3. H a b e r ma s :
Ba s i c
•
Co n c e p t s
Enlightenment/Rationality
– And how this is not-yet ‘exhausted’
• Communicative Action
• Discourse Ethics
• Consent
• Pragmatics
• Democracy
4. Enlightenment / Modernity
• Enlightenment/Modernity rests upon the following
characteristics:
• 1) A belief in the fundamental process and human ability to
‘reason’
• 2) The rational and democratic practice of reason is
established by the autonomy or democratic freedom of its
citizens
• 3) Reason should be capable of evolving universal laws and
norms via moral and political arenas.
• Note: to exercise personal freedom, to choose personal goals,
and lifestyles – requires a type of freedom that others will
accept; a freedom that others must agree to, and so avoid
overriding or dominating another’s freedom.
6. Discourse Ethics & Pragmatics
• Discourse Ethics: the ‘Rules of Reason’
• Habermas in turn formulates the following
‘rules’ of reason-formulation in "Discourse
Ethics," these are:
• Every subject with the competence to speak
and act is allowed to take part in a discourse.
7. Discourse Ethics & Pragmatics
• 2a. Everyone is allowed to question any assertion.
• 2b. Everyone is allowed to introduce an alternative
assertion into the discourse.
• 2c. Everyone is allowed to express their attitudes,
desires, and needs.
• 3. No speaker may be prevented, by internal or
external coercion, from exercising their rights as
laid down in (1) and (2).