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 --- from list habermas-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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