (Malaysia) (1997-);
-- convenor (Austria) of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) (1997–2004);
-- member of the International Advisory Panel of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue at the University of Malaya
(Kuala Lumpur) (1997-200);
-- member of the International Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic United Nations
, Germany (2003-);
-- member of the International Advisory Board of the "Youth for the Alliance of Civilizations," an initiative of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (2007-).
Hans Köchler is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
.
co-operation, democracy
, human rights
, terrorism
, and conflict resolution
, among them the "International Conference on the European Vocation of the Alpine Region" in Innsbruck (1971), which initiated transborder co-operation in Europe and the development towards the "Euro Regions" within the EU; the "International Conference on the Question of Terrorism" in Geneva (1987); and the "Second International Conference On A More Democratic United Nations" (CAMDUN-2) at the Vienna headquarters of the United Nations (1991). In 1996 he acted as Chairman of the final session and co-ordinator of the Drafting Committee of the "International Conference on Democracy and Terrorism" in New Delhi. In March 2002 he delivered the 14th Centenary Lecture at the Supreme Court of the Philippines on "The United Nations, the International Rule of Law and Terrorism." On 1 September 2004 he delivered the Foundation Day Speech at Mindanao State University
, Islamic City of Marawi, on "The Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of World Order."
Through his research and civil society initiatives, Professor Köchler made major contributions to the debate on international democracy and United Nations reform, in particular reform of the Security Council. This was acknowledged by international figures such as the German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel
in 1993. In 1985, he organized the first colloquium on "Democracy in International Relations" on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations in New York. With Irish Nobel Laureate Seán MacBride
he initiated the Appeal by Lawyers against Nuclear War, which set in motion an international campaign that eventually led to a General Assembly resolution and the issuing of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. As President of the I.P.O. he dealt with the humanitarian issues of the exchange of prisoners of war between Iran and Iraq and with the issue of Kuwaiti POWs and missing people in Iraq. Since 1972, UN Secretaries-General in their statements subsequently acknowledged Professor Köchler's contribution to international peace.
In the framework of his activities as President of the International Progress Organization, he co-operated with numerous international figures such as the Founder President of Senegal
, Léopold Sédar Senghor, on the issue of civilizational dialogue; Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan
and Cardinal Franz König
of Austria on Islamic-Christian understanding; Leo Mates, Secretary-General of the first Non-Aligned summit in Belgrade in 1961, on the principles and future of the non-aligned movement
(NAM); Field Marshal Abdul Rahman Sowar el-Dahab, former Head of State of Sudan
, on matters of POW exchange and international humanitarian law; Indian President Gyani Zail Singh
on issues of international peace; and Sir Thomas Dalyell
, former British MP and "Father of the House of Commons," in the case of the criminal investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
.
During the Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
, he wrote in a commentary: "In his lecture preaching the compatibility of reason and faith, Benedict XVI, the scholar, deliberately overlooks the fact that the insights of Greek philosophy – its commitment to the λόγος – have been brought to medieval Christian Europe by the great Muslim thinkers of the Middle Ages. What he calls the 'encounter between the Biblical message and Greek thought' ... was, to a large extent, the result of the influence of Muslim philosophers – at a time when European Christians were totally ignorant of classical Greek philosophy."."
Köchler is also an outspoken critic of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
and has condemned its inception and practice by citing provisions of international law.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and president of the International Progress Organization
International Progress Organization
The International Progress Organization is a Vienna-based think tank dealing with world affairs. As an international non-governmental organization it enjoys consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is associated with the United Nations Department of...
, a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
in consultative status with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. In his general philosophical outlook he is influenced by Husserl
Edmund Husserl
Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl was a philosopher and mathematician and the founder of the 20th century philosophical school of phenomenology. He broke with the positivist orientation of the science and philosophy of his day, yet he elaborated critiques of historicism and of psychologism in logic...
and Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
, his legal thinking has been shaped by the approach of Kelsen. Köchler has made major contributions to phenomenology and philosophical anthropology
Philosophical anthropology
Philosophical anthropology is a discipline dealing with questions of metaphysics and phenomenology of the human person, and interpersonal relationships. It is the attempt to unify disparate ways of understanding behaviour of humans as both creatures of their social environments and creators of...
and has developed a hermeneutics of trans-cultural understanding that has influenced the discourse on the dialogue of civilizations, particularly as regards the relations between Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and the West. His research in political and legal philosophy—combined with his involvement with the UN—has resulted in a fundamental critique of the state-centered international system and in specific proposals for the democratization of the United Nations Organization and for a viable system of international criminal justice
International criminal law
International criminal law is a body of international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetration. Principally, it deals with genocide, war crimes, crimes against...
