A Comparative Study On The View Of Public Sphere Between Arendt And Habermas

The philosophical thoughts of Arendt and Habermas have attracted the attention of scholars and their public sphere thoughts are very concerned.Arendt focus on the public sphere to clarify the situation of people's active life;Habermas examined the public sphere to explain the crisis and future of capitalist society.However,in the interpretation of specific problems,it's to be said that they are different in the same way and the same places in different places sometimes.Both Arendt and Habermas have defined the public sphere,and they both from the private space.At the same time,they distinguish between the public sphere and the private space.In particular,Arendt points out that human beings should move out of the private sphere into the public sphere,where there can be equal dialogue and action,where differences make political activities meaningful.While Habermas thinks that the public sphere is set by the private space,and people are carried out under certain protection to the public opinion discussion,form opinions,and reach consensus,which is the goal of rational people contacts and the public sphere.Both Arendt and Habermas' public sphere ideas can be analyzed in a complete way.First of all,they also think that there is a premise in the public sphere,but Arendt values the plural of man,and what Habermas values is public reason.Secondly,they have seen the critical implication of the public sphere.Arendt has not used the term of criticism.She has explained the manifestation of the public sphere and the pioneering sense.As Habermas interprets the significance of criticism,he also regards discourse democracy as one of the important meanings in the public sphere.Thirdly,we can see that Arendt and Habermas' s public sphere have a common point,namely the political liberation and freedom.What's more,they demonstrated on the basis of equality.Then Arendt and Habermas are focused on the decline of the public sphere,and we attribute it to the cause of collapse.For Arendt,it is not only the alienation of man,but the alienation of the world.For Habermas,criticism is nowhere to be found,it is replaced by consumption and manipulation.At this point,their public sphere ideas are not over.Arendt turns her attention to the world love in order to rebuild the public sphere;Habermas puts the emphasis of public sphere reconstruction on the theory of communication and life theory.In comparison the ideas of the public sphere,we can see Arendt and Habermas care about reality situation and the fall of the human destiny.This will lead us to think about its theoretical value and guiding significance on the construction of public sphere in China.