Who are Critical Theorists? Jürgen Habermas Explained Shortly!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9usFpSgog

Zusammenfassung

TLDRThis video introduces Jürgen Habermas, a prominent scholar of the Frankfurt School known for his contributions to critical theory. Habermas, who worked as an assistant to notable theorists like Theodor Adorno, has influenced various fields, including sociology and political science. His concept of emancipation diverges from early critical theorists, focusing on communication and radical democracy rather than control over nature. His famous theory of communicative action argues that human interactions aim for mutual understanding rather than merely self-interest. This approach necessitates avoiding coercion and practicing open, rational dialogue. Habermas also developed discourse ethics, emphasizing socially acceptable justification of actions. The video summarizes his thoughts and anticipates continuing the critical theory series with another scholar.

Mitbringsel

  • 🧠 Jürgen Habermas is a key figure in critical theory.
  • 🇩🇪 He belongs to the second generation of Frankfurt School scholars.
  • 🔄 Emancipation, for Habermas, is achieved through communication not domination over nature.
  • 📚 His 'Theory of Communicative Action' emphasizes mutual understanding.
  • 💬 Habermas advocates for dialogue over strategic interaction.
  • 🌍 Participation extends beyond state borders in a democracy.
  • 📏 Discourse ethics offers a guide for justifying actions on social terms.
  • 🗣️ Communicative rationality aims for ideal communication communities.
  • 📖 His theories influence multiple disciplines.
  • 🎥 The video is part of a series on critical theory.

Zeitleiste

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:04

    The video introduces the influential German social and political thinker Jürgen Habermas, associated with the Frankfurt School. Habermas has significantly impacted various fields such as communication studies, sociology, and political science. The video aims to discuss his importance in International Relations (IR), highlighting his distinct approach to emancipation compared to early critical theorists. For Habermas, emancipation is rooted in radical democracy and communication rather than conquest over nature. He emphasizes participatory democracy beyond state borders and critiques purely strategic human interactions.

Mind Map

Mind Map

Häufig gestellte Fragen

  • Who is Jürgen Habermas?

    Jürgen Habermas is a German social and political philosopher, known for his influence in various academic disciplines.

  • What is the Frankfurt School?

    The Frankfurt School is a social research institute in Germany, associated with critical theory and scholars like Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse, and Theodor Adorno.

  • How did Habermas view emancipation?

    Habermas viewed emancipation as achievable through radical democracy and communication rather than simply mastering nature.

  • What is the theory of communicative action?

    Habermas's theory suggesting that human interaction is primarily for communicative reasons to reach mutual understanding rather than self-interest.

  • What is discourse ethics according to Habermas?

    Discourse ethics is a moral theory by Habermas guiding societies in justifying actions on publicly acceptable terms.

  • How does Habermas differ from early critical theorists?

    He focuses more on communication and dialogue rather than the relationship with the natural world.

  • What disciplines has Habermas influenced?

    He has influenced communication studies, cultural studies, law, sociology, and political science.

  • Why is participatory democracy important to Habermas?

    Habermas believes in encouraging broad participation in societal structures to facilitate emancipation.

  • What is the end goal of communicative rationality?

    To create an ideal communication community where mutual understanding and rationality prevail.

  • What book by Habermas is mentioned?

    'Theory of Communicative Action,' published in 1981, is a notable work by Habermas.

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Untertitel
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Automatisches Blättern:
  • 00:00:00
    hello everyone
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    after a bit of a long break welcome back
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    to our channel
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    in today's video we will talk about
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    jurgen habermas our fourth critical
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    international theorist
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    the german social and political thinker
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    jurgen habermas has been among the most
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    influential philosophers of the second
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    half of the 20th century
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    he is also one of the most famous
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    scholars of the frankfurt school a
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    social research institute in frankfurt
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    amine germany
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    belonging to the second generation
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    scholars of the frankfurt school after
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    max horkheimer herbert marcuse and
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    theodor adorno for whom he worked as an
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    assistant between 1956
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    and 1959
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    habermas has influenced many disciplines
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    including but not limited to
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    communication studies cultural studies
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    law sociology and political science
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    before getting into the details of the
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    importance of habermas for the ir
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    discipline first we need to remind
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    ourselves some features of the critical
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    theory
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    by the way if you would like to know
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    more about it as a whole
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    you can click on the card popped up on
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    the right corner and check out our video
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    about critical theory
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    remember what the critical theorists
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    were thinking about emancipation
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    contrary to what classical marxists
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    argued simply emancipation being equal
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    to humanity gaining greater mastery over
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    nature through the development of
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    sophisticated technology and its use for
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    the benefit of all
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    critical theorists suggested that the
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    humanities increase domination over
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    nature had been bought at a high price
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    and the kind of mindset that is required
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    for conquering nature slip too easily
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    into the domination of other human
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    beings
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    that's why we have to think about
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    emancipation in terms of reconciliation
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    with the nature
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    coming back to our second generation
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    critical theorist habermas is not
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    thinking like the early critical
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    theorists his understanding of
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    emancipation is more concerned with
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    communication and dialogue and not our
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    relationship with the natural world
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    according to him the route to
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    emancipation lies through radical
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    democracy
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    a system in which the widest possible
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    participation is encouraged not only in
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    words but also in practice by
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    identifying barriers to participation in
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    a social economic or cultural
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    and overcoming them
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    also for habermas and his followers
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    participation is not to be confined
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    within the borders of a state
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    rights and obligations extend beyond
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    state frontiers
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    one of jurgen habermas's most famous
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    books is named theory of communicative
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    action and it was first published in
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    1981 as two volumes
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    with this theory of communicative action
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    he argues that fundamentally humans
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    interact with each other for
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    communicative rather than strategic
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    reasons
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    in most simple terms it means that such
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    interaction is motivated by the chance
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    to find the common ground for mutual
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    understanding and agreement
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    rather than one's desire to achieve
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    their self-interests
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    however for such an agreement to be
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    reached
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    humans involved in the interaction must
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    avoid approaching one another with
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    non-rational coercion
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    a world where human beings are
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    successful at reaching this ultimate aim
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    provides the ideal but nearly impossible
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    communication community
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    and according to habermas it might be
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    possible to reach the aim of having a
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    communicative rationality on a great
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    extent
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    by establishing liberal democracy
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    according to habermas discourse theory
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    an argumentation raised by a person who
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    tries to justify a point or a claim
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    needs to be pragmatically analyzed as a
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    social practice simply because the way
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    the claim is being justified is
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    determined by the claim itself also he
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    has been working on the moral theory
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    which he calls discourse ethics
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    it can be accepted as a guideline to be
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    used in modern societies when they wish
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    to justify their actions on publicly
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    acceptable terms
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    so that brings us to the end of this
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    very short video about jurgen habermas
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    we will finish the critical theory
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    series with andrew link later as our
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    last influential scholar of the critical
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    theory in our next video
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    if you like this video please do not
  • 00:04:53
    forget to like it and for our upcoming
  • 00:04:55
    videos please subscribe to our channel
  • 00:04:59
    thank you very much for watching
  • 00:05:01
    we'll see you next time
Tags
  • Jürgen Habermas
  • Critical Theory
  • Frankfurt School
  • Communicative Action
  • Radical Democracy
  • Discourse Ethics
  • Emancipation
  • Communication
  • Philosophy
  • Social Practice