Norbert Copray

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Norbert Copray 2007 giving a lecture

Norbert Copray (born August 5, 1952 in Hildesheim ) is a German philosopher , social scientist , theologian , leadership and teaching coach and publicist .

Studies and degrees

After graduating from high school in Hildesheim in 1972, Norbert Copray began studying philosophy and Catholic theology at the St. Georgen Philosophical-Theological University of the Jesuits in Frankfurt am Main and graduated in 1974. He then studied philosophy and ecumenical theology, psychology and social sciences at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen from 1975, from 1976 philosophy, religious studies, educational psychology and social sciences at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and theology at the Philosophical-Theological University of St. Georgen in Frankfurt am Main. In May 1977 he finished his studies in philosophy ( Frankfurt School ), social sciences and educational psychology with a Magister Artium . He completed his studies in theology in October 1977. He then took up a doctoral degree with financial support from the German National Academic Foundation . In March 1981, Norbert Copray was awarded a doctorate with his dissertation on communication and revelation and the subsequent disputation on this topic. phil. PhD.

Themes and works

Norbert Copray has written or edited more than 25 books and has written over 8,000 specialist and non-fiction book reviews in the fields of politics, society, ethics, philosophy, theology, education and management. There are also numerous comments on book and topic trends as well as analyzes of the book and media market.

Communication and communicative competence

His scientific work is based on a theory of dialogical and social communication, applied ethics, the life phase of young adults and fairness. His core theses on communication include a .:

  • Human communication is only properly understood if it is in its basic dialogical structure ( Martin Buber ), in its linguistic and social setting ( Jürgen Habermas ), in its ethical claim ( Ludwig Feuerbach , Karl-Otto Apel , Jürgen Habermas) and in its unavailable generation of meaning (Jürgen Habermas, Martin Buber, Gerhard Ebeling , Johann Baptist Metz ) is understood.
  • Communication already implies an ethic that requires practical confirmation in favor of understanding, which is realized in a leap of faith and in solidarity. The communicative competence consists primarily of being able to practically anticipate successful communication.

Future and competence of young adults

In Copray's work Young and Yet Grown (two volumes, Düsseldorf 1987 and 1989), there is on the one hand the application of his theory of communicative competence, on the other hand the preparation of the fairness topic with a view to a special age in German society. The core theses:

  • Young adults of the eighties and nineties develop a “paradoxical identity” with which, because of their large cohort, they will clearly shape the future social milieu in the first decades of the 21st century.
  • This leads to changing roles and behavioral patterns as well as to the ambivalence of personality between being subject and being passive.
  • The cognitive dissonance will continue to spread as a result.
  • What is meant by this is that when people have made decisions, thought, said or done something that runs counter to their innermost convictions, values ​​and feelings, people offer a whole arsenal of prejudices, self-persuasion, rationalization, self-deception and trench warfare in order to reduce this unpleasant state or even to make it disappear completely - and that only to justify yourself, not to remain in the emotional conflict state of dissonance, not to be ashamed and not to have to suffer loss of face. In this way, people will try to cope with contradictions in their lives and in the globalized society.
  • Patterns of tradition will break, the course of crises will increase and personal, social, professional and economic existence will become precarious in the area.
  • On the other hand, only an open, transparent and healing culture that accepts breaks and contradictions in people and in their actions can help, in order to find ways in considerate interaction with one another to greater authenticity and sovereignty, to solidarity and ecologically compatible action.

In his work, Copray has analyzed and prognosticated such various phenomena and structural elements, some of which are only emerging today in the breadth of concern. In addition, a transaction analytical theory and its application related to the socialization of young adults was developed and made usable for accompanying and advising young adults, including young and future managers.

Diagnosing an unfair system

With the book “Bullying and Abuse in the Church. For damage detection and damage limitation ”(together with Anton Bittler. Oberursel 1999) and other contributions to church structures, Copray presented the traumatizing unfairness in church organizations ten years before the abuses in churches and homes and other institutions that became public, illuminating their background and looking at preventive measures Measures pointed out. For him, abuse and bullying are manifestations of unfair attacks, which was later integrated into his theory of the “system of unfairness” and of “unfair attacks”.

Fairness theory and practice

He presented his tried and tested theory of fairness in 2010 in “Fairness. The key to cooperation and trust ”(Gütersloh) published. As a pioneer of the fairness philosophy, the work is based on a practically relevant and applicable fairness theory, which is linked to current conditions in society, economy, politics, in companies and organizations, in schools and neighborhoods. Copray imparts crucial knowledge in order to be able to stand up for fairness in the long term. His core theses:

  • People have a “fairness intuition” that has a biological basis and, through appropriate socialization, develops into an important and helpful “fairness compass”.
  • The fairness intuition is irritated by various disturbances in early socialization, by psychological tricks and socio-economic processes.
  • It must be respected, developed and, if possible, transformed into “fairness competence” by the people themselves, in order to stand up for fairness quality in the social environment, in organizations and in society.

The "fairness fiasco" consists of a "system of unfairness" that spreads parasitically in an organization or society, which lures people with a "fairness trap" of various forms. In order to counter this, to have a preventive effect and to achieve reliable fairness quality, a “fairness competence” must be developed that enables “fairness professionalism”.

However, this remains ineffective and will not convince, but it hangs in the air if it is not tied back to a "fairness ethos". If a reliable quality of fairness is achieved, the “fairness factor” multiplies financial, technical and other resources in favor of cooperation, trust and sustainable success.

