Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 10:40:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: James Compton <jcompton-AT-sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: HAB: Pragmatism





On Tue, 16 Apr 1996, KENNETH MCPHAIL wrote:

> Is Habermas a pragmatist?
> 
> Ken.
> 

Yes, I would argue that Habermas is a pragmatist. I believe Habermas and 
Dewey share an understanding on the following points:
 

   > A fear of the alienating and non-democratic potential of 
technical-instrumental rationality.
   > A rejection of Cartesian epistemology in favour of a philosophy that 
views knowledge as historically situated and interest-grounded. (strategic or 
communicative)
   > A belief that the locus of social change inheres in the process of 
reflection and intersubjective pragmatic inquiry.
   > That the practical, as a standard for rational behaviour, is located 
in communication.

These points form the basis of a discursive democratic politics which 
acts as a check on bureaucratic and technical forms of power.



************************
James Compton
Graduate Student
School of Communication
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C.
Canada
email: jcompton-AT-sfu.ca