In Memoriam

Obituary for ISOE co-founder Prof. Dr. Egon Becker

ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research mourns the loss of Professor Dr. Egon Becker, who passed away on November 15, 2024 at the age of 88. Egon Becker was a co-founder of ISOE, a pioneer in social ecology and worked as a professor of science and higher education research at Goethe University for almost three decades. His theoretical and methodological work on social ecology, complexity research and the philosophy of science was groundbreaking for the successful development of our Frankfurt research institute and beyond.

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Photo: Jürgen Mai

Egon Becker was one of the co-founders of ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research in 1989. As a pioneer in this field, he played a decisive role in establishing social ecology as a science of the critical relationships between society and nature and also in developing ISOE's research program. Becker was involved in the institute's research projects while at the same time continuously combining his theoretical work on social ecology with academic lecturing. From 1972 until his retirement in 2000, he was professor of science and higher education research at the Department of Education at Goethe University.

When Egon Becker founded ISOE together with Thomas Jahn, Thomas Kluge, Engelbert Schramm and Irmgard Schultz, he could already look back on a remarkable scientific career which began with his simultaneous studies of communications engineering, mathematics and physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt and studies of philosophy and sociology at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main. After completing his doctorate in theoretical solid-state physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt, his research work first took him to Yale University and subsequently to Nottingham and Grenoble before he took up his academic teaching and research activities in Frankfurt. In the course of his scientific career, he authored an extensive number of publications and lectures. In addition, Egon Becker was active in science and research policy for many years, both in Frankfurt and beyond.

A new look at issues at the interface between nature and society

Egon Becker had a particularly formative influence on ISOE, which was founded at a time when the consequences of massive environmental pollution and destruction of nature were becoming dramatically apparent. Becker was convinced that “when issues are located at the interface between nature and society, both perspectives have to be taken into account.” As a consequence, overcoming disciplinary barriers within universities was another one of Becker's major concerns within the realm of science policy and science theory.

“With his contribution to laying the foundation of ISOE and his close scientific support over many years, Egon Becker has made a significant contribution to the success of our institute. What's more, without him the institute would not exist,” says ISOE's scientific director Flurina Schneider. “With his keen eye and his persistence in matters of scientific theory, he was a valued advisor to ISOE, and he will be missed. It is with great thanks and deep appreciation that we bid farewell. Our condolences are extended especially to Egon Becker's family as well as to his friends and companions.”

Scientific contact:

Prof. Dr. Flurina Schneider
Tel. +49 69 707 6919-0
 
www.isoe.de  

Press contact:

Melanie Neugart
Tel. +49 69 707 6919-51
 
www.isoe.de