Introduction to Habermas

Sandro Segre

Nov 2013 · University Press of America

About this eBook

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.

About the author

Sandro Segre is professor of sociology at the University of Genoa in Italy. Some of his more recent publications include Talcott Parsons: An Introduction (University Press of America, 2012) and A Weberian Analysis of Business Groups and Financial Markets: Trade Relations in Taiwan and Korea and Some Major Stock Exchanges (Ashgate, 2008).