Begriffskonflikte in der internationalen Politik

Competing conceptions of the world lead to dissension, among people as well as among states. Is it at all possible to rationally deal with controversies involving different world views and language systems? Or do conceptual conflicts, i. e. logical semantic communication problems, prevent any form of agreement? After all, it is not a question of answering a question with yes or no; there is even disagreement as to the formulation of an issue – over the adequate presentation of the points of view, the structuring of communication processes and the interpretation and use of terminology. Do conceptual conflicts arising out of ideological differences between two states also prevent the settlement of political differences? This topic is discussed on the basis of the controversy between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US – a highly volatile example of a controversy in which the representatives of differing ideologies, religions or cultures stand in opposition to each other.