ABSTRACT
The German Constitution guarantees ‘freedom of the arts and sciences, research and teaching’ (Article 5, paragraph 3, Section 1). Science and research are fundamental elements of our free and open society, and in this society no person should have goals or ideas forced upon him. Moreover, our lives are not ruled by ‘collective goals’, such as those painfully endured for over forty years in former East Germany. in our democracy, we live with diversity of opinion, discussion, and a struggle for consensus. This means that we need as broad a consensus as possible to show us in which direction our society and country should progress.
