Prof. Otfried Hoffe calls for a world republic
A central challenge of our era, globalization is taking place not only in the economy. It also extends to politics, science and culture and provides the States with entirely new tasks. How can global problems such as pollution, manage, combating organized international crime, or the alignment of education with the resources of individual states? Otfried Hoffe
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tübingen and director of the Center for Political Philosophy diagnosed in his new book "Democracy in the Age of Globalization" a multidimensional global action, which calls for a new political order. Traditional means of diplomacy, state alliances such as NATO or world organizations like the United Nations could perform global tasks previously restricted only strong. Hoffe calls for a reform of existing institutions. But beyond that should be a world republic dedicated to those new roles of the different dimensions of a global need for action by the states not to be solved.
this world republic must satisfy the conditions of a liberal democracy, and is structured in line with the principles of subsidiarity and federalism. The states remain preserved and complemented by the global legal and political system only. However, it is necessary that the world republic receives binding decision powers.
Höffe this model adds another complex idea: To design a global democracy, including global civic virtues such as law, justice and common sense. It would also appear, the future (global) citizens by civil courage, tolerance and moderation in global scale. The moral Values that have already found on the Charter of the United Nations and its human rights covenants global recognition, must be developed further according to the philosopher.
The solidarity of all humanity has a moral imperative for Höffe. "Specifically, for example, could be set up a global social security for those tasks where is the humanity a common destiny. And in any case need the economic phenomena of globalization as a counterpoint to a civil or civil society," he explained.
The philosopher developed his ideas in a thorough analysis of studies of international law, the theories of international politics, political economy and sociology.
The weaknesses of existing international institutions have his research shows that especially in the absence of a coercive order due. He therefore calls for a world federal state with a binding law. This will not necessarily existing institutions should be abolished. Moreover, the existing democracies should open right there for a world democracy, where their skills fail to protect law and justice.
The global model of democracy, the researchers builds on the ideas of the philosopher Immanuel Kant to global peace and legal order at. According to Kant, it is offered to people, cohabitation right to organize and state-like. This bid will only then fully complied with, where they set up in addition to the communities we are familiar with a League of Nations, a world republic and a world citizen.
Höffe has developed the ideas of Kant and complements the principles through concrete proposals, such as the establishment of institutions such as an international arbitration court and a criminal world. A world in his view, Parliament should consist of two chambers, a "World" of all citizens and a "World Council" of all States. Not a few of these ideas are already in the approach in today's world there. A frequently cited example is the United Nations. However, you can not, Hoffe, be considered as a rudimentary world republic. "The organization needs fundamental reform. In particular, the Security Council currently consists of five privileged members, a collective hegemony presume," said the philosopher. attach
the accusation, a live remote ideal, Höffe invalidated by showing the various stages of development, which could take humanity on the path to a world democracy.
He argues for a "continental intermediate stage". Following the pattern of the European Union could in this way many problems "in house" to solve, so that the world's Republic of few remaining tasks were
satisfy the end, but "only in the idea of a world republic is a moral imperative, which owe the people today. The rule of law, justice and democracy at the global level, the subsidiary and federal world republic is raising the bar , at which the future world order must be judged. "
addition, the possible alternatives to a world republic hardly meet the issues raised. Thus, as the strategic world order that is determined solely by the will to survive and benefit the search of the individual States had itself obsolete. Also
governance without a state, the so-called New institutionalism, could not satisfactorily solve global problems. "First, it suffers from a power deficit. Neither the minimum of a world order, the inter-governmental peace is secured, even the minimum of justice, impartiality.
also a world competition authority is lacking to enforce minimum social and environmental criteria.
Second, there is a legitimacy deficit because few of the relevant institutions meet our standards of democracy, "said Hoffe.
Another alternative, the democratization of the entire international world bar, but an important contribution to a more peaceful world order, they only secure but not a democratic co-existence of democracies with one another, so that they could not replace the global legal order.
Höffe calls not an all-powerful global government but a government-staged democratic and constitutional order. Innovation forces inherent in each competition are also included in a world republic. The competition of languages and religions, economies and forms, ultimately, the education would continue to receive. World democracy put only the right moral framework to which the people have against each claim and make sure that the freedom of competition, the selflessness and peace of the people are not overtaxed.
source: Prof. Otfried Hoffe http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/uni/qvo/pd/pd46.html of Philosophy, Political Philosophy Research Centre Tübingen, 10 January 2000Otfried Höffe: Democracy in the Age of Globalization, CH Beck Verlag, Munich 1999, ISBN 45 424 3406 0th
More thoughts on the subject:
http://www.inidia.de/weltrepublik-aller-nationen.htm
http://www.inidia.de/subsidaere_weltrepublik.htm
