File spoon-archives/habermas.archive/habermas_2001/habermas.0109, message 34


From: Vunch-AT-aol.com
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 18:19:39 EDT
Subject: Re: HAB: September 11 and the demise of the Habermasian project


In a message dated 9/17/2001 1:33:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bridges-AT-civsoc.com writes:

> Unfortunately, this kind of strategy reflects
>  precisely the sort of cultural arrogance of the West that is responsible
>  in part for producing the terrorist culture of the Middle East, a
>  culture that seeks to destroy the very forms of communicative action
>  that Habermas insists are normative for all humanity.

I still believe that this kind of argument, which is all too common, all too 
human, is a misinterpretation of the Habermasian effort.  In my reading, 
Habermas is merely claiming that we know that speech acts, and in this case, 
actions, are invalid and merely strategic because everyone who is 
communicatively competent can compare the given acts with the normative and 
determine whether this speech, this act, is valid and then further whether it 
is the better argument, for this time.  This evaluative and cognitive 
framework gives the invalid speech acts, the perlocutions, the strategic 
actions the critical eye.  But, still this is not the real crux of the 
theory.  In the upcoming months, we will see the effectiveness of the 
Habermasian theory when
issues surrounding solidarity and justice arrive.  Each one of the states, 
the governments in question, and their collectivities, will decide, will 
choose which values they espouse: terrorism or democracy.  The wrong choice 
will enter that group in a strategic discourse, but not one that involves 
words!

Fwelfare


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