Erlangen constructivism

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The Erlanger Constructivism as - constructivism of the "Erlanger School" and more recently as a Methodical Constructivism called - is as a method-critical approach in the philosophy of science known. Erlangen Constructivism was founded as a school by Wilhelm Kamlah and Paul Lorenzen .

The program and goal of this approach to methodical philosophizing is to reconstruct the creation of the objects of a science by specifying the methodologically necessary steps and normative rules that underlie its methodically controlled and regular construction or "constitution" and must be observed if those " in fact “should be realized. This type of systematic self-reflection was first represented historically at the University of Erlangen , soon also elsewhere, especially at the universities in Konstanz and then in Marburg . Your starting point is therefore the activity oriented towards scientific method standards or rather the methodically oriented action of scientists in research and theory construction. In this way, methodical constructivism differs fundamentally from perception - biologically founded and thus epistemologically ambitious radical constructivism .

Theory and method

The first work of the main founder Paul Lorenzen was the reconstruction of mathematics. The methodical starting point for him was the operation of counting. From it he was able to derive practically all other mathematical constructions, so that we are also talking about constructive mathematics . (With respect to action and the use of the term operation , there is some cross-connection to operationalism of Percy Bridgman .)

In its aim of determining and describing the creation of the “objects” of a science by specifying the necessary methodological procedure as precisely as possible and necessary, the methodical constructivism of Erlangen origin, like the analytical philosophy, is based on the analyzing view of what is available . With this he goes in the critical root note, contradictory or nonsensical to uncover and criticize constructively , and compliant in the claim, potentially all the elements and rules of science should be defined to the basic terms of the language used by scientists in properly and logically zirkel freely used become.

  • This becomes clearest in the first book of Logical Propaedeutics , the first book by Kamlah and Lorenzen, which they introduced programmatically as a preschool for rational speech . You outline and justify the main features of a scientific language in which blurring is to be avoided and misunderstandings to be prevented:
We make the following demands on the term as a predicator of a scientific language: The understanding between the interlocutors should not be impaired by the fact that the speaker uses the predicator differently than the listener (in colloquial terms: that the listener 'thinks something different' than the one who hears Speakers). In order to achieve this goal, the interviewees will do well before using a term to expressly agree on this use.
  • Second, there is the dialogical logic developed by Paul Lorenzen and Kuno Lorenz , which is based on an approach derived from sequential calculus and similar to game theory; especially the logic of quantifiers , negation and subjunction is developed dialogically. This approach was partially adopted by physics ( Peter Mittelstaedt , Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker ) and used to interpret quantum physics ( quantum logic ).
  • Thirdly, Lorenzen designed the above-mentioned constructive mathematics that was initially operational . Ontologizing statements about existence are avoided and only comprehensible constructions are carried out instead.
  • Fourth, Lorenzen, together with Peter Janich and Rüdiger Inhetveen , developed a normative basis for measuring device technology - called protophysics - which should allow measuring results to be scientifically flawlessly differentiated from physical processes, which on the one hand underlie the functioning of the devices themselves and on the other hand are used to measure others. This was carried out for clocks (time measurement), levels (length, area and space measurement, geometry) and random generators (frequency counting, stochastics , probability or random calculation); Lorenzen also included mass and momentum measurements in his considerations.
  • Fifthly, Wilhelm Kamlah developed a philosophical anthropology in which he developed the "practical basic norm": " Note that others are needy people like yourself, and act accordingly! "

Language and (language) actions

The Erlangen constructivism follows on from the modern philosophy of language after the critical change in language and understands science as purposeful action. Speech acts thus become central elements of this pragmatic approach and the theory of action derived from it , so that the analysis of scientific processes includes the investigation of their specific purpose orientation.

The methodical constructivism of Erlangen origin does not start from unquestioned premises and axioms , but rather starts from modes of action and their context in everyday practice ( living environment ) . This is where the beginnings of arguments can be found, from which a science can be developed step by step, methodologically justified and without a circle.

