Working within this tradition, the institute's first Professor of Philosophy, Max Bense, was famous for developing an approach which put philosophy of science, logic, aesthetics, and semiotics into dialogue with each other. Since then new technical developments, in particular in the area of informatics, have provided new sources of inspiration for developing this philosophical approach. This so called “Stuttgart School” has also had an impact on other disciplines and has resulted, for instance, in pioneering work in computer arts.
This integrative approach to philosophy which aims at overcoming the orthodox boundaries between the sciences, the arts and technology, continues to play an important role in the Institute of Philosophy to this day. One of the particular aims of the institute is to develop approaches which are rendering visible the connections between different domains of knowledge and practical contexts without ignoring the differences. The big questions in the history of philosophy remain at the same time important points of reference.