The critique of instrumental reason from Weber to Habermas

Autor*innen

• Darrow Schecter

Parameter

• 272 Seiten
• 10 Lesestunden

• Philosophie

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This title delves into key theoretical and political debates surrounding instrumental reason and political legitimacy, beginning with Weber and extending to contemporary discussions. It analyzes the critique of instrumental reason, highlighting Weber as a pivotal figure marking a shift in thought. Unlike Enlightenment thinkers such as Kant, Rousseau, and Hegel, who believed in reason's capacity to enhance society, Weber suggests that institutionalized reason can serve as a powerful means of domination. Schecter traces the development of Weber's ideas in response to Nietzsche and Georg Simmel, and examines their influence on the Frankfurt School's critical theory, particularly through Horkheimer, Adorno, and later Habermas in "The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere." The text further investigates Habermas's evolution from a Weberian-Marxist framework to a more hopeful perspective rooted in linguistic and systems theory, as articulated in his "Theory of Communicative Action." Additionally, it addresses Heidegger's ontological response to Weber's challenges and Walter Benjamin's critique of the contradictions in striving for a just legal system devoid of substantive rationality and justice.

• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010