Pluralism and the Desire for Unambiguity: On the Significance of Diversity and Tolerance of Ambiguity in Socio-economic Education

People long for unambiguity and clarity. Ambiguities and diversity are lost in the process. Academic economics and the life-world economy are inherently ambiguous in real life and science. A three-dimensional scheme shows this immanent plurality: The lifeworld dimensions of economy open up a phenomenological space that reveals different perspectives depending on one’s standpoint and describes a phenomenological being. The dimension of economics opens up the world of scientific theories and models and thus the fullness of the plural economics of the mainstream and sidestream. Finally comes the “should”, which brings morality and ethics into view. This three-dimensional plurality makes it clear that there is not and cannot be one single perspective on economics and economies. Rather, in the sense of Kant’s transcendental philosophy, views, concepts, and reason are relevant for our cognition. Our economic (world) views and our economic ideas shape our economic cognition. This ultimately has significant pedagogical-didactic consequences.