Martin Kolmar

Martin Kolmar’s recent research interests cover three interrelated areas. First, he develops a comprehensive critique of the epistemic, ontological, and normative foundations of mainstream economics. The purpose of this critique is second to develop alternative normative foundations that are based on research from evolutionary psychology, psychology, neuroscience, and narratology. The findings from these areas reveal patterns of human behavior, perception, development, and wellbeing that are closely related to concepts from virtue ethics and that give rise to perceptions of individual wellbeing, the role of the individual and society, and economic policies that are radically different from mainstream economics. His third main focus is the development of a theory of the sublime in modern society. From its very beginning there have been two competing narratives regarding secular (post-) modernity, a positive story of success and a negative story of alienation and disenchantment. Whereas mainstream economics short circuits questions regarding meaning of life and purpose with the maximization of preferences, virtue ethics has to address these questions more directly. Interestingly, meaning seems to be very closely related to experiences of the sublime, and these experiences can also be used as a unifying concept to interpret several important processes in modern, western societies. The purpose of this project is to develop a theory of the societal and individual consequences of sublime experiences. His research brings together research from economics, philosophy (epistemology, ontology, aesthetics, and ethics), evolutionary psychology, psychology, neuroscience, and narratology.

Narratology

The sublime and the foundations of modern society

Economics and happiness

Chairs or Professorships at the Universities of Göttingen, and Mainz, Long-Term Research projects at the Universities UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Brown University 

• The sublime and the foundations of modern society
• Mismatch: towards a new foundation of normative economics 

• Knut-Wicksell Award, European Public Choice Society
• European Investment Bank Award
• Schiesser-Allweiler Award, best Dissertation, University of Konstanz
• Best Teaching Award, University of Mainz 2003, 2004, 2005