René Rosfort appointed Professor
On 1 January 2026, René Rosfort will take up the position of Professor of Ethics and Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Theology. He is affiliated with the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre and has for many years been a central figure in the faculty’s research environment, contributing to both interdisciplinary collaborations and the development of new research projects.
René Rosfort is currently finalising a four-year project on the lived dimension of mental illness:
- In this project, we have examined the individual experience of various forms of mental illness as well as different groups of people living with mental illness. This work has resulted in a series of articles on, for example, depression, suicide attempts, mental illness among young people, postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis.
Focus on the existential dimension of mental illness
As Professor, René Rosfort aims to further advance his research within existential philosophy, phenomenology and hermeneutics – particularly with a focus on why work on mental illness within the health sciences must incorporate the existential dimension.
- When seeking to understand mental illness, it is important not only to look at symptoms and diagnoses. We must also understand how mental illness affects an individual’s identity, outlook on life, dreams, disappointments, hopes, ambitions and, not least, their relationships with other people. It is especially here that Søren Kierkegaard’s existential thought becomes essential.
An interest that began in upper secondary school
His interest in the field goes back many years, he explains:
- I became interested in philosophy at upper secondary school, and during my studies it became clear that it was Kierkegaard and existential philosophy that appealed to me most. My PhD was an interdisciplinary project across philosophy and the health sciences, and through this work it became evident to me that mental illness is the most philosophical area within the health sciences – and that it would be exciting to continue working on. That is what I have done for the past two decades.