Worlds of Contradiction (WOC) is now celebrating its tenth anniversary, and the concept of contradiction has maintained its relevance as time has passed. Can you give us a few examples of this?

Ingo Warnke: We are confronted daily with contradictions – such as short-term, election-oriented politics contending with long-term transformations like climate policy or the digital acceleration of decision-making contrasting with the complex compromises required in education policy. Another example of a contradiction would be a scenario where challenging the closed identity structure of groups in a call for nuance inadvertently creates new forms of division and exclusion.

What exactly does WOC research?

Alisha Heinemann: Contradiction Studies is a field of research that aims to describe and logically understand a fundamental and far-reaching tension that permeates our daily lives. The principle of non-contradiction is a guiding force in academia. Ideas are expected to be logical and consistent in themselves. If this is the case, then contradiction is related to falsehood, impossibility, and untruth. At the same time, however, there are contradictions in our lives that we all experience every day. WOC has established this field of research in Bremen and will continue to explore and differentiate this topic further in the future.

To what extent have your research topics changed over the last ten years?

Ingo Warnke: At WOC, we examine contradictions from a historical perspective, and our research extends from the Middle Ages to future studies. When it comes to contradictions in the present, we focus on current escalations, such as the polarization of society. These are obvious topics of discussion that we investigate in detail empirically and theoretically. We are interested in the dynamics of polarization in the coming years, as well as attitudes of rejecting reality and the desire for untruth and ignorance that accompany it. We also examine counter-trends including community, solidarity, resistance, and resilience.

Have perspectives and approaches also changed?

Alisha Heinemann: Of course, as is always the case. In part, this is due to the numerous empirical individual studies conducted by the DFG Research Training Group Contradiction Studies and the work in our labs and research centers. Contradiction has become a more central research topic and is constantly evolving.

What are some examples of results and findings that WOC has produced over the past decade?

Ingo Warnke: Exploring the complexities of contradictions is at the heart of our work. We consider the role of perceptions, and question whether apparent contradictions might merely be a byproduct of our individual perspectives. For example, is it truly a contradiction to be both religious and queer, or are we imposing a dichotomy that isn’t there? Examining the role of disagreement in democratic discourse can help us understand conflicting positions. Meanwhile, the rapid evolution of data and technology is transforming the landscape of political contradictions. Our research projects have been dedicated to these and many other questions in recent years.

What is the significance of the humanities in particular for WOC and for the University of Bremen?

Alisha Heinemann: We believe that the humanities have developed particularly dynamically precisely at the interdisciplinary points of overlap that WOC focuses on. Just consider the many political debates about polarization, fake news, and new and old societal divides. With WOC, we have a visible presence, which we owe to the great dedication of the WOC community, as well as the University of Bremen and Bremen State. We contribute to the university’s well-rounded profile and seek dialogue with the public through our various outreach events. Our Contradictions Festival at the end of this year is a good example.

Many people are unaware that without the Excellence Initiative, WOC would not exist. Can you explain the connection to Excellence?

Ingo Warnke: WOC was founded in 2015 by members of the University of Bremen, and initially, funding from the Excellence Initiative made this possible. Creative Units were also important at the time, as they encouraged a commitment to cooperation in the humanities and liberal arts in particular. From this initial networking of research interests, WOC has grown to become what it is today: an internationally networked scientific institution within the university. It operates as a collaborative research platform and is supported by five faculties: Law, Social Sciences, Cultural Studies, Linguistics and Literary Studies, and Pedagogy and Educational Sciences.

Further information

Website Worlds of Contradiction