ABSTRACT
The word ‘attitude’ comes from the Italian word ‘attitudine’, which itself goes back to the Latin word ‘aptitudo’, translated as ‘aptitude’ or ‘ability’. This Latin word derives from the verb ‘aptus’, which means ‘to fit’ or ‘to join’. Attitudes play a role in almost all social issues. This must come as a surprise in view of the not only positive but also problematic history of the concept of attitudes. Attitudes can – depending on what experiences they appeal to – become beliefs and judgements. If attitudes are based on a subjective context, they are essentially subjective beliefs. Attitudes find themselves precisely in the mediating role because they encompass subjective beliefs, collective judgements, systemic positions, and objective positions and form them into a coherent whole.
