Habermas

This new edition of a well-regarded book provides a concise and exceptionally clear introduction to Habermas's work, from his early writings on the public sphere, through his work on law and the state, to his more recent discussion of science, religion and contemporary Europe. Outhwaite examines all of Habermas's major writings and steers a steady course through the many debates to which they have given rise. One major feature of this volume is that it provides a detailed critical analysis of Habermas's most important work, The Theory of Communicative Action. As well as looking at Habermas's appraisal of figures such as Foucault and Derrida, Outhwaite also examines the philosopher's resolute defense of the Enlightenment project and his work on law and democracy, with its implications for the important topic of European integration.

Upon publication, Outhwaite's book quickly became established as an authoritative guide to Habermas. This updated edition will be invaluable for students and scholars across the social sciences and humanities, especially in sociology, politics, philosophy, and social theory.

This new book provides a concise and exceptionally clear introduction to Habermas's work, from his early writings on the public sphere to his most recent work on law and the state. Outhwaite examines all of Habermas's major works and steers a steady course through the many debates to which they have given rise. A major feature of the book is that it provides a detailed critical analysis of Habermas's most important work, The Theory of Communicative Action. Outhwaite also discusses Habermas's appraisal of Foucault, Derrida and others, his resolute defence of the Enlightenment project and his important recent work on law and democracy.

William Outhwaite is Chair of Sociology at Newcastle University. He is the author of European Society (2008), The Future of Society (2006) and, with Larry Ray, Social Theory and Post-Communism (2005).