Habermas, Rationality, and Democracy
Jun 29, 2017Habermas believes that genuine democracy is rooted in the principles of communicative rationality. Though I think it is very much an open question whether rational argument can ever take place in a democracy—especially one like ours that seems very far from what Habermas envisions—I do hold out some hope that we may eventually be able to design a public sphere in which reason regularly wins out over power and propaganda.
Comments(5)
Harold G. Neuman
Friday, November 29, 2019 -- 8:54 AM
See my remarks regarding the请看我关于2017年6月博客的评论。
rlaggren
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 -- 1:29 PM
Best PT show I've heard in 5Best PT show I've heard in 5 years. Because interviewers and the guest were clearly wrestling the concepts and applying some real time thought. Yeah!
But may I suggest you egg heads try to apply too high a bar in seeking the total, full, encompassing everything, theory. Habermas, as presented by your guest, puts forth the most sensible view of democracy I have heard. Some of your callers seemed concerned that the theory allowed there to exist unfairness. Well, yes. Duh! It's a big world out there and in here and no theory is going to put it all in it's place - or avoid being impacted by things not present inside the bubble of the theory. But as an aid and tool in understanding and making decisions about democracy, Habermas's theory seems one of the best. We must, I believe, allow the individual units making up a democracy to assume some risk and responsibility for themselves. With that allowance comes the distinct possibility of failure and of unplanned pain, anguish and death. Unfair death, even.
A social structure and belief system does not mean we all bliss out all the time. One of the big disappointments resulting from 9/11 was the complete failure of our leaders and people to maintain faith in our values and legal system. Noooo. We had to go extra judicial and invade and trash another sovereign country against all morality and law. We decided that because our values and laws and institutions had allowed 5000 people to die, we had just better put those values and laws and institutions aside and put our faith in violence. Like the attackers did. So now we have become a lot like our attackers, having made the choice that our values, laws and institutions were not up to what we felt like doing at the moment. Bin Laden has won - he destroyed a value system.
How does that relate to Habermas? You are trying to get his system to stroke your prejudices and when it doesn't promise to do that for all time every time (like our legal system and values didn't immediately salve the pain and anguish after 9/11)... You appear ready to dump it as inadequate, not relevant to what's important to you - that being the perfect universal Solution.
Do you want God to give you the Answer? Or the Question? If the latter I think most people will piss and moan for and Answer. That appears to be what the interviewers want. I'm glad to say they seemed to be having a little trouble in that way....
Cheers,
Rufus
Tim Smith
Friday, December 6, 2019 -- 4:51 AM
Rufus,Rufus,
这句话说得好,我希望这部剧也能做到这一点。当你在2017年第一次听到这个消息时,你是这么想的吗?今天的世界有点坎坷,你不觉得吗?当然,与沟通理性的对话是民主希望的面包和黄油。对此,我也认为是!
I'm no egg head, but I've had a few falls in my life. All the king's men would have a day putting my head back to where it was in my ideological youth.
I do think, at show's end where Matt says that Habermas' better angels are at work to fix Brexit and the corruption that is Washington, this is the answer that Ken and Ray would explore to justify democratic governance. It's a good theory but I would argue not a complete one. I will have to think about this a little more.
不是所有的鸡蛋都放在那个篮子里。
Tim Smith
Thursday, December 5, 2019 -- 3:17 PM
Why am I crying?Why am I crying?
I've spent a great portion of my night reading. Now I've made the coffee and would listen to some PT while I drink it. I've held off on listening to this show because it is a repeat and life is busy. I'm happy I did and sad. This is the first PT I've had since learning of Ken's death and it is weighing heavily on me.
Matthew is an Historian, an Intellectual Historian to be precise, which gives him cred to talk about a living philosopher. The irony of hearing Ken tease this out of him makes me ... cry. I've learned so much from Ken. This is heart wrenching to hear his erudition, his focus, his self effacing honest yet extremely deep philosophical focus of conversation. One thing I missed in this show was the pat back and forth intro and glove dropping opinionating that John and Ken have done since first starting PT to close shows prior to the 60sec take. I would hear what Ken has to say about Habermas post discussion. As both Ray and Ken said... it was just getting good when it all came to an end. Again... irony.
I have listened to PT since it started having bumped into it early... came back to it and have since listened to every show. This is one of my favorite podcasts and even blogs - though I am a sometimes poster there. If you have done the same... you are my tribe and people. Undoubtedly you share my sadness.
If not, if you are not my people... well then... let's do a little communicative rationalization and be done with this.
As I write, the impeachment articles are being prepared for our President. If this is not Habermasian learning by disaster then nothing is. We are not rearticulating Habermas' ideas in this process as Matt might say. I wonder if he or Jurgen would say that today. Jurgen most certainly would. That is a confused twist of thought but such is the world at the moment.
One more homage to Ken then let me finish this feedback. When Phillip from San Francisco calls in and asks about value exchange, a better example of Ken at his best could not be found. That this show was sitting here for me to ruminate over my coffee on the day after his death it is proof of grace in life. Matthew doesn't understand Phillip’s question only to have Ken succinctly rephrase it in terms of equality. How often have I not understood the question, only to have Ken explain it to me without questioning my intelligence.
A great man has past and left us this show and blog. My heart which springs from my mind and not my chest, is beaming with the path Habermas would have us lead. That path leads through philosophy and all who practice it in their daily lives.
Thanks for this show. Thank you Ken, wherever you are I would listen to you and all my fellow humans with communicative rationality.
Ok… so… now that - that - is over… that was actually my instrumental rationality trying to get us all to contribute to PT.
我不知道接下来会发生什么,但我会陪着你。
Alexander Kurz
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 -- 4:18 PM
Apologies for a trivialApologies for a trivial question. I am new to this. I found the "Listen" button on the top of the page, but there does not seem to be a way to wind back and to listen again (or to jump ahead, for that matter). I am on Firefox in case this matters. Any help appreciated.