Dieter Senghaas

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Dieter Senghaas (born August 27, 1940 in Geislingen an der Steige ) is a German social scientist and peace researcher .

biography

After studying politics - and social sciences, philosophy and history from 1,960 to 1,967 Senghaas was founded in 1967 in Frankfurt am Main Dr. phil. PhD. His dissertation is entitled Critique of Deterrence . After his studies he worked as a research assistant at the University of Frankfurt until 1968 , followed by a research stay in the USA until 1970, among others with Karl W. Deutsch at Harvard University . Senghaas has been a member of the scientific advisory board of the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Research since 1970 .

From 1972 to 1978 Senghaas was a research group leader at the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research and from 1972 to 1978 professor at the University of Frankfurt .

Since 1978 he has been a professor at the University of Bremen and from 1995 worked there at the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies . In 1987 he won the International Peace Research Award. In 1986/87 and 1992/94 Dieter Senghaas held a research professorship at the Science and Politics Foundation. In 1999 Senghaas was awarded the Göttingen Peace Prize of the Dr. Roland Röhl Foundation honored. In December 2000 he was awarded the academic degree Dr. rer. soc. hc from the University of Tübingen. In 2006 he received the Culture and Peace Prize from Villa Ichon , Bremen. On October 5, 2010 he received the Leopold Kohr Prize from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research .

Dieter Senghaas is the husband of the sociologist Eva Senghaas-Knobloch .

Scientific work

The main focus of his academic work is international relations , in particular peace research, developing country research and conflict research . In 2007 he criticized the fact that research on nationalism no longer uses standard works such as that of the US-American author Karl W. Deutsch from Czechoslovakia .

Work on the East-West conflict

In the 1960s and early 70s, Senghaas dealt with the dynamics of armaments and the deterrent strategy in the East-West conflict. Senghaas recognized an autistic structure in the deterrent constellation of the Cold War, which, in his opinion, is mainly driven from within and less from outside (international processes). Senghaa's criticism of deterrence and his analysis of arms dynamics / control contributed to the development of critical peace research.

Work on the North-South Conflict

In his three collective works Imperialism and Structural Violence (1972), Peripheral Capitalism. Analyzes on Dependency and Underdevelopment (1974), Capitalist World Economy. Controversies about their origin and their development dynamics (1979) as well as in his 1977 book Weltwirtschaftsordnung und Entwicklungspolitik. In a plea for dissociation , Senghaas tries to make visible the structural dependence of the periphery on the metropolises, or, to put it simply, the dependence of the developing countries (areas) on the political and economic centers of power in the age of the world economy. Senghaas sees a way out in the obstacles to development created from outside (pressure from industrialized countries) and from inside (interest of the power elites in maintaining the existing social structures) in a dissociation (temporary decoupling, not isolation) from the world market. In this decoupling phase, the developing countries should concentrate on developing an economic system that is based on pacifying the local needs of their own people, if possible using local resources (by which Senghaas does not mean striving for self-sufficiency).

With this point of view, Senghaas rejected the idea at the time that the mere integration of the Third World into the given world economic order could solve the development problems of the Third World. From the mid-1970s, Senghaas tried to check his theory by analyzing the socialist developing countries Albania, PR China, North Korea and Cuba. For Senghaas, socialism does not represent a post-capitalist system of production. Rather (regardless of the intentions of the respective actors / regimes), socialism could possibly achieve an economic development that would not be likely under capitalist conditions.

In his analysis, however, Senghaas came to the conclusion that the development of these states was initially positive, but then increasingly came to a standstill due to the lack of reforms, an increasingly complex system of economy and society and an increasingly immobile political order (result in the mid-1980s) . Several country monographs and a contribution to the importance of socialism in the history of development have emerged from the results of the analysis in collaboration with doctoral students from Frankfurt.

Dieter Senghaas played a key role in shaping the development theory discussion within international relations in Germany with his works on the possibilities of independent development processes depending on the international conditions (economic / political).

His development research found a further foundation through the historical-comparative investigation of successful and unsuccessful development paths in Europe since the 18th century (“Learn from Europe”, 1982).

As a result of these investigations in different empirical areas (developing countries / Europe; capitalism / socialism) Senghaas developed a development theory that is characterized by multidimensionality ("configurative analysis").

The civilizing hexagon (short version)

The civilizing hexagon by Dieter Senghaas

For a detailed article see also civilizing hexagon .

The civilizing hexagon emerged from research on developing countries and the exploration of various development paths in European countries. It identifies building blocks for a stable, peaceful society.

The hexagon consists of six building blocks that can strengthen or weaken each other.

