TYPES OF COMPROMISE
ROBERT MISIK IN CONVERSATION WITH VERONIQUE ZANETTI
TYPES OF COMPROMISE
„Compromise deserves to be honoured. Zanetti's book goes through the forms, circumstances and dilemmas involved in finding compromises, but is also a great eulogy to compromise.“
Robert Misik
Compromises are not popular, but they are as indispensable in everyday life as they are in politics. This is because conflicting interests and convictions often cannot be reconciled in principle. It is then sensible to agree to a non-violent and jointly negotiated »second-best solution« - a compromise. Nevertheless, compromises have a bad reputation. People like to talk about „lazy compromises“ that water everything down. Compromises also take time and ensure a snail's pace. But at the same time, there is practically no social progress that has not been realised through compromise. Compromise itself is a virtue: it thrives on the willingness to find a consensus. Many points of view are taken into account when reaching a compromise; they are often „wiser“ than the divergent starting positions. The dialogue that accompanies the compromise therefore leads to smarter results.
Véronique Zanetti uses numerous examples to show how the various forms of compromise in individual and social decision-making processes, in politics, morality and law can take different forms and leads us on a philosophical journey through the world of compromise.
The philosopher talks to Robert Misik about her new book.
Véronique Zanetti, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Bielefeld
Robert Misik, Author and journalist