Born in 1954; studied philosophy, German language and literature, and comparative religious studies in Tübingen and Berlin (FU). In 1980, he was awarded a Magister degree; in 1984, he obtained his doctorate with a thesis on Hölderlin at the Free University of Berlin. From 1987 to 1992, he was a research assistant and, from 1992 to 1996, a senior research assistant in the subject of philosophy at the University of Wuppertal. In 1992, he completed his habilitation with a thesis on Augustine. From 1989 to 1997, he was managing director of the ‘Académie du Midi – Institute of Philosophy’. From 1996 to 2002, he held visiting professorships and held an interim professorship for chairs at Charles University in Prague, the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster (Chair of ‘Ancient and Medieval Philosophy’), Humboldt University of Berlin (Chair of ‘Philosophy’ and Head of the Department of Philosophy and Education at the Faculty of Philosophy IV) and the University of Cologne (professorship for ‘Ancient Philosophy’). From October 2002 up to and including March 2023, held a university professorship in the History of Philosophy at the University of Oldenburg. From April 2004 to March 2008, Director of the Institute of Philosophy; from October 2008 to March 2011, Vice-Dean for research; from April 2011 to March 2013, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Oldenburg. From April 2014 to March 2019, Director of the Institute of Philosophy. Participated in the Research Training Group “Self-Formations. Practices of Subjectivation’ and a founding member of the ‘Scientific Centre for the Genealogy of the Present’ in Oldenburg; served on its Centre Council from April 2013 to February 2022. Head of the Oldenburg Adorno Research Centre and the Hannah Arendt Centre there. From June 2003 to March 2016, Chair of the board of trustees of the Filosofia Italiana foundation, Oldenburg; from April 2016 to July 2022, a member of its Executive Board. Founding member of the Karl Jaspers Society, Oldenburg, and a member of its Executive Board from November 2012 to July 2022. Co-editor of *Texts and Studies on European Intellectual History* (Aschendorff-Verlag) and the *Hamann Studies* (V+R unipress). Winter semester 2009/10: Visiting Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Vienna. Elected to the Advisory Board in 2002 and 2006; in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022, elected to the Executive Committee of the International Hölderlin Society; served as its President from May 2018 to May 2026. Honorary member of the Hölderlin Society since May.