Insight and Solidarity: The Discourse Ethics of Jürgen HabermasDiscourse ethics represents an exciting new development in neo-Kantian moral theory. William Rehg offers an insightful introduction to its complex theorization by its major proponent, Jürgen Habermas, and demonstrates how discourse ethics allows one to overcome the principal criticisms that have been leveled against neo-Kantianism. Addressing both "commun-itarian" critics who argue that universalist conceptions of justice sever moral deliberation from community traditions, and feminist advocates of the "ethics of care" who stress the moral significance of caring for other individuals, Rehg shows that discourse ethics combines impartiality with solidarity. He provides the first systematic reconstruction of Habermas's theory and explores its relationship to the work of such contemporary philosophers as Charles Taylor. His book articulates a bold alternative to the split between the "right" and the "good" in moral theory and will greatly interest philosophers, social and legal scholars, and political theorists. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
A THEORY OF INTERSUBJECTIVE MORAL INSIGHT | 19 |
Introduction to Part I | 21 |
The Object Method and Aim of Discourse Ethics | 23 |
II The Discourse Ethics Enterprise | 30 |
Elements of Moral Discourse | 37 |
I Beyond Overlapping Consensus | 38 |
II The Structure of Rational Conviction | 41 |
I Questions of Priority | 113 |
The Priority of Good | 115 |
Excursus Rawls on Justice and the Good | 123 |
III A Constitutive Good for Discourse Ethics? | 134 |
The Solidaristic Basis of Moral Insight | 150 |
Clues from a Reading of Humboldt | 151 |
The Latent Power of the Other | 159 |
III Insight and Solidarity | 167 |
Norms of Action | 45 |
Deriving a Dialogical Principle of Universalization | 56 |
I Conflict as Context | 57 |
III Derivation | 65 |
IV The Dialogical Intersubjectivity of U | 69 |
V Implications | 76 |
Insight as Intersubjective | 84 |
SOLIDARITY DISCOURSE ETHICS AND THE GOOD | 89 |
Introduction to Part II | 91 |
Moral Discourse and Conceptions of the Good Life | 93 |
II The Priority of Right in Discourse Ethics | 96 |
III The Relevance of Goods in Moral Discourse | 101 |
IV Solidarity and Moral Values | 106 |
Discourse Ethics and the Good | 112 |
IV Concluding Summary | 172 |
DISCOURSE AND PARTICULARITY | 179 |
Introduction to Part III | 181 |
Care and Discourses of Application | 184 |
I The EthicsofCare Critique of Impartialism | 185 |
Discourses of Application | 187 |
III Rapprochement with the Ethics of Care? | 196 |
Situating Discourse Ethics Toward the Analysis of Real Discourses | 211 |
II The LegalPolitical Institutionalization of Discourse | 214 |
Further Questions | 227 |
A WrapUp | 244 |
Bibliography | 251 |
| 265 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract accept affected agreement Alexy alternatives analysis application argue argument attempt basic Cambridge Chapter Charles Taylor cognitivism communitarian conception concrete conflict resolution constitutive context convincing criticism critique debate decision dialogue discourse ethics discourse-ethical domain ethics of care example expectations fact formal further ground Habermas's ideal impartial impartialist individual individual's insight insofar interests intersubjective intuitions involves issue Jürgen Habermas justice Kantian Karl-Otto Apel language least liberal lifeworld moral discourse moral norms moral point moral theory moral values neo-Kantian norm's normative validity notion one's other's Overlapping Consensus participants particular person perspective Philosophy plausible possible practical reasoning pragmatic precisely Press presuppose principle priority problem procedures question R. M. Hare rational consensus rational conviction rational cooperation Rawls Rawls's real discourse relevant sense Seyla Benhabib simply situation social solidarity specific structures substantive suggests Taylor theory of justice Thomas McCarthy tion tradition understanding University validity claims