书名: Habermas and Contemporary Society
作者: John Sitton (Author)
出版社: Palgrave Macmillan (August 16, 2003)
语言: English
ISBN-10: 140396193X
ISBN-13: 978-1403961938
Book Description
By marginalizing methodological and other more specialized theoretical concerns, this book focuses on Habermas’s substantive portrayal of contemporary society and its discontents. Over the last four decades Jürgen Habermas has forged an innovative and much-discussed theory of contemporary capitalist society. Building on Max Weber’s thesis that the dynamic of capitalism actually erodes individual freedom and the meaningfulness of social life—famously resulting in a culture of “specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart”—Habermas traces contemporary social conflict to resistance to this dynamic by a variety of social groups. His theory of “communicative action” attempts to show the possibilities in contemporary society for moving toward a more balanced social life that, unlike other political currents today, would not sacrifice the truly progressive features of complex modern societies.
Review
"John Sitton's clear and concise book is indispensable reading for anyone struggling to make sense of Habermas' difficult social and political theory. Sitton does a fine job situating Habermas' ideas within the broader context of twentieth-century European social theory and left-wing political thought, and he carefully explains the key moves in Habermas' thinking over the course of the last half-century. Although sympathetic to Habermas, Sitton's worry that Habermas' critique of contemporary society makes too many concessions to the status quo deserves to be taken seriously. Sitton also does a fine job describing recent politically inspired critical debates about Habermas' work." -- Bill Scheuerman, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
About the Author
John Sitton is Professor of Political Science, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
