February 28, 2007

 SOLON-line.de is going public at a moment of dramatic changes in world politics. Obviously, the advancing manifestation of a multipolar world is the clearest expression of this development.

Although the contours of this new order are not sharply defined there is a considerable intellectual deficit concerning the ability to shape it on a national and international scale. So far, the responsible people are acting primarily by pragmatic adaptation, quasi instinctive reactions, and a cautious “groping in the dark”. On the one hand, it is obvious that the “ambulant imperialism” of the United States under the Bush/Cheney Administration is coming to an end and that the US still has to find its new place in world history – which will not come about without painful shocks. On the other hand, even emerging powers like China and India, let alone Russia, have to define their role and position in this new multipolar world.

The shaping of this multipolar world order can hardly be accomplished on the basis of the cultural and philosophical paradigms of the 20^th century. But despite all optimistic and creative efforts by Asia, the construction of such an order calls for Europe and Germany to play an essential role. This can be stated with great certainty for the very reason that exactly in times of upheavals like these it is an unmatchable precious treasure to reflect upon the great European heritage of the classic period in Greece, during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment which can be comprehensively exploited still today. The German history of ideas of the “long 18^th century” reaching from Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to Alexander von Humboldt is another singularity within this great European philosophical tradition: also the German Classics and the scientific-technological principals of the process of industrialisation are the fruits of this spiritual epoch.

Last, but not least – given Europe’s necessary role as a “hinge” between the transatlantic and Eurasian space –, it may be useful to take a fresh look at Bismarck’s policy of acting as “honest broker.” Pointing to this historic spiritual continuity does not at all mean that this project is the beginning of glorifyingly looking backwards in history.Quite the contrary: Our concern is to openly and seriously discuss – in a dialogue with all other great cultures and spiritual traditions – how this precious European and German heritage can be used fruitfully for meeting the challenges of the 21^st century. In short, we are looking for the single strategy which can be used to initiate a new, peaceful epoch of mankind’s coexistence by a continuing process of industrial reconstruction, a Dialogue of Cultures, a global security architecture in economic and military terms, as well as a cultural renaissance.

SOLON-line.de should be the venue for discussing these ideas. In so doing, we want to take up the various initiatives existing already in this country and elsewhere, in order to renew the industrial basis, as well as the cultural orientation. In the humanities and in natural science, in music and poetry, these initiatives do already exist.

Concerning the strategic assessment of the political situation on the national and international level, we appeal to the politically informed citizen who wants to get background analysis and a comprehensive understanding of present political and economic developments. Whereas the internet offers political and economic “basic information” in an abundance not known so far, often a competent evaluation of this information is not available in due course. This in our view is the central task of SOLON-line.de.

And in all of this our name is our “program” as Rosa Tennenbaum explains in her contribution on the ancient Solon of Athens.