Publisher's Synopsis
One of the most influential and important post-war social theorists, Jurgen Habermas has made significant contributions to the philosophy of the social sciences, Marxist theory, ethics and legal and political philosophy. His writing and ideas, however, are frequently rather impenetrable and pose a real challenge to the student trying to get to grips with this major contemporary thinker. Jurgen Habermas: Live Theory is the ideal introductory guide to Habermas. It provides an accessible and full account of his key ideas and writings, including the two most central and influential of his contributions to contemporary social theory: his pivotal work on the public sphere and his theory of communicative action. The text covers his intellectual influences and the socio-political context in which he works. It also looks at the debates with other key thinkers and the controversies in which he has been involved. An original interview with Habermas himself, conducted specially for the book, completes this valuable and pragmatic student resource.