In the context of the constructivist methodology, all terms necessary for the development of sciences are introduced (constructed) in a dialog based on everyday or colloquial language that is only used for explanation, checked and finally established as clearly comprehensible technical terms (terms). Its further use in a standardized scientific language - Lorenzen calls it ortho language - follows the rules of propositional and predicate logic .

Protosciences

In the constructivism of Erlangen provenance, the formation and assessment of scientific terms and defining language rules is referred to as a step of scientific work methodologically prior to any scientific research, as a prototheory . In this linguistic usage, the development and establishment of a subject-specific terminology leads to specific protosciences , in chemistry for example to a protochemistry, in psychology to a protopsychology and in logic to a protologics. The level of exact science can be considered to have been reached when all questions about the knowledge-guiding interests, the justification of the formation of sub-disciplines, the systematic classification in the overall scientific context and the possibility of reconstructing the terminology can be satisfactorily answered ( Dirk Hartmann 1993) . In the 1970s, efforts were first made in Erlangen to develop protophysics as a proto-theory of the definition of basic physical quantities (length, duration, mass, charge) that preceded empirical physics as a prototypical effort to create a constructive justification program for empirical science in general. The first piece of protophysics carried out was the chronometry (theory of time measurement) by Peter Janich (1969), which has been followed to this day by geometry as the theory of spatial measurement and hylometry as the theory of mass measurement. The development of a protoscientific argumentation theory by Carl Friedrich Gethmann , Harald Wohlrapp and Holm Tetens follows a similar approach .

Development history

Essential suggestions for the development of the Erlangen constructivism program come from the methodological philosophy of Hugo Dingler , who in turn was influenced by Rudolf Carnap . The Erlanger school was in the sixties of the 20th century by Lorenzen and Kamlah and the first generation of students with Kuno Lorenz , Jürgen Mittelstraß , Peter Janich , Oswald Schwemmer and Christian Thiel formed. The Logical Propaedeutic , published in 1967, is considered to be the first manifestation of this school education, in which, taking into account the critical suggestions of Kant, the philosophy of science was subsequently presented as a criticism of science and received widespread attention.

In the 1970s Jürgen Mittelstraß formed the so-called Konstanz School as a full professor in Konstanz with initially Kuno Lorenz , Peter Janich , Carl Friedrich Gethmann and Friedrich Kambartel , and after his appointment to Marburg Janich then the Marburg School . Because of these geographic changes and to emphasize the substantive approach of "Erlangen Constructivism", the term Methodical Constructivism was proposed for objectification and the term Methodical Culturalism was proposed for the further development of the program through the suggestions from Marburg .

In Saarbrücken, Kuno Lorenz developed a dialogical aspect of the Erlangen school following the approaches of dialogical logic : what is found (you role) and what is produced (I role) are mutually related.

The members of the Erlangen school have been working on an encyclopedia of philosophy and philosophy of science under the direction of Jürgen Mittelstraß since the 1970s . Some of them have had very different developments in their thinking.

Pupils of those already mentioned or who are close to the basic approach include: a. the philosophers Martin Carrier , Christoph Demmerling , Gottfried Gabriel , Armin Grunwald , Mathias Gutmann , Dirk Hartmann , Sybille Krämer , Angelika Krebs , Nikolaos Psarros , Thomas Rentsch , Arno Ros , Hans Julius Schneider , Pirmin Stekeler-Weithofer , Holm Tetens and Harald Wohlrapp as well Franz Koppe , Peter Janich , Friedrich Kambartel , Jürgen Mittelstraß and Matthias Gatzemeier, who initially worked in Constance .

