Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 22:45:27 EST
Subject: Re: HAB: Re: Re: Who is really interested in JH's works?



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In a message dated 3/29/2002 7:05:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
rchamp-AT-bigpond.net.au writes:


> Unfortunately I found the contents of the "Habermas reader" to be almost
> incomprehensible. I suppose it is possible for almost anyone to project 
> into
> Habermas, like an ink blot, and find thoughts that are congenial

I really do not believe this is true.  However, Habermas is probably one of 
the most difficult social philosophers to read, today.  His texts are very 
difficult and require a great deal of background knowledge and previous 
experience within the social science and philosophy fields.  But, we should 
and must understand what he is saying to us.  If I were a beginner, say a 
grad student, I would start with Thomas McCarthy's, "The Critical Theory of 
Jurgen Habermas."  McCarthy breaks it down so you can get a toehold.  Then, 
work on a few articles found in the periodicals and journals, say, New German 
Critique, or online.  But, sooner or later you will have to get into the 
secondary literature: read what others say about Habermas and read about the 
Frankfurt School, eg. N. Whitebook, Jay Martin.  Much of the discussion on 
this list deals mostly with H's latest work, but his early work is extremely 
important: his response to Albert in the Positivist Dispute, 1963; 
Legitimation Crisis, Toward a Rational Society, Communication and the 
Evolution of Society, etc..  Lastly, you must read the Theory of Commuicative 
Action which I consider his most important.  But, inasmuch as I hope that he 
will/would take a more social scientific direction, he is taking a more 
legalistic/foundationalist approach to his understanding of the problem of 
understanding that we face.

Fwelfare  

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