Critical Dialogues- Habermasian Social Theory and International Relations.Image.Marked文档.pdfVIP

POLITICS: 2005 VOL 25(3), 135–143 Critical Dialogues: Habermasian Social Theory and International Relations1 Alexander Anievas University of Cambridge The works of Jürgen Habermas have been a theoretical inspiration for many students of interna- tional relations (IR). To date, however, the majority of critical IR approaches drawing from the Habermasian perspective have done so on purely philosophical grounds. This article will thus explore the utility of the social-theoretical aspects of Habermas’s work for critical inquiries into world politics. To this end, it will examine four main elements of his work: the theory of com- municative action; public sphere; lifeworld/system architecture; and discourse ethics. It will be argued that adopting the Habermasian conceptual apparatus provides a social-theoretical route to explaining the contradictory and often paradoxical nature of international relations in the epoch of ‘globalisation’. While various constructivist approaches to IR have recently offered more socially- oriented applications of Habermas’s theoretical framework, the majority of these studies have done so from predominately non-critical standpoints. This article will thus seek to explore the utility of Habermas’s work in offering a critical social theory of world politics. Introduction The works of Jürgen Habermas have been a theoretical inspiration for many stu- dents of international relations (IR).2 His concept of the public sphere, theory of communicative action (TCA), discourse ethics and system/lifeworld architecture offer numerous conceptual tools for students seeking to transcend the confines of traditional IR approaches. To date, however, the majority of critical international theorists drawing from the Habermasian perspective have done so on purely philo- sophical grounds. Only recen