Freedom's right : the social foundations of democratic life

Bibliographic Information

Freedom's right : the social foundations of democratic life

Axel Honneth ; translated by Joseph Ganahl

(New directions in critical theory)

Columbia University Press, c2014

  • : cloth
  • : [pbk.]

Other Title

Das Recht der Freiheit

Search this Book/Journal
Note

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents
Volume

: cloth ISBN 9780231162463

Description

Theories of justice often fixate on purely normative, abstract principles unrelated to real-world situations. The philosopher and theorist Axel Honneth addresses this disconnect, and constructs a theory of justice derived from the normative claims of Western liberal-democratic societies and anchored in morally legitimate laws and institutionally established practices. Honneth's paradigm-which he terms "a democratic ethical life"-draws on the spirit of Hegel's Philosophy of Right and his own theory of recognition, demonstrating how concrete social spheres generate the tenets of individual freedom and a standard for what is just. Using social analysis to re-found a more grounded theory of justice, he argues that all crucial actions in Western civilization, whether in personal relationships, market-induced economic activities, or the public forum of politics, share one defining characteristic: they require the realization of a particular aspect of individual freedom. This fundamental truth informs the guiding principles of justice, enabling a wide-ranging reconsideration of its nature and application.

Table of Contents

ForewordIntroduction: A Theory of Justice as an Analysis of SocietyPart I. Historical Background: The Right to Freedom1. Negative Freedom and the Social Contract2. Reflexive Freedom and Its Conception of Justice3. Social Freedom and the Doctrine of Ethical LifeTransition: The Idea of Democratic Ethical LifePart II. The Possibility of Freedom4. Legal Freedom5. Moral FreedomPart III. The Reality of Freedom6. Social FreedomNotesIndex
Volume

: [pbk.] ISBN 9780231162470

Description

Theories of justice often fixate on purely normative, abstract principles unrelated to real-world situations. The philosopher and theorist Axel Honneth addresses this disconnect, and constructs a theory of justice derived from the normative claims of Western liberal-democratic societies and anchored in morally legitimate laws and institutionally established practices. Honneth's paradigm-which he terms "a democratic ethical life"-draws on the spirit of Hegel's Philosophy of Right and his own theory of recognition, demonstrating how concrete social spheres generate the tenets of individual freedom and a standard for what is just. Using social analysis to re-found a more grounded theory of justice, he argues that all crucial actions in Western civilization, whether in personal relationships, market-induced economic activities, or the public forum of politics, share one defining characteristic: they require the realization of a particular aspect of individual freedom. This fundamental truth informs the guiding principles of justice, enabling a wide-ranging reconsideration of its nature and application.

Table of Contents

Foreword Introduction: A Theory of Justice as an Analysis of Society Part I. Historical Background: The Right to Freedom 1. Negative Freedom and the Social Contract 2. Reflexive Freedom and Its Conception of Justice 3. Social Freedom and the Doctrine of Ethical Life Transition: The Idea of Democratic Ethical Life Part II. The Possibility of Freedom 4. Legal Freedom 5. Moral Freedom Part III. The Reality of Freedom 6. Social Freedom Notes Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

Related Books: 1-1 of 1
Details
  • NCID
    BB18465854
  • ISBN
    • 9780231162463
    • 9780231162470
  • LCCN
    2013014547
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Original Language Code
    ger
  • Place of Publication
    New York
  • Pages/Volumes
    x, 412 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
Page Top