Razón comunicativa y legitimidad democrática

Abstract

This work analyses the main achievements and problems of Habermass social and political theory, based on the concept of communicative rationality. Part I analyses Habermass claim that language is the most important mechanism of social integation, and also the claim that the structure of linguistic communication makes possible a sort of free and emancipated social relations. The analysis of Luhmanns sociological theory is useful to test these statements: unlike Habermas, Luhmann does not recognize in language any special relation to rationality and emancipation. But the problems of his system-theory of society confirm indirectly Habermass positions. Part II analyses the political and juridical theory of Habermas. In both fields it is possible to recognize the same problems, which are a result of the double perspective (normative and descriptive) of Habermass approach. From a normative point of view, the concept of communicative rationality leads to a conception of radical-democratic legitimacy that, on the other hand, is not truly developed by Habermas. As a result of the mediations of the normative and the descriptive (sociological) perspective, Habermass juridical theory shows clearly positivist features. In a similar way, the discourse theory of politics has problems to harmonize the demand of a radical and egalitarian democracy (grounded on discourse ethics and on the concept of communicative rationality) with the picture of a functionally differentiated society. Habermas has not resolved these tensions in a convincing way