Entscheidungsfindung in spatmittelalterlichen Gemeinschaften

The contributions in the volume investigate how late medieval communities prepared, made and conveyed decisions in the context of their social structures, social rule constellations and cultural patterns of interpretation. Formal groups that have had long-term historical effects are examined: municipal councils, guilds, the Hanseatic League, cathedral chapters and monastic convents, masters and scholars before and during the emergence of universities as well as inquisitions and councils. Social forms, structures and logics of decision-making are more informative than individual motives of historical actors for the understanding of collective decisions. By concentrating on the social, communicative practice of decision-making, the selected case studies make it clear that collective decision-making is more than the sum of individual decisions.