Civility theory (overview).

Summary

1. General concepts, typologies and models of civility are the content of the General Theory of Civility (GCT 2026), civility aspects of special areas are the subject of the Special Theory of Civility (SCT).
2. Civility is defined in civil theory as mutual respect within a framework of shared responsibility. Civility can exist to varying degrees. These correspond to levels of civility such as absent, low, overt, assured, and fully developed.
3. Civility serves the common good: the higher the prevailing level of civility, the better the chances for general welfare.
4. Levels and changes in civility can be explained, from a civility theory perspective, a) directly from the thinking and actions of those involved, b) indirectly from constellations of problems/challenges and capacities for action.
5. Typical thought and action patterns correspond to different levels of civility. The variable domains involved reinforce each other.
6. Civil ethics is situational ethics of responsibility.
7. All interactive thought and action can be analyzed from a civil theory perspective. Civil theory thus possesses enormous empirical content and is ideally suited as a basis for historical and contemporary political and social analysis. Its logical structure also allows it to be easily utilized by artificial intelligence systems.