Civility theory

Twelve keywords on

General Theory of Civility (AZT)

1. Guiding principle of civility: Civility is mutual respect within a shared responsibility.
2. Levels of civility: Civility exists to varying degrees and with varying degrees of security: absent, insecure/low, open, secure, developed.
3. Welfare function: The higher the existing level of civility, the greater the welfare opportunities for all those involved.
4. Variable space: Interaction logics, forms of interaction, and levels of civility form a variable space in which they influence each other.
5. Social spacetime: The prevailing level of civility influences the perception of space and time. Actors with low levels of civility tend to think in a narrower spatial and temporal sense, while those with higher levels of civility tend to think in a broader spatial and temporal sense. In this sense, levels of civility create a social spacetime.
6. Human learning: Whether and how people learn is an open question, but it can be fostered. In this sense, human learning, in which people learn to understand themselves as part of humanity, constitutes a project. With over eight billion people on Earth and numerous global capacities and challenges, global coordination is essential for humanity – based on mutual respect and shared responsibility.
7. Analytical ability: How actors relate to each other can be analyzed universally from a civil-theoretical perspective.
8. Predictive and proactive abilities: Future processes are open in their forms and outcomes. This means that self-confident actors have a chance of success even in seemingly hopeless situations.
9. Civil ethics: Civil theory establishes a civil ethics based on the guiding principles: Analyze realistically, act responsibly!
10. Civility navigation: The aim of preserving and/or promoting civility in a complex and constantly changing environment is civility navigation, in which orientation, situation analysis and control are combined according to the model of navigation.
11. Theory development: Since its initial presentation as a theory of civil modernity (2018), the theory of civility has been continuously developed. This development, which has so far been tied to specific individuals and institutions, should culminate in an open process of human learning.
12. Accessibility: All texts and videos on the theory of civility are freely accessible on the website of Civility gUG, Berlin, and should continue to be freely accessible in the future - on as many platforms and in as many media as possible.