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What is the situation regarding diversity of opinion in our country? From the perspective of philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin, it has suffered on major social issues.
Berlin – “Cancel Culture” has become a political battle cry over the past few years. What does it actually mean? The philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin explored this question in his book “Cancel Culture – End of the Enlightenment? A plea for independent thinking”. “In all the heated and ideological debates, I wanted to contribute to clarity in people’s minds,” says Nida-Rümelin in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIACancel culture is, as the name suggests, a cultural practice of marginalizing opinions and people. The phenomenon exists “across the entire political spectrum.”
The philosopher has taught at universities in Tübingen, Göttingen, Berlin and Munich, among others, and has also held visiting professorships in the USA, Italy and China. The former Minister of State for Culture under Gerhard Schröder (SPD) is of the opinion that our society must, to a certain extent, tolerate uncomfortable opinions – but in view of the migration crisis and Corona policy, this has not always been possible.
“We should have treated each other more fairly during the Corona pandemic”
On the contrary, says Nida-Rümelin: In the times of the “welcoming culture,” the events were “accompanied by the media and politicians in unison,” he claims. “The first critical voices, for example about the danger of Islamism, only came after New Year’s Eve in Cologne,” says Nida-Rümelin. “It was very similar in the Corona crisis; during this time, too, dissenting opinions were marginalized.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, the former SPD politician became deputy chairman of the German Ethics Council. “I was never a radical critic of the measures,” Nida-Rümelin explains in retrospect. He believed that all major decisions at that time were unavoidable. “What I didn’t like at all, however, was the form of public discourse, because it contributed to a social divide. We should have Corona pandemic We need to treat each other more objectively and fairly.”
Nida-Rümelin sees “still a peace-loving wing” in the SPD
He also feels that certain opinions are neglected in the discussions about arms deliveries to Ukraine. “Around half of the population is concerned that there could be a dangerous escalation if Germany delivers certain weapons to Ukraine,” says Nida-Rümelin. “If you then go through the political supporters of arms deliveries, from the FDP and the Greens to the CDU and CSU, this gap is quite striking.” Within the German Social Democrats, the attitude towards dealing with the Russian attack on Ukraine is “not quite so clear, because there is still a peace-loving wing in this party that has not yet been marginalized.”
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