.
Köchler has long worked on the philosophical basis of international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. He came to prominence in the world of international politics when he was nominated by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
as an observer at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000, 11 years, 4 months and 13 days after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988...
.
Formation and academic career
In his student years Hans Köchler was actively involved as a Board Member of the European Forum AlpbachEuropean Forum Alpbach
The European Forum Alpbach is an annual event that takes place in August in the Tyrolean village of Alpbach, Austria. Similar to the World Economic Forum in Davos, politicians, academics, students, and decision makers from all areas come together to discuss and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to...
and established contacts with leading European intellectuals and philosophers such as Manès Sperber
Manès Sperber
Manès Sperber was an Austrian-French novelist, essayist and psychologist. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Jan Heger and N.A. Menlos....
, Hans-Georg Gadamer
Hans-Georg Gadamer
Hans-Georg Gadamer was a German philosopher of the continental tradition, best known for his 1960 magnum opus, Truth and Method .-Life:...
and Rudi Supek
Rudi Supek
Rudi Supek was a Croatian sociologist and a member of the Praxis School of Marxism.Supek studied philosophy in Zagreb and graduated in 1937. He went to study clinical psychology in Paris, where he was when World War II erupted...
of the Praxis school
Praxis School
The Praxis school was a Marxist humanist philosophical movement. It originated in Zagreb and Belgrade in the SFR Yugoslavia, during the 1960s.Prominent figures among the school's founders include Gajo Petrović and Milan Kangrga of Zagreb and Mihailo Marković of Belgrade...
who he invited to his lecture series that he organized from 1969 onwards. At the beginning of the 1970s, he had joined the team around Otto Molden
Otto Molden
Prof. Otto Molden was an Austrian publicist, federalist and author of various books about European identity and history. He founded the European Forum Alpbach in 1945.-Early life:...
, the founder of the European Forum Alpbach
European Forum Alpbach
The European Forum Alpbach is an annual event that takes place in August in the Tyrolean village of Alpbach, Austria. Similar to the World Economic Forum in Davos, politicians, academics, students, and decision makers from all areas come together to discuss and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to...
. These were his formative philosophical years; he initially developed an interest in existential philosophy, transcendental philosophy and phenomenology. In particular, he undertook an epistemological critique of Husserl's transcendental idealism] and interpreted Heidegger's philosophy of Being in the sense of social critique, opening up—in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era—a dialogue with humanist philosophers of the Praxis school
Praxis School
The Praxis school was a Marxist humanist philosophical movement. It originated in Zagreb and Belgrade in the SFR Yugoslavia, during the 1960s.Prominent figures among the school's founders include Gajo Petrović and Milan Kangrga of Zagreb and Mihailo Marković of Belgrade...
in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. As a doctoral student, he also had met in Alpbach with Ernst Bloch
Ernst Bloch
Ernst Bloch was a German Marxist philosopher.Bloch was influenced by both Hegel and Marx and, as he always confessed, by novelist Karl May. He was also interested in music and art . He established friendships with Georg Lukács, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Theodor W. Adorno...
, Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler CBE was a Hungarian author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria...
and Karl Popper
Karl Popper
Sir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
.
In 1972, Köchler graduated at the University of Innsbruck with a doctor degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
(Dr. phil.) with highest honours ("sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae"). In the years following his graduation he expanded his scholarly interest to philosophy of law and later political philosophy. Since the early 1970s he has been promoting the idea of inter-cultural dialogue which—since the last decade—has become known under the slogan of dialogue of civilizations. Köchler first outlined his hermeneutical philosophy of dialogue
Philosophy of dialogue
Philosophy of dialogue is a type of philosophy based on the work of the Austrian-born Jewish philosopher Martin Buber best known through its classic presentation in his 1920s little book I and Thou...
and his concept of cultural self-comprehension in lectures at the University of Innsbruck (1972) and at the Royal Scientific Society in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, in March 1974 and discussed that notion in a tour around the world (March–April 1974) for which he got support and encouragement from Austrian Foreign Minister Rudolf Kirchschläger
Rudolf Kirchschläger
Rudolf Kirchschläger was an Austrian diplomat, politician, judge and, from 1974 to 1986, the eighth President of Austria.-Education and early life:...
(later to become President of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) and in the course of which he met with intellectuals and political leaders on all continents. Among his interlocutors were Yussef el-Sebai, Minister of Culture of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, Minister of Education, Social Welfare and Culture of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Prince Subhadradis Diskul of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Charoonphan Israngkul Na Ayudhya, Foreign Minister of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Prof. Ida Bagus Mantra
Ida Bagus Mantra
-External links:* World Statesmen - Pusat Data & Analisi...
