The term "fairness," in everyday language, seems to be used in two main ways: to express the idea of a fair division of something, and to express the idea of a fair response to the behavior of other people. This latter, by extension, captures the more general notion of reciprocity. Ernst Fehr refers to reciprocity and conditional cooperation as resulting from the operation of social norms. In this paper I suggest a different framework, recognizing differences between social norms and (...) of moral norms, in terms of both operation and substantive content, and establishing a third category of "quasi-moral norms," comprising norms of reciprocity and of conditional cooperation and bearing both conditional and unconditional aspects. In conclusion, I offer two observations about the social consequences of fairness motivations. First, strategic or self-deceptive charges of unfairness can raise the stakes, create deadlock and prevent compromise. Reactions to perceived unfairness, and anticipation of such reactions, can make the world a better place, but may also generate waste and inefficiency. Second, the conditional motivation of fairness requires some unconditional cooperators to get activated. Once activated, it will pick up not only some who are motivated by the quasi-moral norm of fairness, but also some who are under the sway of social norms. Fairness motivations can make the world a better place, but they need help. (shrink)

The term "fairness," in everyday language, seems to be used in two main ways: to express the idea of a fair division of something, and to express the idea of a fair response to the behavior of other people. This latter, by extension, captures the more general notion of reciprocity. Ernst Fehr refers to reciprocity and conditional cooperation as resulting from the operation of social norms. In this paper I suggest a different framework, recognizing differences between social norms and (...) of moral norms, in terms of both operation and substantive content, and establishing a third category of "quasi-moral norms," comprising norms of reciprocity and of conditional cooperation and bearing both conditional and unconditional aspects. In conclusion, I offer two observations about the social consequences of fairness motivations. First, strategic or self-deceptive charges of unfairness can raise the stakes, create deadlock and prevent compromise. Reactions to perceived unfairness, and anticipation of such reactions, can make the world a better place, but may also generate waste and inefficiency. Second, the conditional motivation of fairness requires some unconditional cooperators to get activated. Once activated, it will pick up not only some who are motivated by the quasi-moral norm of fairness, but also some who are under the sway of social norms. Fairness motivations can make the world a better place, but they need help. (shrink)

I discuss recent work by Ernst Fehr and his collaborators on cooperation and reciprocity. (i) Their work demonstrates conclusively the reality and importance of non-self-interested motivations. (ii) It allows for a useful distinction between trust and blind trust. (iii) It points to a category of quasi-moral norms, distinct both from social norms and moral norms. (iv) It demonstrates how social interactions can generate irrational belief formation. (v) It shows the potential of punishment for sustaining social norms and for overcoming (...) the second-order free rider problem as well as obstacles to group selection. (vi) It offers a provocative experimental basis for the ‘warm-glow’ explanation of altruistic behavior. I conclude by suggesting some experiments that might allow for further developments of the theory. (shrink)

Taking as its point of departure the first systematic definition of the concept of literary studies (Literaturwissenschaft) as formulated by Ernst Elster, the essay explores the question to what degree literary studies can be conceived as a discipline that inquires after the principles of literature.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain (...) in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. (shrink)

Introduction Undoubtedly it would be useful to interpret the "new Nietzsche," as he is often called, within the larger contexts of "Nietzsche and the ...

Wolfgang Ernst, Professor of Media Theories at the Humboldt University in Berlin, has become known through his work on media archaeology. Hence the inclusion of this translation represents an alternative take on cultural techniques. It places the legacy of cultural studies, or Kulturwissenschaften, in an interesting tension with the different epistemological demands that technical media impose. After Vico and Dilthey, argues Ernst, we need to investigate the specific modes of knowledge that technical media propose to cultural techniques. (...) class='Hi'>Ernst’s media archaeology and the slightly different approach to cultural techniques found in some other contributions in this issue can be seen as two of the most intriguing ways in which current German media studies has been developing in relation to Friedrich Kittler’s impact. For Ernst, this has resulted in a more technical focus and also in the development of critiques of temporality that go beyond media history. Ernst argues that media temporality is not to be understood only through the cultural history of media technologies, but also how media technologies produce time. Machines have their own specific temporality, Eigenzeit. It is in this context that the article discusses the different approaches to cultural techniques, taking into consideration the specific time-critical and epistemic implications of technical media. (shrink)

Complementary and alternative medicine has become an important section of healthcare. Its high level of acceptance among the general population represents a challenge to healthcare professionals of all disciplines and raises a host of ethical issues. This article is an attempt to explore some of the more obvious or practical ethical aspects of complementary and alternative medicine.

