Subject: RE: [HAB:] Habermas and Creativity
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:28:15 +0000


Dear Matt,

I have thought a bit about this question of 'creativity' in Habermas. There 
seems to be a paradox involved here. On the one had Habermas' philosophical 
conception is no less radical and potentially justifying creativity etc. 
than of (for example) someone like Foucault. In fact I find great resonance 
and parallels between them (as noted by Peter Dewes among others). So what 
is the reason for this widespread conception that Habermas does not support 
creativity etc.??

In my view the reason lies in the differences in assessment of the present 
and not in the philosophical aspirations. For Habermas the main problem is 
the problem of coordination in the wake of the destruction of tradition etc 
and the rationalisation of lifeworld. What haunts Habermas is the spectre of 
chaos and anarchy. Foucault (for example) on the other hand sees present as 
largely administrated, there is no spectre of anarchy haunting him 
consequently. The spectre for him is the spectre of administrated life. 
Hence Foucault and Habermas differ not so much in the radicality of their 
philosophical views as much in their assessments of the present.

Best Regards
ali



[Habermas - for obvious reasons - unfortunately shuns the creative aspect of 
engaging in communicative action thereby excluding the explosive and 
liberating force of creatively taking part in communication free of 
distortion, seeking to reach an understanding.

Embedding communicative reason as the cornerstone of the modern Occidental 
lifeworld and depicting it as an always/already mechanism of social 
integration strips communicative reason of its avenging force methinks.]

mattP

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