Between Reason and History: Habermas and the Idea of Progress (Suny Series in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences) - Softcover

Owen, David S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 079145410X ISBN 13: 9780791454107

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 2002

Synopsis

The first book-length treatment in English of Habermas’s theory of social evolution and progress.

Between Reason and History examines the role of the idea of progress both in Ju¬rgen Habermas’s critical social theory and in critical social theory in general. The reception to Habermas’s magnum opus, The Theory of Communicative Action, has tended to downplay the theory of social evolution it contains, but there are no in-depth examinations of this aspect of Habermas’s critical theory. This book fills this gap by providing a comprehensive and detailed examination of Habermas’s theory of social evolution, its significance within the wider scope of his critical social theory, and the importance of a theoretical understanding of history for any adequate critical social theory.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Between Reason and History examines the role of the idea of progress both in Jurgen Habermas’s critical social theory and in critical social theory in general. The reception to Habermas’s magnum opus, The Theory of Communicative Action, has tended to downplay the theory of social evolution it contains, but there are no in-depth examinations of this aspect of Habermas’s critical theory. This book fills this gap by providing a comprehensive and detailed examination of Habermas’s theory of social evolution, its significance within the wider scope of his critical social theory, and the importance of a theoretical understanding of history for any adequate critical social theory.

From the Back Cover:

Focusing on Spanish culture and society in the second half of the twentieth century, Despotic Bodies and Transgressive Bodies traverses a variety of disciplines-literature, film studies, cultural studies, feminist theory, and history-to examine crucial moments of cultural transition. Beginning with an analysis of the period of autarky, Spain's economic, cultural, and ideological isolation under Francisco Franco's regime, Pavlovic then explores the tumultuous passage to capitalism in the late 1950s and 1960s. She follows this by revisiting the complex political situation following Franco's death and points out the difficulties in Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy. Combining a strong theoretical background with a detailed study of marginalized texts (La fiel infantería), genres (the Spanish comedy known as the comedia sexy celtibérica), and film directors (Jesús Franco), Pavlovic reveals the construction of Spanish national identity through years of cultural tensions.

About this edition

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 079145410X
• ISBN 13: 9780791454107
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 234