Robert Spaemann

Robert Spaemann (born 5 May 1927) is a German Roman Catholic philosopher.

Born in Berlin in 1927, Spaemann studied at the University of Münster, where, in 1962, he was awarded his "Habilitation". He was Professor of Philosophy at the Universities of Stuttgart (until 1968), Heidelberg (until 1972), and Munich, where he worked until his retirement ("Emeritierung") in 1992. He is also "Honorar-professor" at Salzburg University.

Spaemann is a conservative philosopher whose focus is on Christian ethics. He is known for his work in bioethics, ecology, and human rights. Although not yet widely translated into languages other than his native German, Spaemann in considered to be one of the most important virtue ethicists alive today, and his work is highly regarded by his native countryman Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger). His 1989 seminal work "Glück und Wohlwollen" (Happiness and Benevolence) sets forth a thesis that happiness is derived from benevolent acting: that we are created by God as social beings to help one another find truth and meaning in an often confused and disordered world.

He participates in Pope Benedict XVI's Schülerkreis, a private conference with Benedict convened since the late 1970s. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1859760,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1]