The Research Of Habermas' Theory Of Communicative Rationality

In the face of chaos of modern multi rationalities and various modern crises caused by one-sided expansion of cognitive-instrumental rationality,Habermas raises the theory of communicative rationality,which is not only influential but also controversial.In terms of this paper,in the current rational situation,as a modern practical rationality,communicative rationality plays a role of "hinging engine",which means it is the medium of the interconnection of various rationalities on the one hand and it provides motivation and details for the good interaction among different rationalities.To illustrate this argument,this paper attempts to consider the question background of the theory of communicative rationality,relies on the own structure of communicative rationality,focuses on the relationships between communicative rationality and three basic rationalities: moral-practical rationality,aesthetic-expressive rationality,and cognitive-instrumental rationality to clarify its important role in the linage of modern rationalities,and gives a summary and reflection in the end.In view of this,the main train of thought is listed as follows.First,The author explores the development history of concept of reason.(a)The change of outlook on reason before Kant,whose development is around the topicalization of theoretical-and practical reason.(b)The dual tendency of the tradition of German practical rationality,which refers to the unification-based,general practical rationality and practical rationality in the narrow sense.This is the theoretical resource which German classical philosophy provided for archiving the unity of reason.(c)Under the background of modern rationality-discourse,some new characteristics emerge in the discussion about reason and its unity,namely in the research of rationality,turning into post-metaphysics philosophy and focusing on rationalization sociology arise.(d)Habermas provides new possibility,namely paradigm of inter-subjectivity and theory of communicative rationality.Second,starting from the three levels of meta-theory,methodology,and theory-experience,combined with philosophical and sociological meaning,this paper examines the internal structure of communicative rationality.As to meta-theory,in the philosophical sense,communicative rationality is the linguistics procedure rationality which does not abandon the generally connection linguistics and goes against the fundationalism.In the sociological sense,it is the rationality in the communicative behavior that is related to the formal concept of the world,whose feature is redemption or defensiveness of validities,and is oriented to achieve communication and consensus.As to methodology,in the philosophical sense,it is the philosophical rationality of placeholder and interpreter.In the sociological sense,it is the rationality of sociological mutual understanding problems of meaning and the rationality of explanation of behavior meaning by communicative actors.In terms of theoryexperience,in the sense of philosophy,it is the critical rationality that redefines the relationship between theory and practice and sees liberation as interest.In the sense of sociology,it is the rationality that was born with the structural differentiation of the life-world,topicalizes the colorization of life-world,and tries to overcome this kind of morbidity.Third,the relationship between communicative rationality and three basic rationalities is still expounded from the three aspects of meta-theory,methodology,and theory-experience respectively.One is the relationship between communicative rationality and moral-practical rationality.Directed towards the chaos of the latter and the situation of erosion of its legal territory,communicative rationality provides proper space and driving force for its recovery and reconstruction.In the meanwhile,in accordance with the tradition of German practical rationality inherited by Habermas,the latter is the main achievement channel of the former,which provides the most important chance and measures for eradication of colonization of life-world.This relationship is concretely embodied in the three areas including morality-ethics,law-politics,and religion.Another is the relationship between communicative rationality and aesthetic-expressive rationality.Aimed at unclear position of aestheticexpressive rationality,communicative rationality rectifies this unclarity to make aesthetic-expressive rationality liberate the potential,thus cooperating with it in the process of modernity,especially in the process of reconstruction of life-world.Another is the relationship between communicative rationality and cognitive-instrumental rationality.Directed at expansion of cognitive-instrumental rationality and the forthcoming colonization of life-world,communicative rationality restricts it to the reasonable extent,and guides it to interact well with other rationalities,thus enables the system to make good preparations in the process of overcoming colonization of life-world.Finally,based on what has been discussed above,the author gives a summary and reflection of the theory of communicative rationality.The author reviews the total logic of theory of communicative rationality,and then,from three levels,namely meta-theory,methodology and theory-experience,concretely analyses achievements and failures.The achievements include: redefinition of concepts of practical rationality,updating the method of critical theory,and reconstruction of relationships modern rationalities.The failures include: weakening epistemology and relevant problems,veiling Habermas' internal critical road,and the theory encountering difficulties in grasping reality.