Non-native species (neobiota) appear to be an increasingly problematic issue, which need to be investigated more thoroughly. Although there have been many studies thus far, it is still often unclear, on the one hand, which species and taxa are to be classified as non-indigenous (e.g. neophytes, neozoens and neomycetes) and to this day there is no clear accepted definition. On the other hand, it is underestimated in the current discussion – especially in biological discourse and the discourse within nature conservation – that sciences cannot contribute to how non-native species should be handled. According to Max Weber, introduced species can be examined as an example for value-free judgments. This problem is assessed according to how value judgments are constituted and what consequences emerge. How to deal with non-native species cannot be decided on a purely scientific basis. Value judgments must be disclosed in order to facilitate a transparent discourse and reveal hidden norms. Therefore, this project investigates historical changes concerning non-native species, similar terms, value judgments in science in light of theories of Max Weber and conflicts with targets of nature conservation.

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Project by Gido Lukas glukas@roots.uni-kiel.de
and Konrad Ott