1. The Need of New Approaches - Kritische Stimmen zur ...

Chapter 9: The Thought Experiment
712 / 2004-12-09 - Prof. Otfried HÖFFE c/o Philosophisches Seminar, Universität Tübingen.
CD-ROM 1.2 with printout of 93 sample pages, 2nd Progress Report.
Extract:
“Please find everything else, dear Professor Höffe, enclosed. Since you have, in your journalistic comments
- FAZ article: “Zwischen Risiko und Sicherheit” [Between Risk and Security] (10.8.02);
- FAZ article on a “demokratisches Bildungswesen” [democratic educational system] (23.8.04);
repeatedly and passionately extolled the importance of creativity and competition and of the free market and
even “tough contest”, also for the fields of culture and science:
- “To assist the blossoming not only of the economic, but also scientific and cultural flowers by means of
competition and performance incentives is the duty of what pars pro toto the free market means.”
- to the benefit of competitors at all levels: “not only between the companies and the parties, but also in
science and art ...”
- reference to Adam Smith and Kant as supporters not only of competition, but “of tough contest“
we assume that you will not become typically stiff with horror when you hear criticism of the holiest theory of
physics, but would instead support the demand for free public discussion, even in the field of theoretical physics.
This has moved us to send you, too, our work with the courteous request that you examine the problems uncovered
by our documentation and, in the event of a positive result of this examination, that you make efforts to stimulate, in
the context of your political and journalistic work, free public discussion of the conditions existing in the field of
theoretical physics. For purposes of your journalistic work you can make use of the texts sent to you by us at your
discretion.”
713 / 2004-12-10 - Prof. Meinhard MIEGEL c/o Institut für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Bonn.
CD-ROM 1.2 with printout of 93 sample pages, 2nd Progress Report.
Extract:
“Please find everything else, dear Professor Miegel, enclosed. Since you are well known for the versatility of
your functions and activities, some of which are also to be found in the fields of science and culture, and since you
are also known to show no false consideration in the public, but in each case placing the issue in the forefront, we
assume that you will not become typically stiff with horror when you hear criticism of the holiest theory of physics,
but would instead support the demand for free public discussion even in the field of theoretical physics. This has
moved us to send you, too, our work with the courteous request that you examine the problems uncovered by our
documentation and, in the event of a positive result of this examination, that you make efforts to stimulate, in the
context of your scientific and journalistic work, free public discussion of the conditions existing in the field of
theoretical physics. For purposes of your journalistic work you can make use of the texts sent to you by us at your
discretion.
Since, amongst other things, you are also spokesman of the Bürgerkonvent [citizens’ convention], we see a
certain affinity to your activities inasmuch as we also regard ourselves as a sort of citizens’ initiative, though
without describing ourselves as such, because we do not appear personally in public.
As you can see from the accompanying second progress report, which contains our postal dispatch list for the
first three years, we have informed, amongst others, 71 parliamentary fractions in the Federal Republic of Germany
about the results of our documentation and have requested that they examine this to determine any need for action.
We place our hopes on the possibility that at the political level the significance of the organized breach of law in
theoretical physics - which is, after all, no less than the breach of a basic right - will be recognized and that efforts
will be made to reinstate the validity of the German constitution in this branch of the natural sciences.
Due to the generally acclaimed fundamental significance of the theory for our view of the world and as a
showpiece of our all-round education the topic need not only develop an amusing aspect, but could also give rise to
a commitment to taking a generally more critical attitude towards the major discoveries announced by interested
parties.”
714 / 2004-12-10 - Prof. Herfried MÜNKLER c/o HU, Inst. f. Sozialwissenschaften. Berlin.
CD-ROM 1.2 with printout of 93 sample pages, 2nd Progress Report.
Extract:
“Please find everything else, dear Professor Münkler, enclosed. Your participation in the working group of the
BBAW on the expectations placed on the elite in the fields of politics, commerce, the media and science, as can be
read in the TAGESSPIEGEL report (15.11.04) on your lecture, saw you take a critical attitude towards the
German-elite debate: e.g. that the elite are not evaluated on the basis of their democratic legitimization, that
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G. O. Mueller: STR 2012