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Masses, Classes and the Public Sphere
Despite the passing of some forty years since the original publication of Jurgen Habermas’s The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere , the fundamental concepts that informed the book remain prominent and distinctly influential. So much so that the term ‘public spheres,’ as Habermas introduced it, has today become an ultimately foundational concept for assessing everything from intellectual debate and ‘public access’ criticism, to the function of race, gender, and sexual difference in contemporary civil society.
As new demands have been made on the concepts, so people have redefined and extended them, positing the idea of a plurality of ‘counter-public spheres’ (proletarian, bourgeois, feminine, national, global, for instance), and continually addressing the philosophical concept of the public sphere itself. This volume attempts to move beyond these debates to pose fundamental questions about the function and continued relevance of the public sphere today, both politically and practically. A set of distinguished essays, ranging from the philosophical foundations of the Enlightenment to contemporary struggles over civil rights and public policy, seek to highlight the internal conflicts that have marked the progressive development of Habermas’s original concept.
As new demands have been made on the concepts, so people have redefined and extended them, positing the idea of a plurality of ‘counter-public spheres’ (proletarian, bourgeois, feminine, national, global, for instance), and continually addressing the philosophical concept of the public sphere itself. This volume attempts to move beyond these debates to pose fundamental questions about the function and continued relevance of the public sphere today, both politically and practically. A set of distinguished essays, ranging from the philosophical foundations of the Enlightenment to contemporary struggles over civil rights and public policy, seek to highlight the internal conflicts that have marked the progressive development of Habermas’s original concept.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2000
14 people want to read
About the author
Mike Hill
78 books1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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November 6, 2007
I haven't finished this yet, but have read the first five essays. The book collects essays that criticize the notion of a public sphere put forward by the German philosopher Jurgen Habermas. I would assume that the essays would be an easier read for someone with a background in Habermas than they have been for me.
The most interesting idea so far, has been that this ideal public sphere grants safe and equal speaking time to everyone with a stake in the outcome. There's a discussion about ways that historically, people have been excluded from the public sphere. Most notably by assuming that only the self-employed can be free to speak their own minds. However, one of the early essays really opens up the field of who has a stake in a countries political process. The author argues that having an interest and a right to speak in a political process shouldn't be decided by nationality or territory, but by economic contribution across space and time.
The most interesting idea so far, has been that this ideal public sphere grants safe and equal speaking time to everyone with a stake in the outcome. There's a discussion about ways that historically, people have been excluded from the public sphere. Most notably by assuming that only the self-employed can be free to speak their own minds. However, one of the early essays really opens up the field of who has a stake in a countries political process. The author argues that having an interest and a right to speak in a political process shouldn't be decided by nationality or territory, but by economic contribution across space and time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review