Under approval voting, each voter just distinguishes the candidates he approves of from those appearing as unacceptable. The preference approval voting is a hybrid version of the approval voting first introduced by Brams and Sanver The mathematics of preference, choice and order. Springer, Berlin, pp 215–237, 2009). Under PAV, each voter ranks all the candidates and then indicates the ones he approves. In this paper, we provide an analytical representation of the limiting probability that PAV elects the Condorcet winner (...) when she exists in three-candidate elections. We perform our analysis by assuming the assumption of the Extended Impartial Culture. The aim is to measure at which extend PAV performs better than AV both on the propensity of electing the Condorcet winner and on that of the non-election of the Condorcet loser. For this purpose, we also provide an analytical representation of the limiting probability that AV elects the Condorcet winner when she exists in three-candidate elections. Our representation of the limiting probability that AV elects the Condorcet winner is more general than that provided by Diss et al. Handbook on approval voting. Springer, Berlin, pp 255–283, 2010) and it leads to the same figures as the representation provided by Gehrlein and Lepelley. (shrink)

This paper provides a distance based analysis of the Borda rule with respect to Condorcet’s criterion. It shows that the minimal Condorcet consistency present in the Borda rule, whenever a Condorcet winner (the alternative that wins against every other alternative in a pairwise contest) exists, disappears in the case of voting cycles. First, it is shown that for certain preference profiles the Borda winner is furthest from being a Condorcet winner. Second, it is shown that there (...) exist preference profiles for which the Borda winner is closest from being a Condorcet loser (the alternative that loses against every other alternative in a pairwise contest). (shrink)

In social choice theory with ordinal preferences, a voting method satisfies the axiom of positive involvement if adding to a preference profile a voter who ranks an alternative uniquely first cannot cause that alternative to go from winning to losing. In this note, we prove a new impossibility theorem concerning this axiom: there is no ordinal voting method satisfying positive involvement that also satisfies the Condorcet winner and loser criteria, resolvability, and a common invariance property for Condorcet (...) methods, namely that the choice of winners depends only on the ordering of majority margins by size. (shrink)

In the citizen–candidate approach each citizen chooses whether or not to run as candidate. In a single-peaked preference domain, we find that the strategic entry decision of the candidates eliminates one of the most undesirable properties of Plurality rule, namely to elect a poor candidate in three-candidate elections since as we show, the Condorcet winner among the self-declared candidates is always elected. We find that the equilibria with three candidates are basically 2-fold, either there are two right-wing candidates and (...) a left-wing candidate who wins the elections (or its symmetric), or there is a right-wing candidate, a left-wing candidate, and a candidate located in between the two others who becomes winner. We also show that when four or more candidates enter the contest, Plurality rule can elect the Condorcet-loser among the self-declared candidates. (shrink)

Nicolas de Condorcet (1743-1794), the innovating founder of mathematical thinking in politics, was the last great philosophe of the French Enlightenment and a central figure in the early years of the French Revolution. His political writings give a compelling vision of human progress across world history and express the hopes of that time in the future perfectibility of man. This volume contains a revised translation of 'The Sketch', written while in hiding from the Jacobin Terror, together with lesser-known writings (...) on the emancipation of women, the abolition of slavery, the meanings of freedom and despotism and reflections on revolutionary violence. The introduction by Steven Lukes and Nadia Urbinati sets these works in context and shows why Condorcet is of real interest today as we reinterpret the meaning of Enlightenment, the very idea of progress and the founding ideas of social democracy. (shrink)

Alles Endliche existiert in Raum und Zeit. Wir Menschen beschränken uns nicht darauf, in Raum und Zeit zu leben. Wir gestalten auch die Räume und die Zeiten und lassen sie so zu Trägern von Sinn werden. Die biblische Religion der Juden und der Christen ist vor allem an der Formung der Zeit interessiert. So antwortet der Mensch dem Gott, der für seine Welt Zeit hat. Es gehört zu den erstaunlichsten Leistungen, die Menschen vollbracht haben, die leere Zeit zu einer gefüllten (...) Zeit gestaltet zu haben, die nun ihrerseits den Menschen zu einer Verheißung der Ewigkeit geworden ist.All finite things exist in space and time. But, we humans are not restricted to live in space and time, rather we give shape to these spaces and times and let them become symbols of meaning. The biblical religion of Jews and Christians is, above all, concerned with the shaping of time. In this sense man answers to God who has time for His world. It's part of the astounding achievements which man has accomplished to shape empty time into fulfilled time which now has become for humanity a promise of eternity. (shrink)

