Jan Slaby is Professor of Philosophy of Mind and Philosophy of Emotion at Freie Universität Berlin. He specialises in philosophy of emotion and affectivity, combining theoretical philosophy with social and political philosophy. He also works on topics in phenomenology, social philosophy, and critical theory.
During his fellowship at the Human Abilities Centre in the winter semester 2025/26, Jan collaborates with Dr. Lucy Osler (Fellow, University of Exeter) to explore the intersection of emotional abilities and what they propose to call “the capacity for the real,” that is, a person’s or a collective’s ability to acknowledge, understand, and “live with” reality, both in general and particularly where the real at issue is unwelcome, painful, or counter to what powerful societal factions put forth as paramount reality in society. It is a project at the intersection of (political) philosophy of mind, social epistemology, and the philosophy of emotion.