Empty formula

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As empty formula one is term or a statement then called, " if he / she merely says apparently some truth or Correct, but is far too vague to be determined on the merits of a specific statement to. "

Just like a tautology or a conventionalistic phrase , an empty formula can always be used when the speaker does not want to commit himself to anything specific. Such immunization strategies can be used in politics or comparable areas for legitimation purposes, because “such empty formulas are particularly suitable for all types of institutional leadership. They arouse - especially among those who are led - the impression of unshakable continuity of the highest principles, while they do not in any way hinder the guiding authorities in their concrete decisions ”.

" The ideological usefulness of the empty formula is thus inversely related to its information content ."

- Hans Albert : Economic ideology and political theory. Göttingen 1972, p. 19, note 15.

Examples

Examples of empty formulas that have been and will be filled with any content in the course of the history of ideas are:

according to Ernst Topitsch

Thought structures such as God , natural law , justice , democracy , human dignity , purpose per se , "contemporary perspective" ...

after Ludwig Feuerbach

In Ludwig Feuerbach's work , it says “The essence of faith in the sense of Luther. A contribution to the essence of Christianity ":

“ God is an empty blackboard with nothing more than what you yourself have written on it. "

- Ludwig Feuerbach: The essence of faith in the sense of Luther. A contribution to the essence of Christianity (1844), p. 69 - limited preview in the Google book search

.

after Wolfgang Koschnick
"Islam belongs to Germany" or "Islam does not belong to Germany."
Nonsense sayings like: "The Bratwurst belongs to Germany" or "The Bratwurst belongs to Austria."

“ One of the most widely used empty formulas is 'populism'. A populist is anyone who doesn't fit into your stuff. "

- Wolfgang Koschnick: (Section) Empty formulas as instruments of democratic rule , June 13, 2016

literature

  • Ernst Topitsch : About empty formulas. On the pragmatics of language use in philosophy and political theory . In: Problems of the philosophy of science. Festschrift for Victor Kraft , Springer Verlag Vienna 1960, pp. 233 - limited preview in Google Book search
    • Ernst Topitsch: Natural law in the course of the century. In: clarification and criticism , 1/1994.
    • Ernst Topitsch: Sociology of Existentialism . In. Merkur , 7th year, issue 64, 1953, pp. 501-518.
  • Gert Degenkolbe: On the logical structure and social functions of empty formulas . In: Cologne Journal for Sociology and Social Psychology , 17th year, 1965, p. 327 ff.
  • Wolfgang Koschnick : (Section) Empty formulas as instruments of democratic rule , In: More Dare to Democracy , June 13, 2016.
  • Kurt Salumun: Perspectives of an ideology theory in the sense of critical rationalism . In: Rudolf Haller (Ed.): Studies on Austrian Philosophy , Volume XIV. Rodopi, Amsterdam 1989, ISBN 90-5183-091-2 , pp. 251-268 - limited preview in the Google Book Search

Left

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wolfgang Koschnick : (Section) Empty formulas as instruments of democratic rule , In: Daring more democracy , June 13, 2016
  2. ↑ Ernst Topitsch : Sociology of Existentialism . In. Merkur , 7th year, issue 64, 1953, pp. 501-518.
  3. ^ Ernst Topitsch: Natural law in the course of the century. In: Enlightenment and Criticism , 1/1994.
  4. ↑ Wolfgang Koschnick: (Section) Empty formulas as instruments of democratic rule , Dare to dare more democracy , June 13, 2016