, Director-General for Culture of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and the President of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...
. In recognition of his contribution to the dialogue among civilizations he received an honorary doctor degree (Doctor of Humanities honoris causa) from the Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University is a public coeducational institution of higher education located in the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines...
(Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) (2004).
In 1982 he was appointed as University Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Philosophy (with special emphasis on Political Philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
and Philosophical Anthropology
Philosophical anthropology
Philosophical anthropology is a discipline dealing with questions of metaphysics and phenomenology of the human person, and interpersonal relationships. It is the attempt to unify disparate ways of understanding behaviour of humans as both creatures of their social environments and creators of...
) at the University of Innsbruck. Since 1990 he has served as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). At his University, Professor Köchler also has acted as Chairperson of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Working Group for Sciences and Politics) since 1971; he was a member of the Doctoral Grants Committee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2000–2006) and is Life Fellow—since 2010 Co-President—of the International Academy for Philosophy. Since 2010 he is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Indian Yearbook of International Law and Policy.
Additional professorships: -- Visiting Professor at the University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia (1998). -- Visiting Professorial Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines commonly known as PUP is a public research university in the Philippines. It was founded on October 19, 1904 as the Manila Business School, offering commerce-related courses...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
(since 2004). -- Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Pamukkale University, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(since 2008).
Köchler is the recipient of numerous honours and awards such as the History Medal of the Austrian College Society; the award "Apostle of International Understanding" (Unity International Foundation, India); the Honorary Medal of the International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910....
(Geneva); the Honorary Medal of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines commonly known as PUP is a public research university in the Philippines. It was founded on October 19, 1904 as the Manila Business School, offering commerce-related courses...
; the Royal Datoship of the Sultanate of Marawi (Muslim Mindanao); the Medal of David the Invincible by the Armenian Philosophical Academy. On 18 October 2003 the Hans Koechler Political and Philosophical Society was established in the Philippines.
Research
During the 1970s, he co-operated with Cardinal Karol Wojtyła of Kraków, later to become Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, within the framework of the International Society for Phenomenology. He published the first comment articles on the future Pope's anthropological conception. During the 1980s he engaged in a critique of legal positivism (Philosophie—Recht—Politik, 1985) and developed a theory according to which human rights are the basis of the validity of international law (Die Prinzipien des Völkerrechts und die Menschenrechte, 1981). He also dealt with the applicability of democracy in inter-state relations (Democracy in International Relations, 1986). Legal theory led him to questions of political philosophy, and in particular a critique of the representative paradigm of democracy. During the 1990s Köchler got increasingly involved in questions of world order
World order
- International relations :* The international system, which includes:** International relations , or International studies , the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system...
-- including the role and philosophical foundations of civilizational dialogue—and in what he has called the dialectic relationship between power
Power (sociology)
Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. On the basis of these reflections, he made major proposals for the reform of the United Nations Organization, in particular the Security Council, and for a comprehensive system of international criminal justice.
Köchler's bibliography contains more than 380 books, reports and scholarly articles in several languages (Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Spanish, Serbo-Croat, Turkish). His publications deal with issues of phenomenology, existential philosophy, anthropology, human rights, philosophy of law, theory of international law, international criminal law, United Nations reform, theory of democracy, etc. He acts as editor of the series Studies in International Relations (Vienna), Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Innsbruck), and as member of the Editorial Board of the international academic journal Hekmat va Falsafeh (Wisdom and Philosophy), published by the Philosophy Department of Allameh Tabatabaii University
Allameh Tabatabaii University
Allameh Tabatabai University , is a public university in Tehran, Iran, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Köchler has served in several committees and expert groups dealing with issues of international democracy, human rights and development such as the Research Network on Transnational Democracy sponsored by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
; the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
's Expert Group on Democratic Citizenship (1998–2000); and the Asia-Europe Foundation
Asia-Europe Foundation
The Asia-Europe Foundation is an international, non-profit organization based in Singapore that was established in 1997 by the countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting...
’s expert meeting on Cultural, Religious and Social Conceptions of Justice in Asia & Europe (Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, 2004).
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Köchler is the Founder and President (since 1972) of the International Progress OrganizationInternational Progress Organization
The International Progress Organization is a Vienna-based think tank dealing with world affairs. As an international non-governmental organization it enjoys consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is associated with the United Nations Department of...
