'Lifeworld', 'System' and Family Group Conferences: Habermas's Contribution to Discourse in Child Protection

Habermas’s critical social theory has been challengedon a range of fronts. However, the authors see merit in hismediation thesis as set out in the seminal text, Between Factsand Norms (1996). Adopting a pragmatist defence of the thesis,we review and demonstrate the effectiveness of what we believeis a coincidental expression of some of its main tenets—TheFamily Group Conference in Child Protection. Drawing furtheron Habermas’s work, we then proceed to re-work aspectsof the conference’s core processes, thereby accentuatingthe possibility of empowering dialogue between its key participants:the families (who embody the ‘lifeworld’) and thesocial work professionals (who represent the ‘system’).In the final section, we argue that moral practice in childprotection must be safeguarded by communicational proceduresthat explicitly address issues relating to the use of powerand the need for ‘recognition’ between subjects.     

交往行为理论视域下五四宪法对新中国政治合法性的证成

从古典社会契约论到罗尔斯,合法性理论转向了对程序正义的探讨,而哈贝马斯在扬弃了罗尔斯的程序正义的基础上阐发了自己的交往行为理论,建构起通过交谈、对话和协商达成共识的程序正义。我们以哈贝马斯的交往行为理论为视角,为五四宪法对新中国政治合法性的证成提供了论证思路。     

马尔库塞与哈贝马斯的科技批判理论思想之比较

对科学技术的批判实际上是整个法兰克福学派共同的理论主题,作为其杰出代表的马尔库塞和哈贝马斯在这一问题上都有自己相关的论述.从三个方面的同异出发,论述了二者科技观所犯的共同错误.     

协商民主：哈贝马斯民主理论解析

民主是哈贝马斯始终关注的重要问题,他构建交往行为理论就是为其民主思想奠定理论地基的。协商民主理论在西方日渐兴盛,很大程度上得益于交往理性影响广远。哈贝马斯认为,真正的民主必须实现人权和人民主权、事实意义上的有效性和规范意义上的有效性的双重统合,为此必须采行双轨制。这种双轨制的问题在于,除建立在交往理性基础上的程序主义过于理想化以外,双轨互动缺乏足够的制度保障和传导媒介。这恰恰凸显了中国基层政权民主建设和党内民主建设的重要性。