ХАБЕРМАС: ЭТИЧЕСКИЙ ДИСКУРС КАК СПОСОБ РЕАБИЛИТАЦИИ ПУБЛИЧНОЙ СФЕРЫ

Abstract

According to Jurgen Habermas, since the end of the 19th century the government had been increasingly interfering in the public sphere, depriving it of the opportunity to form an independent opinion and eroding its borders. With the erosion of public sphere contours, the involvement of people in solving social problems was weakened, and moral principles were replaced by the principles of economic feasibility or scientific provability. Withal, the break with tradition, the diminishing role of religion, the crisis of values, individualism and multiculturalism, which all are typical of modern society, have led us to the need to create the shared vision of the new society development. Thus, there are more reasons for the re-opening of the public sphere. The article considers the concept of Jurgen Habermas, in which discourse ethic is offered as a way to rehabilitate the public sphere. In discourse ethic, people are not burdened with government or other influence, and discuss socially important issues from equal positions and impartial perspectives, following the principles of moral reasoning. A number of critical remarks on Habermas’ concept is formulated. Critics are interested in questions about motivating people to take part in discourse ethic and behave morally, in question about the discourse ethic location, about the making decisions procedure and the strength of these decisions. A critical analysis of Habermas’ concept leads to the conclusion that the one is idealistic. The article presents two other concepts as alternatives to the discourse ethic concept. Apostolis Papakostas, the author of the first one, allows the government to participate in the public sphere formation. Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel, the authors of the other one, consider social and economic development to be the driving force in the public sphere modernization. However, on closer examination, both concepts are also not able to give an exhaustive answer to the question of how to ensure the public sphere rehabilitation.