An essential building block is

  1. the monopoly of force , d. H. the deprivatisation of violence and its legitimation, in other words the “disarming of the citizens”. The next building block
  2. Rule of law , includes control of the monopoly of force. This is a prerequisite for ensuring that the public monopoly on the use of force cannot be abused despotically. Because without the rule of law, the monopoly of force would be nothing more than a dictatorship. The third building block,
  3. Democratic participation includes the democratic participation of citizens in elections and other decision-making processes. Without this right to participate, the people would not stick to the given rules of the game. The trust shown by the people and necessary to legitimize the monopoly of violence must also be secured through equality. This is done, among other things, by the fourth component, the
  4. Social justice . Social justice includes securing the basic needs of every human being. In addition, there is the safeguarding of social human rights . The next building block is entitled
  5. Constructive conflict culture . This means the ability to tolerate in a multicultural society and the willingness to compromise-oriented conflict resolution. The last building block of the hexagon is with
  6. Overriding interdependencies and affect control . This includes the mutual dependence between the members of a society and their self-control in conflict situations. When this is the case, the likelihood of violent forms of conflict decreases.

In the monograph "On Earthly Peace (2004)", Senghaas presents a comprehensive theory of peace.

According to Senghaas, safeguarding peace between states still requires four principles to be ensured:

  • Protection of the individual states from violence
  • Protection of freedom within the individual states
  • Protection against need, poverty and hunger
  • Protection against chauvinism and nationalism (cf. Senghaas 1994: 34 ff.)

Work on music and peace

Recently, Senghaas has dealt intensively with the peace problem in classical music. "Sounds of Peace. A Listening Report (2001)" offers an orientation aid in a subject area that has remained largely unprocessed by journalists in order to approach the peace problem in an unusual way. Compiled and interpreted from a systematic point of view, the volume offers insights into the very different treatment of war and peace in music.

Work on world society

Since the early 1970s, Senghaas has remained interested in the analysis of the macrostructure of the world (“international system”, “international society”, “ world society ”), thus on a world analysis that encompasses all sub-worlds such as industrial societies , emerging countries and Includes developing countries of various types. His analysis of Samuel P. Huntington's thesis of the clash of civilizations, which Senghaas countered with the empirically more plausible observation of a “clash within civilizations” (“Civilization against Will”, 1998), should also be seen in this context . The latest work by Senghaas is directed towards the analysis of interdependencies and fissures in today's real world, for example in his book World Order in a Fissured World (2012, edition suhrkamp):

“The structure of the world has long been characterized by an extreme hierarchy and layering. Fissures can be observed in many dimensions. So z. For example, in the world economic system there is a dramatic gap between the so-called OECD world and the 'rest of the world'. While the former is densely and relatively symmetrically networked, the rest of the world is still predominantly asymmetrically oriented towards this center of gravity. This center of gravity (approx. 16% of the world population ), which continues to set the tone in global politics and is highly coordinated in itself , has not yet faced a comparable coordinated collective or even regional center of power. The fissures within the non-OECD world are no less striking: around 10% of the world's population lives under the conditions of “states” that have collapsed or are seriously threatened with disintegration. 37% of the world's population lives in two macro-states alone: China and India , and another 37% in around 130 societies that are characterized by what is known as limited statehood. Programmatics about world order and world governance today have to deal with elementary issues of this kind, otherwise they remain world-plane-abstract, consequently analytically questionable and ultimately practically irrelevant. Thus, world order programs, insofar as they are really related to the entire real world, need a contextualization appropriate to the problem. "

