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A Critical Transnational Public Sphere : Bringing Back Common Good and Social Ontology in Context

Kutay, Acar LU (2016) In Globalizations 13(1). p.47-61
Abstract

The public sphere and public reason have recently become key ideas in global governance, with most scholars expressing related transparency and accountability concerns. This article contends that if transnational public sphere(s) and the use of reason in global policy-making aim to reinforce the common good and justice, they must go beyond the procedural concerns of transparency and accountability, with the proviso being that legitimacy be derived from the people. To this end, the author argues that, we must consider social ontology to unpack or deconstruct at least three hegemonic philosophical presuppositions that now inform global policy-making processes: a positivist approach to scientific knowledge; the Lockean view on the way in... (More)

The public sphere and public reason have recently become key ideas in global governance, with most scholars expressing related transparency and accountability concerns. This article contends that if transnational public sphere(s) and the use of reason in global policy-making aim to reinforce the common good and justice, they must go beyond the procedural concerns of transparency and accountability, with the proviso being that legitimacy be derived from the people. To this end, the author argues that, we must consider social ontology to unpack or deconstruct at least three hegemonic philosophical presuppositions that now inform global policy-making processes: a positivist approach to scientific knowledge; the Lockean view on the way in which the state, the economy, and society relate; and the putative monolithic perception of the transnational. It is suggested that procedural accounts coupled with positivist ontology may reinforce neoliberal hegemony, opening an empty space between political decisions and interests while obviating the will of the people.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
common good, global governance, public reason, social ontology, transnational public sphere
in
Globalizations
volume
13
issue
1
pages
15 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:84954363039
  • wos:000375231400004
ISSN
1474-7731
DOI
10.1080/14747731.2015.1037125
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9c11a3d4-aa5b-47df-96d5-585a44e288ae
date added to LUP
2016-06-23 08:11:28
date last changed
2024-01-04 08:49:08
@article{9c11a3d4-aa5b-47df-96d5-585a44e288ae,
  abstract     = {{<p>The public sphere and public reason have recently become key ideas in global governance, with most scholars expressing related transparency and accountability concerns. This article contends that if transnational public sphere(s) and the use of reason in global policy-making aim to reinforce the common good and justice, they must go beyond the procedural concerns of transparency and accountability, with the proviso being that legitimacy be derived from the people. To this end, the author argues that, we must consider social ontology to unpack or deconstruct at least three hegemonic philosophical presuppositions that now inform global policy-making processes: a positivist approach to scientific knowledge; the Lockean view on the way in which the state, the economy, and society relate; and the putative monolithic perception of the transnational. It is suggested that procedural accounts coupled with positivist ontology may reinforce neoliberal hegemony, opening an empty space between political decisions and interests while obviating the will of the people.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kutay, Acar}},
  issn         = {{1474-7731}},
  keywords     = {{common good; global governance; public reason; social ontology; transnational public sphere}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{47--61}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Globalizations}},
  title        = {{A Critical Transnational Public Sphere : Bringing Back Common Good and Social Ontology in Context}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2015.1037125}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14747731.2015.1037125}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}