Uneasy times such as the present are distinguished by the extreme indeterminacy and fuzziness of the language they use. But as a rule this is veiled over, not unsuccessfully, if often unconsciously and with self-deception. The concrete examples or "figures" of linguistic expression are quite diverse: they include the reduction of the conceptual structures of language to purely verbal constructions and schemata, the uncommonly frequent use of certain words and expressions, which creates the illusion that they are clear and well (...) defined, and much, much else. (shrink)

Pluralism is on everyone's lips these days. Only lazy people do not refer to it. Politicians and authorities on political affairs are particularly eager to talk about it. Not to be left behind are scholars who broaden pluralism to a philosophical methodological position that fits best the spirit of the times and the present historical situation. Some writers view pluralism as the most important discovery of the twentieth century, a further development of the Copernican revolution in philosophy.