"Nicht die Bedingungen der Moglichkeit irgendwelcher Erkenntnisse, nicht die Voraussetzungen des Erkennens, weder die formalen noch die materialen, sondern das Erkennen selbst zu untersuchen ist die Aufgabe dieser Erkenntnistheorie. Dass etwas erkannt wird, d. h. dass in Wahrnehmungen, Erinnerungen, Gedanken, im Zweifeln, Glauben und Wissen Gegenstande erfasst werden, diese Tatsache bildet den Ausgangspunkt der folgenden Betrachtungen. Wie die verschiedenen Arten des Erkennens sich voneinander unterscheiden, aus welchen Elementarprozessen sie sich zusammensetzen und welche Gesetze ihre Entwickelung beherrschen, das sind die Fragen, (...) die von der Psychologie des Erkennens zu beantworten sind." Der Verlag der Wissenschaften verlegt historische Literatur bekannter und unbekannter wissenschaftlicher Autoren. Dem interessierten Leser werden so teilweise langst nicht mehr verlegte Werke wieder zugangig gemacht. Dieses Buch uber die Erkenntnistheorie von Dr. Ernst Durr ist ein unveranderter, hochwertiger Nachdruck der Originalausgabe aus dem Jahr 1910.". (shrink)

These essays in aesthetics by the philosopher Ernst Bloch belong to the tradition ofcultural criticism represented by Georg Lukács, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin.

Der Band enthält die wichtigsten kleineren philosophischen Arbeiten des Autors aus den Jahren 1960 bis 1990. Sie sind unterteilt in die Rubriken Sein, Wahrheit, Praxis und Kritik. Mit »Sein« und »Wahrheit« sind die wichtigsten Themen von Tugendhats früherer Arbeit genannt, ab ca. 1975 hat er sich weitgehend der praktischen Philosophie zugewandt. Sein Buch »Vorlesungen zur Einführung in die sprachanalytische Philosophie«, 1976 (stw 45), verstand sich als Alternativansatz zu Heideggers Frage nach der Struktur des menschlichen Verstehens. Die »Vorlesungen« orientieren diese Frage (...) an der Sprache, Heidegger hatte sie auf das Sein bezogen. Die hier gesammelten Aufsätze zum Thema »Sein« stützen seine Heidegger gewidmeten »Vorlesungen« negativ ab: sie sollen zeigen, daß das Sein nicht nur ein falscher Orientierungspunkt ist, sondern überhaupt keine einheitliche Thematik darstellt. (shrink)

Die Philosophie der symbolischen Formen gilt als eine der wichtigsten Fortschreibungen bzw. Transformationen der Kritischen Philosophie Immanuel Kants. Zugleich kann Ernst Cassirer (1874-1945), der die philosophischen Grundlagen zum Verständnis kultureller Phänomene als Produkte und Medien der Auseinandersetzung des Menschen mit seiner Umwelt gelegt hat, als der Vordenker verschiedener aktueller 'turns' gelten, die in immer kürzerer Folge von den Kulturwissenschaften ausgerufen werden. Während hier jedoch ein Paradigma mit dem anderen konkurriert, lassen sie sich vor dem Hintergrund der Theorie symbolischer Formung (...) Ernst Cassirers als Akzentuierungen grundlegender Bedingungen menschlicher Kreativität begreifen, die in ihrem Zusammenwirken verstanden werden müssen. Der vorliegende Band ist sowohl als Einführung in die Philosophie der symbolischen Formen als auch als Ergänzung zu der Beschäftigung mit dem 3-bändigen Hauptwerk Ernst Cassirers konzipiert. Er enthält Texte, in denen Cassirer auf engem Raum konzise in die Programmatik der Philosophie der symbolischen Formen einführt, aber auch solche, in denen die gedankliche Herkunft und der Kontext, in welchem er seine Symbolphilosophie entwickelt, erläutert werden. Die hier abgedruckten Aufsätze und Vorträge folgen der Ausgabe Ernst Cassirer, Gesammelte Werke, Hamburg 1998-2009. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Klio Jahrgang: 96 Heft: 1 Seiten: 287-288.