Coaching as personality development

In addition, Copray developed its own coaching approach based on a broad, humanistic education of the coach. The focus is on efficiently accompanying managers in developing their leadership personality. According to Copray, the application of a method must always be integrated into critical and appreciative self-reflection, self-correction and personal maturation. In doing so, he also opposes coaching that is reduced to the achievement of methods and goals and that takes too little account of or neglects personality development.

See:

"What good are manager seminars? Psychology for managers: banal wisdom, risky practice", in: psychologie heute 9/1995; "Coaching: Procedure for many embarrassments?", In: Management & Karriere, Jahrbuch 1998 ed. v. Heinrich Sadler, Düsseldorf 1997, 198 - 203. He developed and profiled this approach in the further training of coaches, trainers and executives to become certified fairness coaches and trainers in the Fairness Foundation.

Freelance work

During the last semester of his studies, Copray worked as an assistant to Rupert Lay (“Dialectics for Managers”, “Ethics for Managers”) and in this way came into contact with managers in the German economy, for whom he advised and supported. At the same time, he accompanied and advised leaders of social and church organizations and authorities. From the beginning of his doctoral studies in 1977, Copray worked as a freelance consultant and companion, later also as a coach for executives. From 1977 Copray developed the review system of Publik-Forum , which he still leads today.

He also held a teaching post (until 1989) at the upper level of a Frankfurt grammar school for ethics and religion. At the same time, he gave lectures and seminars in adult education, carried out teaching assignments at the University of Frankfurt, was a lecturer at academies several times, published numerous articles and books as a freelance journalist and publicist, wrote program concepts, scripts and realized programs in the education department of Hessischer Rundfunk (recording , Speaker, moderation; 1978 to 1983). Between 1979 and 1987 he carried out advanced training courses, conferences and supervision for teachers at the Hessian Institute for Teacher Training.

In 1981, Copray founded the CTC personal improvement network for coaching, training and counseling. He took part in a multi-year advanced training course in transactional analytical psychotherapy (DGTA) and worked therapeutically for individuals and couples until 1995, initially under supervision.

In 1982 he started educational work for young adults for the diocese of Limburg and headed it until 1999. This brought a population group into focus that had not yet been named. In addition, in 1987 and 1989 his work “Young and still grown up” was published in two volumes, in which the age of young adults between 18 and 35 years of age was processed socio-psychologically, politically and programmatically and made transparent for educational work.

In parallel to his conceptual and programmatic development and expansion work, Copray always remained freelance for executives and companies and completed numerous lecture tours and seminars and carried out regular coaching and supervision. In 1985 Copray started with open philosophical seminars, in 1991 he invited to open philosophical cafes, which were attended by over 150 people. In companies, he also conducted open space and resonance events for larger teams or departments. Copray played a leading role in numerous reorganization projects.

From 1995 to 2004 he published the “Ethics Letter” together with Rupert Lay and took over its editor-in-chief. The magazine "Chefposition", published by Orgenda-Verlag, accompanied Copray from 2003 to 2006 as editor-in-chief. In 2000, Copray founded the Fairness Foundation as a non-profit GmbH with Rupert Lay as the first chairman (until 2004) of the board of trustees and has been its managing director ever since. The Fairness Foundation wants to contribute to increasing the quality of fairness in business, society, politics and culture, impart the theoretical and practical knowledge required for this, and contribute to improved conditions for fair trading. It is primarily aimed at those responsible in companies, organizations and authorities who can significantly influence and promote fairness in their respective areas.

Copray was a member of the jury for the award of the “German Prize for Business Ethics” as part of the Compamedia AG project “ethics in business”, of the Erich Fromm Society jury for the award of the “ Erich Fromm Prize ”, and of the German Kniggerat and was involved in the advisory board of the “Sun for Children” foundation of City Solar AG. Since 2006 he has been publisher and partner of the magazine Publik-Forum on behalf of the reader initiative Publik-Forum eV

Publications (selection)

  • Grow with contradictions. In the dichotomy between money and love, morality and ethics, communication and internet, spirit and demon. Oberursel 2015
  • Fairness. The key to cooperation and trust. Gütersloh 2010.
  • Christianity construction site. Faith and theology put to the test. Editor and co-author, Mainz 2009.
  • Bullying and Abuse in the Church. For damage detection and damage limitation . Edited together with Anton Bittler. Oberursel 1999.
  • The stronger in the law? The everyday struggle for life. Editor and co-author a. a. with Thea Bauriedl , Hans-Joachim Maaz, Anke Martiny, Klaus Wahl, Horst-Eberhard Richter , Kösel, Munich 1992.
  • Is that all? Women between success and longing. Editor and co-author a. a. with Bärbel Bohley, Freya Klier, Elga Sorge, Irene Kummer and Rita Süssmuth . Kösel, Munich 1991.
  • Always more? The seduction to addiction. Editor and co-author a. a. with Horst-Eberhard Richter, Ingrid Riedel , Michael May, Anne Wilson Schaef, Kösel, Munich 1991.
  • Create hope . Editor and co-author. Fischer paperback, Frankfurt am Main 1989.
  • Young and yet grown up. Volume 2: On dealing and working with young adults in the crisis of the future. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1988
  • Resist in hope. Ways out of the crisis. Kösel, Munich 1988.
  • Young and yet grown up. Volume 1: On the situation of young adults in the crisis of the future. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1987.

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Copray, Norbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German philosopher, social scientist, theologian, leadership and teaching coach and journalist
DATE OF BIRTH 5th August 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH Hildesheim