About the Book

Jürgen Habermas is one of the foremost social and political philosophers of our time. His influence extends across philosophy, sociology, political science and law. Habermas has championed the linguistic turn in critical theory and developed his own brand of post-Kantian pragmatism. A rare systematic thinker, Habermas has furthered our understanding of modernity, social interaction and linguistic practice, societal institutions, rationality, morality, the law, globalization, and the role of religion in multicultural societies. He has helped shape discussions of truth, objectivity, normativity, and the relationship between the human and the natural sciences.

This volume provides an accessible and comprehensive conceptual map of Habermas’ theoretical framework and its key concepts, including the theory of communicative action, discourse ethics, his social-political philosophy and their applications to contemporary issues. It will be an invaluable resource for both novice readers of Habermas and those interested in a more refined understanding of particular aspects of his work.

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Contents

Introduction  –  Barbara Fultner

1. Historical and Intellectual Contexts  –  Max Pensky

PART I: COMMUNICATIVE RATIONALITY

2. Postmetaphysical Thinking  –  Melissa Yates

3. Communicative Action and Formal Pragmatics  –  Barbara Fultner

4. System and Lifeworld  –  Joseph Heath

5. Autonomy, Agency, and the Self  –  Joel Anderson

PART II: MORAL AND POLITICAL THEORY

6. Discourse Ethics  –  William Rehg

7. Deliberative Democracy  –  Kevin Olson

8. Discourse Theory of Law  –  Christopher Zurn

PART III: POLITICS AND SOCIAL CHANGE

9. Civil Society and Social Movements  –  Keith Haysom

10. Cosmopolitan Democracy  –  Ciaran Cronin

11. Rationalization, Modernity, and Secularization  –  Eduardo Mendieta

Chronology of Life and Works

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About the Author / Editor

Barbara Fultner is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Denison University, Ohio.

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