Communicative Rationality And Moral Consensus

The moral argumentation of modernity expelled the outside deities of morality foundation in the middle age, and turned the proof of ethical general validity to the human inter nature or the subject rational basis. However, the reason which is derived from the solipsistic perspective implied the fatal defect of split between subject and object at the outset. So the subject rational and the rational agent gradually moved towards to deformities alienation and fall evening in the developing of theory logical deduction and realistic experience practice. Modern moral is already in deep embattled crisis because of the moral pluralism battle based on personal freedom of choice and moral relativism disputes against metaphysics. Under the situation, Habermas's discourse ethics based on the paradigm of interaction between subjects and took the mutual understanding or consensus through rational argument as the reasonable basis of moral principles and norm general validity. It brings people an Arianna colored thread for walking out of the modern ethical fog in a certain sense.In Habermas's opinion, because the modern moral argumentation defined rational basis from the subject self-consciousness, subjectivity and reason was cleared up meaningless concept in cognitive categories and morality domain. But rational, truth, justice, etc values are reference basis and theoretical sources of criticizing the traditional, we definitely can't put them back to any a group of established daily practice. Therefore, the problem is how to redefine rational concept according to the nature of limitation, such as historic, social, and practicality, and also insist on human-oriented idea, reasonable reconstruction and proof the ethical general validity. He thought getting back to the original determine history crossroads is the only feasible strategy. That means according to a mutual understanding and mutual recognition of the inter-subjectivity to explain reason. This road was open in some crucial moments of modernity philosophy discourse, but it was neglected and buried by subject ego awareness mode. As a result, if we want to really surmount the perverse logic of modernity moral argumentation, we must complete the paradigm conversion from individual monologue reflection to inter-subjectivity dialogue communication, and start from the practice to redefined rational concept which is the reasonable basis of moral proof and ethical construction.Along this basic path, Habermas turned back to the transcendental self-subject setting of ideological philosophy first of all. He used the practice subject with language and behavior function instead of transcendental subject only with cognitive function, and took the inter-subjectivity containing communication and activities as the inter core and essence provisions of subject. We can understand the personalized and socialization self-identity and the formation and development process of moral consciousness only in the horizon. Each individual experience of objectivity interconnected to objective, subjective and society world, and meanwhile interweave to individual ability, intuitive knowledge and social practice. Life world thus result, it is the preexistence source and background condition of interactive subject formation and communication activities, and also revealed the essential relationship of theory and practice. The universal pragmatics relates to the intercourse by the language as a medium, its authenticity, sincere and correct effectiveness requirements ensures that people can achieve mutual understanding and consistent consensus. The unity and reconstruction of generally effective moral principles and legitimate social norms will be realized. Starting from inter-subjectivity of perspective, taking the life world as background conditions and basing on the universal pragmatics point prepared sufficient theoretical premise for the rationality of intercourse.Then Habermas referenced and reflected on the enrichment results of sociology theory, and concentrate the discussion about the possibility of rationality social behavior and order to the research on the behavior rationality based on inter-subjectivity. He systematically elaborated the communicative behavior theory, and took it as the core of proofing ethical general validity. Habermas strongly criticized priori reason and tool reason through the rationality requirements and mutual understanding contained in communicative action, and redefined the universality and unity of rational concept with communicative reason. On the other hand, he refuted and liquidated moral skepticism with the emotional happening mechanism revealed by moral phenomenological, and declared the cognitive characteristics of moral behavior and judgment. We can proof Ethical general validity only through interactive subject discourse practice or rational argument which take the life world as the background. Essentially, this critique of the reason for the center with subject is the critique of the enlightenment moral demonstration basis, and it will not cause the postmodern conclusion yet. Instead, based on modernity change and overcome itself, not only shows its inner energy, but also provides new possibility of exploration and construction the consensus moral rationality basis, and bring hope to get out of the endless confrontation and controversy.Finally, Habermas mixed the special natural disposition inherent form semantics and universal pragmatics, and established the basic principles for moral judgment, and further explores its validity and source. In his opinion, universality principle is the model for eliminating differences and reaching consensus, and also is the normal way to solve moral basic debate. One of the important theoretical purports is explaining that any widely effective norms must be accepted and abide by all the people affected by them, and a standard will have acceptable general validity because its implement results can satisfy everyone's interests. We can get the objective validity norms which will reflect common interests and based on rational consensus only though the disinterested discourse program established by universality principle. In fact, owing to this universality deduced by the evaluation of validity order standard, the synergy or consensus in discourse practice becomes possible, and the discourse ethics theory which is a new ethics forms after the linguistic turning finally able to attain complete and laid its universalism tone.From the above discussion, we can see Habermas's theoretical conception of universal ethical appeal and solving multiple social collide. However, this idea is suffered from some aspects of the criticism and questioned. Discourse ethics has been into the voice of discusses and punitive. We proceed with three representative aspects at this point, they are Wellmer's criticism on universality, the refuted to discourse rational consensus of Foucault's pedigree learn theory of power, and Lyotard's disagreement to the possible of reasonable consensus. Though the inspection of these objections and debates and the investigation of Habermas's allegations and response, we can find out the essence of their debate. Discourse ethics exposed some difficulties and limitations refer to the focus and content of the debates. This does not mean to negate or abandon discourse ethics, but aims to expand its further development of the idea. In fact, in empiricism, utilitarian, skepticism, relativism and irrationalism wantonly popular era, universal ethics with the pursue to universal value symbols a spiritual strength of utopian thinking, and represents the hope and except to rationality. Its rationality idea is worth to fully thinking and further exploration.Thus the predicament and chaos triggered by modernity moral argumentation hasn't make people into absurd and despair, but inspire contemporary ethical thinkers to make serious reflection instead. Ethicists industriously select and create a moral value of general significance for the whole human society, and search or construct a rationality of argumentation foundation for it. Habermas thought that modernity is an ongoing career or planning. Because there are still many potential has not developed, so modernity need further continuation and perfect. Discourse ethics put the general validity proof of the rational moral on the communicative reason basis, and fully embodies the defended and save for the moral spirit of modernity. It also showed that Habermas wished to give back a clear and transparent moral cognition era for people. This unique in tradition normative ethics revival and reconstruction represents a new dimension in the exploring process of establishing a set of rationality and fair common moral in away, and provides a feasible way to coordinate the relationship between moral behavior person and general principles and eliminate endless moral debate to reach a consensus. The moral values and ideas as the personality showed by experience will ultimately associate with the existence of main body basis. The mutual understanding and consensus between interactive subjects overcame and transcended the solipsistic subject monologue of traditional ideological philosophy. Discourse ethics not only accurately grasp the reasonable foundation and skeleton of the general and validity moral argumentation, but also embodies today's inevitable development trend and historic reality own trajectory.