Publications

  • Deterrence and peace. Studies on the Critique of Organized Peacefulness . European Publishing House, Frankfurt am Main 1969 (3rd expanded edition 1981).
  • Political science. An introduction to your problems . European publishing house, Frankfurt am Main 1969 (4th edition. Fischer Verlag 1973; ed.).
  • Bibliography on Peace Research . Edited by G. Scharffenorth and W. Huber. Kösel and Kaiser Verlag, Stuttgart / Munich 1970 (2nd edition 1973; co-author).
  • On the pathology of the arms race . Rombach Verlag, Freiburg 1970 (ed.).
  • Peace research and social criticism . Hanser Verlag, Munich 1970 (2nd edition Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1973; ed.)
  • Texts on the technocracy discussion . European Publishing House, Frankfurt 1970 (2nd edition 1971; ed.).
  • Critical Peace Research . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1971 (6th edition 1981; publisher).
  • Aggressiveness and collective violence . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1971 (2nd edition 1972).
  • Armament through arms control. About the symbolic use of politics . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1972.
  • Imperialism and Structural Violence . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1972 (7th edition 1987; ed.).
  • Armaments and militarism . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1972 (2nd edition 1982).
  • Yearbook for Peace and Conflict Studies . Vol. 2. Bertelsmann Verlag, Düsseldorf 1972, (co-editor).
  • Peace in Europe? On the coexistence of armor and relaxation . Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1973 (co-author).
  • Peace Research in the Federal Republic of Germany . In: Journal of Peace Research , special number 3/1973 (Ed.).
  • Can Europe disarm? Options for Peace Policy of the Seventies . Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 1973 (co-editor).
  • Violence - Conflict - Peace. Essays on Peace Research . Hoffmann & Campe Verlag, 1974.
  • Overcoming Underdevelopment, Hamburg . In: Journal of Peace Research , special issue 4/1975 (Ed.).
  • Peripheral capitalism. Analysis of addiction and underdevelopment . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1974 (2nd edition 1977; publisher).
  • Problems of Peace, Security and Cooperation . Pahl-Rugenstein, Cologne 1975 (co-editor).
  • Multinational corporations and third world . Westdeutscher Verlag, Wiesbaden 1976 (co-editor).
  • World economic order and development policy. A plea for dissociation . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1977 (5th edition 1987).
  • Structural dependency and underdevelopment. Lesson suggestions . PRIF study 1–3, Frankfurt 1978 (co-author)
  • Capitalist world economy . Controversies about its origin and its development dynamics . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1979, (2nd edition 1982) (Ed.)
  • Structural dependency and underdevelopment using the example of Mozambique . Wegener publishing house, Bonn 1980, (co-author)
  • Socialism discussion. A continuation . In: Focus issue of "Leviathan", Vol. 9, 1981, No. 2 (Ed.)
  • Reunion with China after two years . Breitenbach-Verlag, Saarbrücken 1981, (ed.)
  • Learn from Europe. Developmental considerations . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1982.
  • On the way to a New World Economic Order? Conditions and limits for independent development . Nomos Verlag, Baden-Baden 1983 (co-editor).
  • The future of Europe. Problems of building peace . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1986
  • Europe's development and the third world. An inventory . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1986 (2nd edition 1991; co-author).
  • The Quest for Peace. Transcending Collective Violence and War among Societies, Cultures, and States . Sage, London 1987 (ed.).
  • Conflict Formations in the International System . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1988.
  • Regional conflicts in the third world. External determination and autonomy . Nomos Verlag, Baden-Baden 1989 (ed.).
  • Europe 2000. A peace plan . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1990 (2nd edition 1991).
  • ed. with Martin Robbe : The world after the East-West conflict. History and forecasts . Berlin Akademie-Verlag 1990 (co-editor).
  • Peace Research in Germany. Assessment of the situation and perspectives for the nineties . Peace Research Center, Bonn 1990 (co-editor).
  • Social defense. Constructive conflict resolution. Criticism and counter-criticism . Publishing house Haag. + Herchen, Frankfurt 1991 ( military policy. Documentation . Issue 89/81; co-author).
  • Peace project Europe . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1992 (3rd edition 1996).
  • Where is the world drifting to? About the future of peaceful coexistence . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1994 (2nd edition 1996).
  • Think peace. Si vis pacem, para pacem . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1995 (ed.).
  • Make peace . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1997 (ed.).
  • Civilization against will. The conflict of cultures with themselves . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1998 (2nd edition 1998).
  • Sounds of peace. An audio report . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2001.
  • Peace policy. Ethical foundations of international relations . Piper Verlag, Munich 2003 (co-editor).
  • Hear peace! Tübingen 2003, (CD-ROM; 2nd edition 2009)
  • To earthly peace. Findings and assumptions . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2004.
  • From audible peace . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2005 (ed.).
  • Global Governance for Development and Peace . Dietz Verlag, Bonn 2006 (co-editor).
  • Constructive Pacifism in the 21st Century . Lit Verlag, Vienna / Berlin 2006 (ed.).
  • Sectoral global governance . Nomos Verlag, Baden-Baden 2009 (co-editor).
  • Compose the Peace? . Schott Verlag, Mainz 2010 (co-editor).
  • World governance in a rugged world . Suhrkamp Verlag, Berlin 2012.
  • Hear peace. Music, sounds and tones in peace education . Wochenschau Verlag, Schwalbach / Ts. 2013.

literature

  • Alfons Siegel: Ideas for creating peace at the end of the First World War and the East-West conflict . Agenda Verlag, Münster 2003 (including approx. 250 pages on Senghaas).
  • Frank Nullmeier , Michael Zürn : Science as a Profession - Two lectures on Dieter Senghaas. In: Leviathan. Vol. XXXIII, 2005, No. 4, pp. 423-463.
  • Dieter Senghaas: My way into science . In: HR Yousefi u. a. (Ed.): Paths to Science . Verlag Traugott Bautz, Nordhausen 2008, pp. 355–373.
  • Alfons Siegel: League of Nations, Hexagon and the future of the UN. Kant references in peace concepts by Matthias Erzberger and Dieter Senghaas . In: Zeitschrift für Politik , vol. 55, 2008, pp. 337–361.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Steffen Kailitz (editor): Key works of political science , VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden 2007, page 91
  2. ↑ Senghaas, D. (1994): Where is the world drifting? About the future of peaceful coexistence. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag.
  3. ↑ http://www.suhrkamp.de/buecher/weltordnung_in_einer_zerkluefteten_welt-dieter_senghaas_12642.html
personal data
SURNAME Senghaas, Dieter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German political scientist and peace researcher
DATE OF BIRTH August 27, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH Geislingen an der Steige