Introduction: Axel Honneth’s Project Of Critical Theory

Abstract

Over several decades Axel Honneth has made a profound contribution to Critical Theory, most notably in terms of defending its normative, emancipatory project and developing a comprehensive theory of society and social action. Honneth's work, The Struggle for Recognition , cannot be fully understood without locating the theory of recognition within the context of a broader project which has been pursued systematically from his early essays on Marx and Critical Theory, through to his studies on philosophical anthropology in Social Action and Human Nature. It also extends to his most recent work on Hegel, the later essays on object-relations theory, his debate with Nancy Fraser, and the Tanner Lectures published as Reification . The chapters in this book demonstrate the breadth and systematicity that characterises Honneth's project across these writings. Keywords: anthropological justification; Axel Honneth; critical theory; Reification ; The Struggle for Recognition