(I.P.O.), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and with a membership in over 70 countries, representing all continents. He was the founder and Secretary-General (1973-1977) of Euregio Alpina (Study Group for the Alpine Region), a transnational planning structure for the Alpine region and predecessor of the new concept of the "Euro Regions" in the framework of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. During the 1970s and 1980s Köchler participated in the international phenomenological movement and organized several conferences and colloquia on the phenomenology of the life-world; he was the organizer of the Eighth International Phenomenological Conference in Salzburg (1980) and is the co-founder of the Austrian Society of Phenomenology.
Other activities or functions:
-- Coordinator of the International Committee for Palestinian Human Rights (ICPHR) (1988-);
-- co-founder of the European Ombudsman Institute (1988);
-- Vice-Chairman of the Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy and Chairman of the Society's Editorial Board, Vienna (1991–2004);
-- member of the Board, NGO Committee on Development at the United Nations Center in Vienna (1994-);
-- member of the Advisory Council of the International Movement for a Just World (Malaysia) (1997-);
-- convenor (Austria) of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) (1997–2004);
-- member of the International Advisory Panel of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue at the University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
(Kuala Lumpur) (1997-200);
-- member of the International Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic United Nations
Committee for a Democratic UN
The Committee for a Democratic UN, or KDUN , is a nongovernmental organization based in Berlin and founded in 2003 that advocates the "democratization and strengthening of the United Nations and other international organizations" .-Goal:KDUN's mandate includes the goal "to facilitate a cosmopolitan...
, Germany (2003-);
-- member of the International Advisory Board of the "Youth for the Alliance of Civilizations," an initiative of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (2007-).
Hans Köchler is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Berlin. Founded in 1999 by Mark Donfried, its activities focus on promoting and developing the field of cultural diplomacy by conducting research, initiatives and programs, holding...
.
International impact
Köchler has been the organizer of major international conferences in the fields of transnationalInternational
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
co-operation, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, and conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
, among them the "International Conference on the European Vocation of the Alpine Region" in Innsbruck (1971), which initiated transborder co-operation in Europe and the development towards the "Euro Regions" within the EU; the "International Conference on the Question of Terrorism" in Geneva (1987); and the "Second International Conference On A More Democratic United Nations" (CAMDUN-2) at the Vienna headquarters of the United Nations (1991). In 1996 he acted as Chairman of the final session and co-ordinator of the Drafting Committee of the "International Conference on Democracy and Terrorism" in New Delhi. In March 2002 he delivered the 14th Centenary Lecture at the Supreme Court of the Philippines on "The United Nations, the International Rule of Law and Terrorism." On 1 September 2004 he delivered the Foundation Day Speech at Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University is a public coeducational institution of higher education located in the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines...
, Islamic City of Marawi, on "The Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of World Order."
Through his research and civil society initiatives, Professor Köchler made major contributions to the debate on international democracy and United Nations reform, in particular reform of the Security Council. This was acknowledged by international figures such as the German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel
Klaus Kinkel
Klaus Kinkel is a German civil servant, lawyer, and politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Federal Minister of Justice , Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany in the government of Helmut Kohl. He was also chairman of the liberal Free Democratic Party from 1993...
in 1993. In 1985, he organized the first colloquium on "Democracy in International Relations" on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations in New York. With Irish Nobel Laureate Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
he initiated the Appeal by Lawyers against Nuclear War, which set in motion an international campaign that eventually led to a General Assembly resolution and the issuing of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. As President of the I.P.O. he dealt with the humanitarian issues of the exchange of prisoners of war between Iran and Iraq and with the issue of Kuwaiti POWs and missing people in Iraq. Since 1972, UN Secretaries-General in their statements subsequently acknowledged Professor Köchler's contribution to international peace.
In the framework of his activities as President of the International Progress Organization, he co-operated with numerous international figures such as the Founder President of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Léopold Sédar Senghor, on the issue of civilizational dialogue; Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Cardinal Franz König
Franz König
Franz König was an Austrian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958...
of Austria on Islamic-Christian understanding; Leo Mates, Secretary-General of the first Non-Aligned summit in Belgrade in 1961, on the principles and future of the non-aligned movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
(NAM); Field Marshal Abdul Rahman Sowar el-Dahab, former Head of State of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, on matters of POW exchange and international humanitarian law; Indian President Gyani Zail Singh
Zail Singh
Giani Zail Singh was an Indian politician and member of the Congress Party. He served as the seventh President of India.His term was marked by Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He died of injuries in 1994 after a car accident.-Early Life:He...
on issues of international peace; and Sir Thomas Dalyell
Tam Dalyell
Sir Thomas Dalyell Loch, 11th Baronet , known as Tam Dalyell, is a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005, first for West Lothian and then for Linlithgow.-Early life:...
, former British MP and "Father of the House of Commons," in the case of the criminal investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
The investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 began at 19:03 on December 21, 1988 when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The perpetrators had intended the plane to crash into the sea, destroying any traceable evidence, but the late departure...
