Professor Nonhoff, the panel discussion focuses on the question of whether we can still talk to each other. What do you mean?
Well, I hope so! Democratic politics can only function if the exchange of ideas across the various camps remains possible. This includes accepting that the other person has the right to defend their opinion – especially in the face of disagreement. Whoever demands the right to be heard must grant it to others. This prohibits blanket exclusions from discourse as well as discussion behavior that consists essentially of misinformation, reproaches, and confrontation or that refuses to take the arguments of the other seriously.
What significance does increasing populism have in this problem?
If by “populism” we mean the spread of right-wing populism, one of its essential elements is the aggravation of a few issues in a very simplistic way. Typically it is directed against certain groups – such as foreigners or religious or sexual minorities. It pretends to speak in the name of a clearly definable “people” or a uniform “common good.” However, modern democracies are not so simple. Their characteristic feature is a fundamental uncertainty: who belongs to the population and how exactly we understand the common good can only result from our common, complex democratic practice. First and foremost, we need the pluralistic and open input of all those affected, not populist moments of exclusion that fantasize about the supposedly unified population.
Do you see parallels to the Weimar Republic in our current social situation?
That would be too farfetched. On the one hand, most parties are loyal to the republic and do not long for another “system.” On the other hand, unlike in the late Weimar Republic, uniformed antidemocratic shock troops are not the norm on our streets. However, there are of course concrete, politically induced dangers to people, for example due to their religion or skin color. And there are political discourses that legitimize such threats or normalize violence. It is necessary to counter this through the democratic discourse, to insist on the moral equality of all people, to defend people at risk, and thus to prevent the dehumanization of minorities first and then prevent increasing violence.
How can understanding still succeed in the face of serious inequalities and conflicts?
Democracies can only survive if their citizens can perceive each other as free and equal. This does not require people to live in complete material equality – a state that most people do not consider desirable because there are different needs. But the differences must not be allowed to result in us not being able to face each other with our heads held high as free citizens. As soon as parallel societies of the super rich emerge without any contact to the everyday problems of the majority and, at the same time, this wealth has an influence on politics – as we see it strongly in the United States – it becomes more difficult to perceive each other as free and equal. This may also lead to an increase in support for populist tribunes. For this reason, the prevention of too much inequality in tax and social policy is always also a policy to defend democracy.
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Additional Information:
Website: www.uni-bremen.de/bug/
Program: www.uni-bremen.de/fileadmin/user_upload/sites/bug/Downloads/BUG_148983_programmheft_2018_de.pdf
www.uni-bremen.de
Contact:
Professor Martin Nonhoff
Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (IIIS)
University of Bremen
Tel.: +49 421 218-67476
E-mail: martin.nonhoffprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
Bremer Universitäts-Gespräche:
Dr. Christina Jung
UniTransfer – Sponsors and Partners
University of Bremen
Tel.: +49 421 218-60336
E-mail: christina.jungprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
