These critical essays on Jurgen Habermas's major contribution to sociological theory, The Theory of Communicative Action, provide an indispensable guide for anyone trying to grasp that large, difficult, and important work. The editors' introduction traces the history of the reception of the work and identifies the main themes on which discussion has focused: a concept of communicative rationality; a theory of action based on distinguishing communicative from instrumental reason; a two-level concept of society that integrates lifeworld and system paradigms; and a critical theory of modernity meant to diagnose the sociopathologies of contemporary society. ContributorsJeffrey Alexander, Johann P. Arnason, Johannes Berger, Gunter Dux, Jurgen Habermas, Hans Joas, Hans-Peter Kruger, Thomas McCarthy, Herbert Schnadelbach, Martin Seel, Charles Taylor
- ISBN10 0262081962
- ISBN13 9780262081962
- Publish Date 28 February 1991
- Publish Status Transferred
- Out of Print 28 September 2011
- Publish Country US
- Publisher MIT Press Ltd
- Imprint MIT Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 314
- Language English