.
During the Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
The Regensburg lecture was delivered on 12 September 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany, where he had once served as a professor of theology. It was entitled "Glaube, Vernunft und Universität — Erinnerungen und Reflexionen"...
, he wrote in a commentary: "In his lecture preaching the compatibility of reason and faith, Benedict XVI, the scholar, deliberately overlooks the fact that the insights of Greek philosophy – its commitment to the λόγος – have been brought to medieval Christian Europe by the great Muslim thinkers of the Middle Ages. What he calls the 'encounter between the Biblical message and Greek thought' ... was, to a large extent, the result of the influence of Muslim philosophers – at a time when European Christians were totally ignorant of classical Greek philosophy."."
Köchler is also an outspoken critic of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
and has condemned its inception and practice by citing provisions of international law.
Major works
- Die Subjekt-Objekt-Dialektik in der transzendentalen Phänomenologie. Das Seinsproblem zwischen Idealismus und Realismus. (Monographien zur philosophischen Forschung, vol. 112.) Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1974.
- Skepsis und Gesellschaftskritik im Denken Martin Heideggers. Monographien zur philosophischen Forschung, vol. 158. Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1978.
- Philosophie – Recht – Politik. Abhandlungen zur politischen Philosophie und zur Rechtsphilosophie. Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik an der Universität Innsbruck, vol. 4. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1985.
- (ed.) The Principles of Non-Alignment. London: Third World Centre, 1982.
- Phenomenological Realism. Selected Essays. Frankfurt a. M./Bern: Peter Lang, 1986.
- Politik und Theologie bei Heidegger. Politischer Aktionismus und theologische Mystik nach "Sein und Zeit." Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik an der Universität Innsbruck, vol. 7. Innsbruck: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik, 1991.
- Democracy and the International Rule of Law. Propositions for an Alternative World Order. Selected Papers Published on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1995.
- Neue Wege der Demokratie. Demokratie im globalen Spannungsfeld von Machtpolitik und Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1998.
- Manila Lectures 2002. Terrorism and the Quest for a Just World Order. Quezon City (Manila): FSJ Book World, 2002.
- Global Justice or Global Revenge? International Criminal Justice at the CrossroadsGlobal Justice or Global RevengeGlobal Justice or Global Revenge? International Criminal Justice at the Crossroads is a book by Austrian philosopher Hans Köchler, who was appointed by the United Nations as observer of the Lockerbie bombing trial in the Netherlands...
. Philosophical Reflections on the Principles of the International Legal Order Published on the Occasion of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Foundation of the International Progress Organization. SpringerScience. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 2003. -- Indian edition published by the Indian Society of International Law. New Delhi: Manak Publications, 2005. -- Turkish edition: Istanbul: Manak, 2005. -- Arabic edition: Casablanca: Top Édition, 2011.
- (Arabic) ١ﻠﻣﺳﻠﻤٯ ن ﻭ ١ﻠﻐﺮﺐ : من ﺍﻟﺼﺮﺍع إﻟﻰ ﺍﻠﺤوﺍﺮ (The Muslims and the West: From Confrontation to Dialogue). Casablanca, Morocco: TOP Edition, 2009.
- World Order: Vision and Reality. Collected Papers Edited by David Armstrong. Studies in International Relations, Vol. XXXI. New Delhi: Manak, 2009.
- Global Justice or Global Revenge? The ICC and the Politicization of International Criminal Justice in International Criminal Law and Human Rights, Manoj Kumar Sinha (ed.) (Manak Publications, New Delhi, 2010)
- The Security Council as Administrator of Justice? Reflections on the Antagonistic Relationship between Power and Law. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2011.
Heidegger
- Der innere Bezug von Anthropologie und Ontologie. Das Problem der Anthropologie im Denken Martin Heideggers. Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1974. (German)
- Skepsis und Gesellschaftskritik im Denken Martin Heideggers. Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1978. (German)
- Politik und Theologie bei Heidegger. Politischer Aktionismus und theologische Mystik nach "Sein und Zeit." Innsbruck: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik, 1991. (German)
- "God in the Thought of Martin Heidegger," in: S. A. Matczak (ed.), God in Contemporary Thought. A Philosophical Perspective. A Collective Study. New York: Learned Publications; Louvain: Editions Nauwelaerts; Paris: Beatrice-Nauwelaerts, 1977, pp. 751-773.
