Habermas: A Very Short Introduction

by Finlayson, Gordon

• ISBN13: 9780192840950
• ISBN10: 0192840959
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book gives a clear and readable overview of the philosophical work of Jurgen Habermas, the most influential German philosopher alive today, who has commented widely on subjects such as Marxism, the importance and effectiveness of communication, the reunification of Germany, and theEuropean Union. Gordon Finlayson provides readers with a clear and readable overview of Habermas's forbiddingly complex philosophy using concrete examples and accessible language. He then goes on to analyse both the theoretical underpinnings of Habermas's social theory, and its more concrete applications in thefields of ethics, politics, and law; and concludes with an examination how Habermas's social and political theory informs his writing on contemporary, political, and social problems.

Author Biography

James Gordon Finlayson lectures in philosophy and social and political thought at the University of Sussex, and was previously lecturer in philosophy at the University of York.

Table of Contents

Preface: Who is Jurgen Habermas

Habermas and Frankfurt School Critical Theory

Habermas's New Approach to Social Theory

The Pragmatic Meaning Programme

The Programme of Social Theory

Habermas's Theory of Modernity

Discourse Ethics I: The Discourse Theory of Morality

Discourse Ethics II: Ethical Discourse and the Political Turn

Politics, Democracy, and Law

Politics Beyond The Bounds Of The Nation Alone

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