Introduction to Habermas

Sandro Segre

• Publisher: University Press of America
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780761861775
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Philosopher Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

This book provides a compact and up-to-date presentation of Jürgen Habermas' oeuvre, with particular reference to his theory of communicative action. It formulates the concepts of communicative rationality and validity claims, indicates the conditions of a perfect communicative rationality, and underscores Habermas' distinction between understanding- and success-oriented actions. Moreover, this book considers Habermas' critical reception of classical sociologists such as Weber and Durkheim; of the Lukacs and Frankfurt school; of Schutz, Mead, and Wittgenstein; and of important contemporary authors such as Foucault, Parsons, and Luhmann. Segre also explores Habermas' themes of the rationalization of the life-world and its consequences on the social, cultural, and personality systems. He discusses Habermas' well-known theses of colonization of the life-world, its impact on the public sphere and communicative action, and the legitimacy crisis that follows as a consequence. Finally, Introduction to Habermas provides an overview of the reception—both critical and appreciative—of Habermas' work.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Chapter One The Theory of Communicative Action
• Chapter Two An Outline of Habermas’ Democratic Theory
• Chapter Three Rationalization of the Life World
• Chapter Four Colonization of the Life World
• Chapter Five The Public Sphere as a Source of Legitimacy
• Chapter Six The Reception of Habermas’ Work
• Bibliography