- "Da li je Heideggerova fundamentalna ontologija odgovara drustvenim normama? U vezi s pitanjem sustavne valorizacije njegova nacionalsocijalistickog angazmana," in: Godišnjak za povijest filozofije, Zagreb, vol. 7 (1989), pp. 147-162 (special issue Heidegger I suvremeno mišljenje). (Croatian)
- "Il concetto di essere in Heidegger e l’interrogativo sul dio personale,” in: Hugo Ott and Giorgio Penzo (eds.), Heidegger e la teologia. Atti del Convegno tenuto a Trento l'8-9 febbraio 1990. Brescia: Morcelliana, 1995, pp. 25-41. (Italian)
- "Heideggers Konzeption des Subjekts auf dem Hintergrund seiner Ontologie," in: R. L. Fetz, R. Hagenbüchle, P. Schulz (eds.), Geschichte und Vorgeschichte der modernen Subjektivität, Vol. II. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 1998, pp. 1058-1072. (German)
- "Heidegger’in ontolojisinde süje kavrami," in: Felsefe Dünyasi, Ankara, vol. 29, no. 1 (1999), pp. 3-11. (Turkish)
Dialogue of civilizations
- Cultural-philosophical Aspects of International Cooperation. Lecture delivered at the Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan, 9 March 1974. Published in: Studies in International Cultural Relations, II. Vienna: I.P.O., 1978.
- Muslim-Christian Ties in Europe: Past, Present and Future. Lecture delivered at the Second International Seminar on Civilizational Dialogue, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2 September 1996.
- Philosophical Foundations of Civilizational Dialogue. Lecture delivered at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 15 September 1997. I.P.O., Occasional Papers Series No. 3, 1997.
- The Clash of Civilizations Revisited. Lecture at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, 8 June 1998. Google Print: Civilizations - Conflict or Dialogue?, 1999
- After September 11: Clash of Civilizations or Dialogue? Lecture delivered at the University of the Philippines (UP), Manila, Philippines, 11 March 2002. UP Forum Online
- The Dialogue of Civilizations: Philosophical Basis, Political Dimensions and the Relevance of International Sporting Events. Lecture delivered at the FIFA World Cup Roundtable, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1 June 2002.
- The Dialogue of Civilizations: Philosophical Basis, Current State and Prospects. Lecture delivered at the invitation of the Asia-Europe Foundation and the Danish Youth Council in Hillerød, Denmark, on 22 September 2002. Asia Europe Journal, Vol. 1, No. 3 (August 2003)
- The "Clash of Civilizations": Perception and Reality in the Context of Globalization and International Power Politics. Lecture delivered at the invitation of the International Black Sea University in Tbilisi, Georgia, 30 September 2004.
- The Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of World Order. The 43rd MSU Foundation Day Address delivered at Mindanao State University, Philippines, 1 September 2004. Mindanao Journal, Vol. XXVIII (2005)
- Civilization as Instrument of World Order? The Role of the Civilizational Paradigm in the Absence of a Balance of Power. Lecture delivered at the International Symposion on "Civilizations and World Orders," Istanbul, Turkey, 13 May 2006, in: Future Islam, New Delhi, July/August 2006.
- Religion, Reason and Violence: Pope Benedict XVI and Islam. International Progress Organization, Information Service, 16 September 2006.
International terrorism
- Opening speech by the President of the I.P.O., in: Hans Köchler (ed.), Terrorism and National Liberation. Frankfurt a.M./Bern/New York: Peter Lang, 1988, pp. 11–14.
- (Initiator) The Baku Declaration on Global Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence Among Nations and the Threats posed by International Terrorism. International Progress Organization. Baku, Azerbaijan, 9 November 2001.
- The United Nations, International Rule of Law and Terrorism, in: The Supreme Court Centenary Lecture Series. I: July 2000 – June 2001; II. September 2001 – June 2002. Manila: Supreme Court of the Philippines / Philippine Judicial Academy, 2002, pp. 550–571.
- The "Clash of Civilizations," the Problem of Terrorism and Strategies Towards Peaceful Co-existence Among Nations, in: ASEM Youth Dialogue on Globalisation, 19–22 September 2002, Hillerød, Denmark. Conference Presentations.
- The War on Terror, its Impact on the Sovereignty of Nations, and its Implications for Human Rights and Civil Liberties. International Ecumenical Conference on Terrorism in a Globalized World, organized by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Conference in Asia (Manila, 25 September 2002).
- Las Naciones Unidas, el imperio internacional del derecho y el terrorismo. Conferencia centenaria. Suprema Corte de Filipinas y Academia Judicial de Filipinas. Manila, 12 de Marzo del 2002. Occasional Papers Series, No. 7. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2003. (Spanish)
- Manila Lectures 2002. Terrorism and the Quest for a Just World Order. Quezon City, Manila: FSJ Book World, 2002.
- Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. Towards a Comprehensive Approach. I.P.O. Online Papers, at www.i-p-o.org, 2003.
- The United Nations and International Terrorism: Challenges to Collective Security. Lecture delivered at the Shanghai Center for International Studies, 15 November 2002. I.P.O. Research Papers. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2004.
- Global War on Terror and the Metaphysical Enemy. Lecture delivered at Universiti Sains MalaysiaUniversiti Sains MalaysiaUniversiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
, PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaysia, 13 December 2007.
United Nations reform
- The Voting Procedure in the United Nations Security Council. Examining a Normative Contradiction and its Consequences on International Relations. Studies in International Relations, XVII. Vienna: International Progress Organization, Wien 1991.
- The United Nations Security Council and the New World Order, in: Frank Barnaby (ed.), Building A More Democratic United Nations. Proceedings of the First International Conference on a More Democratic UN. London: Cass, 1991, pp. 238–245.
- The United Nations and the New World Order. Philosophical Reflections, in: Hans Köchler (ed.), The United Nations and the New World Order. (Studies in International Relations, XVIII.) Vienna: International Progress Organization, 1992, pp. 7–21.
- Democracy and the International Rule of Law. Propositions for an Alternative World Order. Selected Papers Published on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1995.
- The United Nations Sanctions Policy and International Law. Penang, Malaysia: Just World Trust (JUST), 1995. -- Arabic version: . Vienna: Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy, 1997.
- The United Nations and International Democracy: The Quest for UN Reform. Studies in International Relations, XXII. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 1997.
- Self-Determination as a Means of Democratization of the United Nations & the International System, in: Y. N. Kly and D. Kly (eds.), In Pursuit of the Right to Self-determination. Collected Papers & Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Right to Self-determination & the United Nations, Geneva 2000. Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2001, pp. 133–142.
- Quo Vadis, United Nations?, in: Law Review, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Law, May 2005, pp. 49-65.
- The United Nations Organization and Global Power Politics. The Antagonism Between Power and Law and the Future of World Order, in: Chinese Journal of International Law], Vol. 5, No. 2 (2006), pp. 323-340.
- Security Council Reform: A Requirement of International Democracy. Lecture delivered at the Center for the Study of Federalism (CSF), Turin, Italy, 8 June 2007.
Commentaries on Köchler's works
- Peut-on parler d'un "scepticisme" heideggérien? Emilio Brito, Heidegger et l'hymne du sacré. Leuven: Leuven University Press / Uitgeverij Peeters, 1999, pp. 615-621. (French)
- Hans Köchler. Global Justice or Global Revenge. International Criminal Justice at the Crossroads. REVIEW. Quezon City, Metro Manila: H. Koechler Political and Philosophical Society, 2004.
- The Great Power Balance, the United Nations and What the Framers Intended: In Partial Response to Hans Köchler. C.L. Lim in: Chinese Journal of International Law (2007), pp. 1-22.
Publications about Hans Köchler
- [Biographical sketches of the members of the International Academy for Philosophy]: "Hans Köchler," in: News and Views, No. 13 (November 2006). Yerevan (Armenia)/Athens (Greece)/Berkeley (USA): International Academy for Philosophy, 2006, pp. 46-53.
- Fatemah Remedios C. Balbin (ed.), Hans Köchler Bibliography and Reader. Quezon City, Metro Manila: Hans Koechler Political and Philosophical Society & Foundation for Social Justice, 2007. ISBN 978-3-900719-04-3
- Marie-Luisa Frick and Andreas Oberprantacher (eds.), Power and Justice in International Relations: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges. (Essays in Honour of Hans Köchler.) Farnham (Surrey), UK: Ashgate, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7546-7771-0
Köchler's major international conferences
- Die europäische Aufgabe der Alpenregion [The European Vocation of the Alpine Region] -- Innsbruck, Austria, 2–3 June 1971
- Österreich und die EWG [Austria and the European Economic Community] -- Innsbruck, Austria, 2–3 June 1972
- The Cultural Self-comprehension of Nations—in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Innsbruck, Austria, 27–29 July 1974
- The Legal Aspects of the Palestine Problem with Special Regard to the Question of Jerusalem—Vienna, Austria, 5–7 November 1980
- The Concept of Monotheism in Islam and Christianity—Rome, Italy, 17–19 November 1981
- The Principles of Non-alignment – The Non-aligned Countries in the Eighties: Results and Perspectives -- BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, 4–6 May 1982 - The New International Information and Communication Order – Basis for Cultural Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence among Nations—in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, 26–27 October 1984 - Democracy in International Relations—organized on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations Organization, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA, 31 October 1985 - The Crisis of Representative Democracy -- GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, 15–17 November 1985 - The Question of Terrorism—Geneva, Switzerland, 19–21 March 1987
