Discursive conditions and contextual presuppositions. Habermas versus Apel
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Petra Hedberg
Abstract
The terms “morality” and “ethical life” refer to the relationship between Kant's universalistic and Hegel's “contextualised” account of morality. In this essay, the problem of universalism and contextualism will be addressed to Apel's and Habermas's positions. I will divide the theme into three main topics: 1) The historical reconstruction of the rational conditions of discourse ethics within Habermas's position: in which sense could this approach lead to a contextualism? 2) The difficulty with establishing a non-contextual justification of the discursive, rational conditions. Habermas's reconstructive approach will be confronted with Apel's “strict reflectional” approach which relies on stronger universalistic presuppositions. 3) This last topic will focus on the main difference between Habermas's and Apel's perspectives. This is connected to the double function of the rational “symmetry and reciprocity” -conditions: they are seen as consensual and simultaneously meta-normative conditions. Their meta-normative character is Apel's main concern, and seen as vital to social criticism.
© Philosophia Press 2003
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- What kind of liberal is Martha Nussbaum?
- Political Liberalism and Respect: A Response to Linda Barclay
- Irreality of Fact
- Discursive conditions and contextual presuppositions. Habermas versus Apel
- Interpretability, Perceptual Sensibilities and Triangulation
- Hämnd, vedergällning och straff
- Davidson, Truth, and Semantic Unity
- John Dewey and Liberalism
- Review Essay
- Finding One's Way Into the Tractatus
- Book Reviews
- David L Hildebrand, Beyond Realism and Antirealism: John Dewey and the Neopragmatists. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 2003. 241 pp.
- Charles Taylor and Nicholas H. Smith on human constants and transcendental arguments
- Nykänen, Hannes: The ‘I’, the ‘You’ and the Soul. An Ethics of Conscience. Doctoral dissertation. Åbo Akademi University Press, 2002. 476 + viii pp.
- Tanker i anledning af 2 nye Nietzsche-bøger: en anmeldelse
- Orbituary
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- What kind of liberal is Martha Nussbaum?
- Political Liberalism and Respect: A Response to Linda Barclay
- Irreality of Fact
- Discursive conditions and contextual presuppositions. Habermas versus Apel
- Interpretability, Perceptual Sensibilities and Triangulation
- Hämnd, vedergällning och straff
- Davidson, Truth, and Semantic Unity
- John Dewey and Liberalism
- Review Essay
- Finding One's Way Into the Tractatus
- Book Reviews
- David L Hildebrand, Beyond Realism and Antirealism: John Dewey and the Neopragmatists. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 2003. 241 pp.
- Charles Taylor and Nicholas H. Smith on human constants and transcendental arguments
- Nykänen, Hannes: The ‘I’, the ‘You’ and the Soul. An Ethics of Conscience. Doctoral dissertation. Åbo Akademi University Press, 2002. 476 + viii pp.
- Tanker i anledning af 2 nye Nietzsche-bøger: en anmeldelse
- Orbituary