literature

  • Gerhardus, Dietfried and Silke M. Kledzik (eds.): On finding and inventing in art, philosophy, science : k (l) a pause for thought for Kuno Lorenz on his 50th birthday. Saarbrücken University Printing 1985
  • Hartmann, Dirk : Constructive question logic. From elementary proposition to the logic of question and answer. Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim u. a. 1990
  • Hartmann, Dirk : Scientific Theories. Scientific theoretical foundations using the example of psychology. Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim u. a. 1993
  • Janich, Peter , Friedrich Kambartel and Jürgen Mittelstraß : Theory of Science as a Critique of Science. in: aspects. the german student magazine. September 1972-May 1973; revised and added: aspekte Verlag, Frankfurt 1974 ISBN 3-921096-20-0
  • Janich, Peter (ed.) : Developments in methodological philosophy . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1992 ( stw 979 )
  • Janich, Peter : Constructivism and knowledge of nature. On the way to culturalism. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1996 ( stw 1244 ).
  • Janich, Peter : Logical-pragmatic propaedeutics. Velbrück, Weilerswist 2001
  • Janich, Peter : Culture and Method. Philosophy in a scientific world. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 2006 ( stw 1773 )
  • Janich, Peter and Dirk Hartmann (eds.): Methodical culturalism. Between naturalism and postmodernism. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1996 ( stw 1272 ).
  • Janich, Peter and Dirk Hartmann (eds.): The cultural turnaround. For orientation of the philosophical self-image. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1998 ( stw 1391 )
  • Kambartel, Friedrich and Jürgen Mittelstraß (eds.): On the normative foundation of science. Athenaeum, Frankfurt ( Scientific Paperbacks Basic Research. Ed. By Friedrich Kambartel , Kuno Lorenz , Jürgen Mittelstraß and Christian Thiel . Studies Vol. 1)
  • Kamlah, Wilhelm : Philosophical Anthropology. Critical language foundation and ethics. Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim 1972, (²) 1973 as BI-HTB 238
  • Kamlah, Wilhelm and Paul Lorenzen : Logical Propaedeutics. Preschool of Sensible Speaking. Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim 1967, 1973 ( BI-HTB 227 ); Metzler, Stuttgart ³1996. ISBN 3-476-01371-5
  • Lorenz, Kuno : Introduction to Philosophical Anthropology. WBG, Darmstadt 1990
  • Lorenzen, Paul : Methodical thinking. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1969 ( theory series )
  • Lorenzen, Paul : Constructive philosophy of science . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1974 ( stw 93 )
  • Lorenzen, Paul : Textbook of constructive philosophy of science. Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim 1984; Metzler, Stuttgart ²2000 ISBN 3-476-01784-2
  • Lorenzen, Paul : Basic concepts of technical and political culture. Twelve posts. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1985 ( stw 494 )
  • Mittelstraß, Jürgen (Hrsg.) : Encyclopedia Philosophy and Philosophy of Science , Vol. 1–2 Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim 1980 and 1984, Vol. 3–4 Metzler, Stuttgart 1995 and 1996; completely paperback ibid. 2004;
  • Mittelstraß, Jürgen (ed.) : Constructivism in philosophy in the outcome of Wilhelm Kamlah and Paul Lorenzen. mentis, Paderborn 2008 ( wide inf. ) ISBN 978-3897855922
  • Petersen, Peter: The term violence. Attempt to define terminology on the basis of methodical constructivism. Published as issue 4 ( MS Word ; 64 kB) of the series published by the Constructive Educational Science working group at the Kiel Institute for Education: Monographs on Educational Science . Kiel 1997

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kamlah, W. and P. Lorenzen: Logische Propädeutik p. 70
  2. ↑ W. Kamlah 1972/73 p. 95.
  3. ↑ Source: Peter Janich: The measure of things. Protophysics of Space, Time and Matter, Frankfurt am Main 1997.
  4. ↑ Wilfried Härle: "Search for traces of God: Studies on Fundamental Theology and Doctrine of God", Walter de Gruyter 2008, p. 56.