Claus Peter Ortlieb

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Claus Peter Ortlieb (born May 1, 1947 in Reinbek ; † September 15, 2019 ) was a German mathematician , science and society-critical author and editor of the magazine EXIT! .

Life and career

Claus Peter Ortlieb was born in 1947 as the son of the university professor Heinz-Dietrich Ortlieb and his wife Anneliese (née Witt) in Reinbek in the Stormarn district.

Ortlieb studied mathematics at the University of Hamburg (PhD in 1976 with Lothar Collatz ) and taught there as a professor in the mathematics department from 1985 to 2011.

In addition to his original mathematical research area, the theory of optimal controls, he dealt scientifically with the problems of mathematical modeling, especially in biology and macroeconomics . He was also the editor of the critical magazine EXIT! worked and wrote a number of polemical articles in the magazine concretely .

Ortlieb died unexpectedly in September 2019 at the age of 72.

Quotes

Regarding the modeling : “Assuming that reality follows mathematical laws, we try to find the mathematical structure and regularity that best fits with controlled observations. Obviously this works in many areas, but it does not follow the correctness of the underlying assumption. Conversely, it becomes conclusive: By choosing a certain set of instruments - that of the exact sciences - we focus and limit ourselves to the knowledge of those aspects of reality that can be grasped with this set of instruments. And there is nothing to suggest that this is or could become reality. "

Regarding the mathematical laws of nature : “In the 'manhood' of the Enlightenment, the laws expressed in numbers and other mathematical forms are finally held to be a property of nature, the subject of knowledge no longer appears as an object of discarded metaphysics, and such fine distinctions as that It is better to leave out between experiment and observation, they only disturb. It is this sloppiness that allows the mathematical and scientific method to be considered suitable for areas such as economics, in which experiments are not possible. And the overestimation of the misunderstood method leads to the fading out of all questions that cannot be tackled with it or to referring to the irrelevant 'childhood phase' of humanity. "

Regarding neoclassics : “At least as far as neoclassical teaching is concerned, one should rather speak of a scientifically disguised ideology. When I read economics textbooks, I regularly find that the reality of the capitalist economy is not reflected there at all. Instead, one's own ideological prejudices are poured into mathematical models and these are simply superimposed on reality. With this, however, the subject of economics has in fact finally given up its subject and, strictly speaking, has lost its scientific status. "

On the crisis of capitalism: “Either way, the capitalist mode of production has brought itself to the end of its potential for development through its compulsive momentum. The world society is therefore faced with the alternative of either going under with it or of getting rid of the constraints of abstract wealth and planning its own reproduction based solely on material criteria. Then productivity development could regain its innocence: On the one hand, every possible increase in productivity would not have to be carried out compulsively, because after all, not every activity becomes more pleasant if it is done more quickly. And on the other hand, it could actually be used to make human life easier. "

Publications

Books

  • On the criticism of modern fetishism. Texts collected by Claus Peter Ortlieb 1997–2015. Butterfly Verlag, Series: Black books, Stuttgart 2019, ISBN 3-89657-174-5 .
  • Together with Caroline v. Dresky, Ingenuin Gasser and Silke Günzel: Mathematical Modeling. An introduction to twelve case studies. 2nd edition, Springer Spectrum, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 3-658-00534-3 .

Articles in anthologies (selection)

  • Heinrich Hertz and the concept of the mathematical model. In: Gudrun Wolfschmidt (Ed.) (2008): Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) and the Development of Communication - Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium in Hamburg. Oct., 8-12, 2007. Books on Demand, Norderstedt.
  • “Essence of Reality” or “Mathematical Mania”? In: Mathematics and Society: Historical, Philosophical and Didactic Perspectives. Paperback, edited by Gregor Nickel et al., Springer Spectrum; 1st edition 2018 (May 14, 2018), ISBN 3-658-16122-1 .
  • The lost innocence of productivity. In: Yearbook Denknetz 2010. Too good for capitalism. Blocked potential in an overburdened economy. 12–19, Edition 8, Zurich 2010, ISBN 978-3-85990-162-9 .
  • Numbers as a medium and a fetish. In: Jens Schröter, Gregor Schwering, Urs Stäheli (eds.): Media Marx: A manual. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2006, Mass and Medium series, 4.
  • A Contradiction between Matter and Form: On the Significance of the Production of Relative Surplus Value in the Dynamic of Terminal Crisis. In: Neil Larsen, Mathias Nilges, Josh Robinson, Nicholas Brown (eds.): Marxism and the Critique of Value. 77-122, MCM Publishing, Chicago 2014.
  • The litigation contradiction. Production of relative surplus value and crisis dynamics. In: Gerd Grözinger, Utz-Peter Reich (ed.): Economy and society. Yearbook 24, Alienation - Exploitation - Revolt, Karl Marx renegotiated. Metropolis-Verlag, Marburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-89518-941-8 .

Editorial activity

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Claus Peter Ortlieb is dead. Exit! -Lesekreis in Hamburg, September 16, 2019, accessed on July 29, 2020 .
  2. ^ Mathematics Genealogy Project
  3. Duality and approximation methods for convex control problems . In Claus Peter Ortlieb: Dissertation. Hamburg 1976.
  4. CP Ortlieb: Methodical problems and methodical errors of mathematical modeling in economics. Mitt. Math. Ges. Hamburg 23, 1-24, Hamburg 2004.
  5. Together with Caroline v. Dresky, Ingenuin Gasser and Silke Günzel: Mathematical Modeling. An introduction to twelve case studies. 2nd edition, Springer Spectrum, Wiesbaden 2013. ISBN 3-658-00534-3 .
  6. ^ Mathematic charlatanism. On the 'ideology-free methodology' of neoclassical teaching. In: Thomas Dürmeier, Tanja v. Egan-Krieger, Helge Peukert (ed.): The blinkers of economics. Postautistic economics for pluralistic economics. Metropolis-Verlag, Marburg (September 2006).
  7. List of articles by CP Ortlieb in EXIT magazine ! , accessed on July 29, 2020.
  8. ^ List of journal articles on Claus Peter Ortlieb's homepage , accessed on July 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Heinrich Hertz and the concept of the mathematical model. In: Gudrun Wolfschmidt (Ed.): Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) and the Development of Communication - Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium in Hamburg. Oct., 8-12, 2007. Books on Demand, Norderstedt.
  10. Numbers as a medium and a fetish. In: Jens Schröter, Gregor Schwering, Urs Stäheli (eds.): Media Marx: A manual. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2006, Mass and Medium series, 4.
  11. "Economics is actually not a science". Interview with Claus Peter Ortlieb. In: FAZ . May 8, 2010, accessed July 29, 2020 .
  12. The lost innocence of productivity. In: Yearbook Denknetz 2010. Too good for capitalism. Blocked potential in an overburdened economy. 12–19, Edition 8, Zurich 2010, ISBN 978-3-85990-162-9 .