Habermas on the Discourse Principle | Dr Keith Pisani
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About the Talk
Jürgen Habermas is often depicted as the philosopher of consensus who almost naively fails to take into account the fact that linguistic communication, ranging from everyday linguistic exchanges to the more consequential domain of political communication, is marked by disagreement and conflict. It is often claimed that his critical theory rests on an unrealistic and idealistic understanding of communication.
One principle that is sometimes cited as exemplifying this view is the discourse principle, designated by Habermas as (D). In Between Facts and Norms, this principle is defined as follows: ‘Just those action norms are valid to which all possibly affected persons could agree as participants in rational discourses.’ Contrary to a common misinterpretation, this principle is not proposed by Habermas as an aspirational ideal; rather, it is reconstructed from the presuppositions of communication and, more directly, argumentation, together with an account of what the justification of action norms must entail once those presuppositions are taken seriously.
In this talk, Dr Keith Pisani will explain what the discourse principle means within Habermas’s theoretical architecture, how it is derived, and how it relates to the rest of his system. He will do so, by reconstructing the main argumentative steps Habermas takes in developing the principle. If Habermas’s critical theory is to be rejected, it must be rejected for the right reasons and only after his views have been properly understood.
The Speaker
Dr Keith Pisani, PhD, is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Malta. His research interests lie in democratic theory and critical theory. He has published on critical theory, social ontology, autonomy in the work of Habermas, and religious justification in democratic societies. He is currently working on political communication in contemporary democracies.
Book tickets from our website www.philosophysharing.org
Paid Members: € 5 | Non-Members: €10 |
Students/Senior Citizens: € 7
Show Less
Jürgen Habermas is often depicted as the philosopher of consensus who almost naively fails to take into account the fact that linguistic communication, ranging from everyday linguistic exchanges to the more consequential domain of political communication, is marked by disagreement and conflict. It is often claimed that his critical theory rests on an unrealistic and idealistic understanding of communication.
One principle that is sometimes cited as exemplifying this view is the discourse principle, designated by Habermas as (D). In Between Facts and Norms, this principle is defined as follows: ‘Just those action norms are valid to which all possibly affected persons could agree as participants in rational discourses.’ Contrary to a common misinterpretation, this principle is not proposed by Habermas as an aspirational ideal; rather, it is reconstructed from the presuppositions of communication and, more directly, argumentation, together with an account of what the justification of action norms must entail once those presuppositions are taken seriously.
In this talk, Dr Keith Pisani will explain what the discourse principle means within Habermas’s theoretical architecture, how it is derived, and how it relates to the rest of his system. He will do so, by reconstructing the main argumentative steps Habermas takes in developing the principle. If Habermas’s critical theory is to be rejected, it must be rejected for the right reasons and only after his views have been properly understood.
The Speaker
Dr Keith Pisani, PhD, is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Malta. His research interests lie in democratic theory and critical theory. He has published on critical theory, social ontology, autonomy in the work of Habermas, and religious justification in democratic societies. He is currently working on political communication in contemporary democracies.
Book tickets from our website www.philosophysharing.org
Paid Members: € 5 | Non-Members: €10 |
Students/Senior Citizens: € 7
Show Less
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