Jürgen Habermas’ Public Sphere

(Reading: Habermas’ Public Sphere)

Intro

Key Concepts

• Emancipation
• Rational Communication
• Public Sphere
• Communicative Competence
• Ideology

Emancipation

According to Jürgen Habermas, we are subordinate of our prejudices, of the blind power of emotions, of superstitions.

“Assent secured by customs or tradition is replaced by…rational evaluations of claims” .

The use of reason will liberate us.

Individuals achieve a stronger capacity of election across a broad variety of options. Habermas called this “personal emancipation”.

Rational Communication

This is the only way to overcome the conflicts that are constantly generated by prejudices and superstitions.

We can talk about rational communication when there is a balance between both parts of the communication process.

Important is also that both actors have the will – the good will – to arrive to a common understanding of the situation.

INTERSUBJECTIVE AGREEMENTS

 “The claim in the end will be redeemed only though intersubjective recognition brought about by the unforced force of reason”.

Public Sphere  (Öffentlichkeit)

That is a public forum of debate, where every actor has the same possibility of making public use of his or her reason.

The participants in this process of rational communication should be able to disconnect – to detach themselves from passions, emotions, religious beliefs, from any kind of self-interest.

The public sphere should also be free from ideological or political influence.

Public Opinion is the result of the process of rational communication in this ideal public sphere.

Communicative Competence

First of all, the ability to see and interpret the truth

The ability to understand the intention of the speaker behind this truth – when you are the receiver of messages

The ability to adapt to the hearer’s point of view – when you are the sender.

Ideology

“Irrational, unexamined or coercive systems of thinking”

Ideologies are always the main obstacle to reach ideal the rational communication.

False Consciousness:

distorted perception of the reality through the eye-glasses of ideology.

Habermas’s Criticism

Naivety and elitism

It is naïve because of its blind faith in Reason – and it is naïve to believe that you can act in a purely rational way and completely detach yourself from passions, emotions or self-interest.

And it is elitist because the model supposes that just an elite of well educated and highly rational individuals will be able to debate in the public sphere.