Within Jürgen Habermas’ philosophical work, political philosophy is of central importance. Habermas has, however, always reworked both his theoretical fundaments and the answers they provide to questions concerning the rule of law in a democratic state, the connecting between capitalism and democracy or politics beyond the nation-state. His last great theoretical effort produced Between Facts and Norms (1992) which forms the backbone of his current political philosophy. The seminar therefore starts with discussions of selections from Between Facts and Norms, before it focuses on different political questions in Habermas’ more recent writings (such as the future of the European Union or democratic capitalisms/capitalist democracy) and some important objections.
Preparatory Reading
Brunkhorst, Hauke, Regina Kreide und Cristina Lafont (Hrsg.) (2009): Habermas-Handbuch. Stuttgart: Metzler.
Habermas, Jürgen 2001: Kommunikatives Handeln und detranszendentalisierte Vernunft. Stuttgart: Reclam.
Habermas, Jürgen 2006 [1992]: Faktizität und Geltung. Beiträge zur Diskurstheorie des Rechts und des demokratischen Rechtsstaats. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.
Iser, Mattias und David Strecker 2010: Jürgen Habermas zur Einführung. Hamburg: Junius.
Wingert, Lutz und Klaus Günther (Hrsg.) (2001): Die Öffentlichkeit der Vernunft und die Vernunft der Öffentlichkeit. Festschrift für Jürgen Habermas. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.