Doppelte Kontingenz

Maximilian Völter

Painting - Oil, Oil sticks on canvas

80 x 100 x 3 cm

Double contingency / Doppelte Kontingenz: The term describes (in pure form) a social situation in which at least two participants perceive each other, and in which it is still completely undetermined what should happen next. The situation is characterized by the fact that nothing is necessary (to do) and at the same time nothing is impossible (to do); in the exclusion of necessity and impossibility is the contingency. Due to the fact that this applies to both participants at the same time, there is talk of double contingency. If each of the two wants to commit himself only in relation to the other and wants to (or can) connect his behavior/action only with that of the other, the problem arises that no beginning is conceivable, because it is not clear which of the two should start with what. For example, there is no topic for communication contributions. For every possible topic, there is no reason to initiate exactly this topic. Any other topic could be taken.