Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:45:49 -0500 (EST)
From: ppatt-AT-tiac.net (Patrick Patterson)
Subject: Re: Habermas and Kluge


Pat,

Offentlichkeit und Erfahrung, Zur Organisationalyse von Burgerlicher und
proletarian Offentlichheit, by Oskar Negt and Alexander Kluge was written
in response specifically to Habermas's book on the public sphere. It is
available in translation as Public Sphere and Experience through Minnesotta
University Press. It is a fascinating text which goes beyond Habermas' more
historical presentation and discusses modern trends within the public
sphere, including television and film. The other book that you refer to is
Geschichte und Eigensinn, Gescichtliche Organisation der Arbeitsvermogen.
It translates roughtly as History and Obstinacy, the Historical
organization of workers abilities. It is a kind of philosophical
anthropology of labor and history. Negt and Kluge work represents a thread
within critical theory that unfortunately remain relatively unknown in the
English speaking work. It included people as diverse as Hans Jurgen Krahl
and Rudolf zur Lippe. Both the above books try to theoretically explain the
left opposition and counter culture that emerged in Germany in the mid
60's. Why they are not better known may be due to the fact that critical
threory in this country is mediated through the work of Habermas and those
who are influenced by him. The tradition though is much broader than that.

Patrick Patterson
Ipswich Massachusetts