- Second International Conference On A More Democratic United Nations (CAMDUN-2) -- United Nations Office at Vienna, Austria, 17–19 September 1991
- Islam and the West - The Conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina and its Implications for a New World Order—Vienna, Austria, 25 November 1993
- Civilizations: Conflict or Dialogue? -- in co-operation with the Departments of Philosophy and American Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, 8 June 1998
- The Challenges of Globalization—University of MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 18–19 March 1999 - Transplantationsmedizin und personale Identität [Transplantation Medicine and Personal Identity] -- University of Innsbruck, Austria, 15 March 2000
- ¿Cómo democratizar la democracia? [How to Democratize Democracy?] -- in co-operation with Simón Bolívar University, CaracasCaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, 7–8 November 2000 - Human and Peoples’ Rights in International Relations—in co-operation with Myongji University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 25 October 2001
- The United Nations and International Power Politics: The Future of World Order—in co-operation with International Human Rights Association of American Minorities and East-West University, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Ill., USA, 5 June 2004 - The Use of Force in International Relations: Challenges to Collective Security—University of Innsbruck, Austria, 22 June 2005
- The "Global War on Terror" and its Implications for Muslim-Western Relations—Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia / Malaysia Science University, PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaysia, 13–14 December 2007
Interviews
- Le Soleil, Dakar, Senegal, 27 April 1974 (French)
- Politika Express, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 31 August 1981 (Serbo-Croat)
- Sächsische Zeitung, Dresden, Germany, 3 January 1992 (German)
- Excelsior, Mexico D.F., 16 November 1992 (Spanish)
- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 19 November 1994
- Al-Zaman, Biweekly, Rabat, Morocco, 20 June - 3 July 1997 (Arabic)
- The Statesman, New Delhi, India, 6 March 1998
- Korea Plus, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1 June 2005 (Korean)
- "Reforming the United Nations Organisation: philosophical and practical underpinnings," in: Global Change, Peace & Security, Vol. 21, Issue 2 (June 2009), pp. 257–267.
Media
- Abendzeitung, Munich, Germany, 24 July 1974 (German)
- Zeitschrift für Direkte Demokratie, No. 4/1998 (German)
- The Times, London, UK, 9 April 2001
- Al-Ahram Weekly, Cairo, Egypt, 21-27 March 2002
- Reformatorisch Dagblad, Apeldoorn, Netherlands, 14 June 2003 (Dutch)
- Morgunblađiđ, Reykjavík, Iceland, 18 August 2003 (Icelandic)
- Afriqia al-jadidah, Tripoli, Libya, September 2003 (Arabic)
- Frontline. India's National Magazine, Vol. 21, Issue 05, Feb. 28 - March 12, 2004
- Cumhuriyet, Istanbul, Turkey, 29 April 2004 (Turkish)
- Manila Bulletin, Manila, Philippines, 28 September 2004
- Global Policy Forum, New York, USA, 2 April 2005
- University of Hong Kong, Centre for Comparative and Public Law, Hong Kong, P. R. China, 23 May 2005
- The Hindu. India's National Newspaper, 10 January 2006
- Scotland on Sunday, Edinburgh, 5 March 2006
- Baztab, Tehran, Iran, 19 September 2006 (in Persian)
- Chinese Journal of International Law, Vol. 6/2, 10 June 2007
- The Scotsman, Edinburgh, 7 July 2007
- University of Innsbruck, Austria, 29 October 2007 (German)
- Maghreb Canada Express, Montreal, Vol. 6, No. 6, June 2008 (French)
- Le Matin, Casablanca, Morocco, 11 February 2009 (French)
- Deutsche Welle - World, Berlin, Germany, 13 July 2009
- Mainstream Weekly, New Delhi, India, 12 June 2010
- BBC News, 22 July 2010
External links
- Hans Köchler web site
- Hans Köchler's faculty page at the University of Innsbruck
- Hans Köchler at the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations"
- Hans Köchler's observer mission at the Lockerbie trial in the Netherlands
See also
- Hans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer missionHans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer missionHans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer mission stemmed from the dispute between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Libya concerning arrangements for the trial of two Libyans accused of causing the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988.The dispute was resolved on...
- Global Justice or Global Revenge?Global Justice or Global RevengeGlobal Justice or Global Revenge? International Criminal Justice at the Crossroads is a book by Austrian philosopher Hans Köchler, who was appointed by the United Nations as observer of the Lockerbie bombing trial in the Netherlands...