Während Condorcets Schriften bislang nur unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Geschichtsphilosophie und mathematischen Entscheidungstheorie rezipiert wurden, präsentiert dieser Band Condorcet als einen zentralen politischen Ordnungsdenker der Französischen Revolution, als einen liberal-republikanischen Autor. Die in der Edition versammelten Quellentexte zeigen, dass er die menschenrechtlichen und demokratischen Leitideen am Ende des 18. Jh.s nachdrücklich artikulierte. Condorcets zentrales Anliegen besteht in der Suche nach einer institutionellen Form demokratischer Ordnung, die ein hohes Maß an bürgerschaftlicher Partizipation mit den liberalen Forderungen individueller Rechte verbindet. Die (...) Schriften zur Emanzipation von Sklaven, zum Bürgerrecht für Frauen, zum Begriff der Revolution sowie sein demokratischer Verfassungsentwurf von 1793 belegen seinen theoretisch komplexen und innovativen Versuch, Antworten auf die Herausforderungen demokratischer Legitimität zu finden. (shrink)

Das Exerzitienbuch des Ignatius von Loyola ist nicht nur ein praktisches Handbuch für den Exerzitiengeber, sondern auch das Zeugnis einer umfassenden theologischen Einsicht. Sie zu erfassen und darzulegen ist mehrfach versucht worden. Unterschiedliche Deutungsformen konkurrieren miteinander. Es legt sich nahe, das Bild, das Ignatius von Gott und Mensch, Welt und Geschichte im Sinn hat und für ein christliches Leben fruchtbar gemacht werden kann, als ein „dramatisches" zu bezeichnen. Auf welche Texte des Exerzitienbuches dabei Bezug genommen wird, in welches Konzept von (...) Spiritualität sich dies entfalten lässt, wird hier dargelegt.The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola is not only a practical handbook for the director of the exercises, it is also the witness of a comprehensive theological insight. There have been many attempts to comprehend and describe this insight, and a variety of forms of interpretation compete with each other in doing so. This suggests that the image that Ignatius has in mind for God and man, world and history, and that can be made fruitful for a Christian life, can be described as a "dramatic" one. This article points out those texts in the book of the Exercises that support this view, and that concept of spirituality that results from it. (shrink)

Im Oktober 1999 wurde in Augsburg die „Gemeinsame Erklärung zur Rechtfertigungslehre" seitens der Vertreter des Lutherischen Weltbundes und der römisch-katholischen Kirche unterzeichnet. Darin wurde eine weitgehende Übereinstimmung im Verständnis dieser zentralen Lehre bekundet. Zehn Jahre nach dieser Unterzeichnung ist freilich festzustellen, dass die Erklärung weitgehend folgenlos geblieben ist und auch keine starke Beachtung gefunden hat. Diese bedauerliche Tatsache hat mehrere Ursachen. Ein Grund liegt darin, dass in der Erklärung einige theologische Themen wenig erörtert wurden, die jedoch an sich hätten berücksichtigt (...) werden müssen. Eine andere Ursache ist damit gegeben, dass sich - in Deutschland - kirchliche Entwicklungen ergeben haben, die eine lutherisch-katholische Übereinkunft als nicht allzu bedeutsam erscheinen lassen.In October 1999 the "Common Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" was signed in Augsburg by representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church. It proclaimed a broad agreement in the understanding of this central doctrine. Now, ten years after this signing, we find that the declaration has neither occasioned much follow-up nor gained a great deal of respect for itself. There are several reasons for this unfortunate fact. For one thing, there are some theological themes that did not get much attention, but which really should have been taken into consideration. Another reason is due to the fact that - in Germany - there have been church developments that have made the prospect of a Lutheran-Catholic union appear to be not all that significant. (shrink)

Durch das gesamte Werk Heinrich Schliers hindurch finden sich Aussagen zum Sinn und Gehalt der christlichen Taufe. In ihnen spiegelt sich das christologische, ekklesiologische und anthropologische Denken, wie Schlier es aus der Interpretation der neutestamentlichen Schriften erhoben hat. Es ist ihm durchgehend wichtig, die Sakramentalität der Taufe herauszustellen. Er weist es so auf, dass er es aus der wissenschaftlichen Einzelexegese der einschlägigen Texte des Neuen Testaments erarbeitet. Und er setzt es der Bewährung aus, indem er es in die Diskussion mit (...) alternativen Konzepten der Tauftheologie einbringt.Statements on the meaning and content of Christian baptism can be found throughout the work of Heinrich Schlier. They reflect the Christological, ecclesiological, and anthropological thinking that Schlier drew out of his interpretation of the New Testament. His deep concern was to highlight the sacramentality of baptism. He demonstrates this by way of his detailed scholarly exegesis of the relevant texts of the New Testament. And he confirms this by bringing it into conversation with alternative concepts of baptismal theology. (shrink)

v. 1. Cinq mémoires sur l'instruction publique -- v. 2. Rapport sur l'instruction publique.