The Public Sphere and Political Space

Abstract

Habermas' reconstruction follows the transformation of the bourgeois public sphere from its origins in the early modern period, to its democratic outcome in the twentieth century. Many institutions worldwide draw their cultural legitimacy from their references to a sphere of human rights understood as inalienable and belonging to man as such. 'Public' and 'private' were twin concepts, defining the one by the other in a sort of recursive and tautological process. In this respect, the definition of the concept of public sphere brings into play four dimensions: actors, language, themes, and purposes. Contemporary western societies are characterised by a strong cultural pluralism. The theoretical reasons for the distinction between 'public sphere' and 'political space' can be assumed. The actors of the public sphere are not necessarily such in the 'political space'. 'Political space' is part of, but not the same as, the 'public sphere'. Keywords:bourgeois public sphere; cultural pluralism; Habermas; human rights; political space; public sphere