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Det andra moderna: om Jürgen Habermas och den samhällsteoretiska diskursen om det moderna

Carleheden, Mikael (1996)
Abstract
This is a dissertation in social theoretical research. Its main subject is the critical social theory of the later Jürgen Habermas, that is, the social theory of Habermas which has broken with his earlier attempt to found social theory in an anthropology of knowledge and which instead - since the beginning of the seventies - takes its point of departure in the presuppositions of communicative action. The dissertation is, however, not theoretical research in the field of the history of ideas. My "method" is not, in the first place, to illuminate and discuss Habermas' critical theory of society by way of finding its theoretical roots, but by way of contrasting it with competing, contemporary social theories. This means that I place Habermas'... (More)
This is a dissertation in social theoretical research. Its main subject is the critical social theory of the later Jürgen Habermas, that is, the social theory of Habermas which has broken with his earlier attempt to found social theory in an anthropology of knowledge and which instead - since the beginning of the seventies - takes its point of departure in the presuppositions of communicative action. The dissertation is, however, not theoretical research in the field of the history of ideas. My "method" is not, in the first place, to illuminate and discuss Habermas' critical theory of society by way of finding its theoretical roots, but by way of contrasting it with competing, contemporary social theories. This means that I place Habermas' critical theory on the sociological arena of today, that is, in the contemporary social theoretical discourse of modernity. I limit however, in the first place, the scope of my theoretical undertakings to social theories which have normative claims; Marxism, liberalism, communitarianism and postmodern social theory. I argue that we should understand Habermas conception of modernity as a concept between classic modernity and postmodernity, and I use the term "second modernity" to indicate the meaning of this concept. My general claim is that this concept gives us better possibilities than classical sociology or competing, contemporary social theories to understand and take a normative stance to "the new modernity", that is, the changes - such as radicalised legitimation crisis, pluralisation, individualisation and globalisation - which modern society has gone through in the second half of this century. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Jürgen Habermas uppfattas idag ofta som dagens ledande samhällsteoretiker. Samtidigt är hans tänkande svårtillgängligt och ofta utsatt för missuppfattningar. De flesta försök att klargöra och diskutera hans kritiska teori har varit filosofiskt och idéhistoriskt inriktade. Denna avhandling framställer däremot hans kommunikativa handlingsteori genom att 'positionera' den på dagens samhällsteoretiska arena. Detta görs genom att kontrastera hans kritiska samhällsteori mot andra samtida och centrala samhällsteorier; främst marxism, liberalism, kommunitarism och postmodernism. Avhandlingen är emellertid inte enbart en deskriptiv framställning av Habermas samhällstänkande, utan också - i den kritiska... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Jürgen Habermas uppfattas idag ofta som dagens ledande samhällsteoretiker. Samtidigt är hans tänkande svårtillgängligt och ofta utsatt för missuppfattningar. De flesta försök att klargöra och diskutera hans kritiska teori har varit filosofiskt och idéhistoriskt inriktade. Denna avhandling framställer däremot hans kommunikativa handlingsteori genom att 'positionera' den på dagens samhällsteoretiska arena. Detta görs genom att kontrastera hans kritiska samhällsteori mot andra samtida och centrala samhällsteorier; främst marxism, liberalism, kommunitarism och postmodernism. Avhandlingen är emellertid inte enbart en deskriptiv framställning av Habermas samhällstänkande, utan också - i den kritiska teorins tradition - en kritisk diskussion av både moderna samhällsteorier och dagens moderna samhälle. Habermas framstår då inte endast som en djupgående kritiker av social teknokratism och paternalism. Med sin teori om radikal demokrati framstår han även som en av de få som försöker utveckla en föreställning om det goda samhället i ett kulturklimat där framtiden blivit dystopiernas snarare än utopiernas marknad och där den cyniska civilisationskritiken närmast har blivit 'politiskt korrekt'. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Hellesnes, Jon, Filosofisk institut Universitetet i Tromsø, Norway
alternative title
Second Modernity - On Jürgen Habermas and the social theoretical discourse of modernity
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
critical theory of society, Habermas, modernity, theory of democracy, communicative action and reason, Marxism, liberalism, postmodernism, ethics, Sociology, authenticity., Vetenskapssociologi, Sociology of science, Sociologi
pages
320 pages
publisher
Daidalos
defense location
Lund university Palaestra
defense date
1996-12-14 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUSADG/SASO 961100-SE
ISBN
91-7173-064-8
language
Swedish
LU publication?
no
id
0792e312-37d4-46e7-8a84-dfe7ba1d4eee (old id 28840)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:25:37
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:58:42
@phdthesis{0792e312-37d4-46e7-8a84-dfe7ba1d4eee,
  abstract     = {{This is a dissertation in social theoretical research. Its main subject is the critical social theory of the later Jürgen Habermas, that is, the social theory of Habermas which has broken with his earlier attempt to found social theory in an anthropology of knowledge and which instead - since the beginning of the seventies - takes its point of departure in the presuppositions of communicative action. The dissertation is, however, not theoretical research in the field of the history of ideas. My "method" is not, in the first place, to illuminate and discuss Habermas' critical theory of society by way of finding its theoretical roots, but by way of contrasting it with competing, contemporary social theories. This means that I place Habermas' critical theory on the sociological arena of today, that is, in the contemporary social theoretical discourse of modernity. I limit however, in the first place, the scope of my theoretical undertakings to social theories which have normative claims; Marxism, liberalism, communitarianism and postmodern social theory. I argue that we should understand Habermas conception of modernity as a concept between classic modernity and postmodernity, and I use the term "second modernity" to indicate the meaning of this concept. My general claim is that this concept gives us better possibilities than classical sociology or competing, contemporary social theories to understand and take a normative stance to "the new modernity", that is, the changes - such as radicalised legitimation crisis, pluralisation, individualisation and globalisation - which modern society has gone through in the second half of this century.}},
  author       = {{Carleheden, Mikael}},
  isbn         = {{91-7173-064-8}},
  keywords     = {{critical theory of society; Habermas; modernity; theory of democracy; communicative action and reason; Marxism; liberalism; postmodernism; ethics; Sociology; authenticity.; Vetenskapssociologi; Sociology of science; Sociologi}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Daidalos}},
  title        = {{Det andra moderna: om Jürgen Habermas och den samhällsteoretiska diskursen om det moderna}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}