Jurgen Habermas: Democracy and the Public Sphere (Modern European Thinkers) [Paperback]

Luke Goode (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2005 | Series: Modern European Thinkers

Habermas is a hugely influential thinker, yet his writing can be dense and inaccessible. This critical introduction offers undergraduates a clear way into Habermas’s concept of the ‘public sphere’ and its relevance to contemporary society. Luke Goode’s lively account also sheds new light on the ‘public sphere’ debate that will interest readers already familiar with Habermas’s work.For Habermas, the 'public sphere' was a social forum that allowed people to debate -- whether it was the town hall or the coffee house, maintaining a space for public debate was an essential part of democracy. Habermas’s controversial work examines the erosion of these spaces within consumer society and calls for new thinking about democracy today.Drawing on Habermas’s early and more recent writings, this book examines the ‘public sphere’ in its full complexity, outlining its relevance to today’s media and culture. It will be of interest to students and scholars in a range of disciplines across the social sciences and humanities.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an excellent, useful book. -- Don Mitchell, Department of Geography, Syracuse University Habermas's concept of the public sphere has been of great significance since he first introduced it more than 40 years ago in The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. In the intervening years it has been much attacked and sometimes even dismissed as passe but its importance persists, not least in the current debates about democracy and citizenship. For more advanced undergraduates, though, and for scholars of communication, democracy and citizenship, in particular, who are seeking a clear and critical overview of the Habermasian public sphere, this is a valuable and timely book. -- David Sullivan, Political Studies Review

About the Author

Luke Goode is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Film, Television and Media Studies at the University of Auckland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press (October 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745320880
• ISBN-13: 978-0745320885
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #669,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brings current relevance to well-trodden subject, August 19, 2008

By 

S. McIntosh "smac55" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jurgen Habermas: Democracy and the Public Sphere (Modern European Thinkers) (Paperback)

This academic book not only provides a concise history of the development of Habermas's concept of the public sphere and offers some critiques of it, but moves well beyond this frequently covered ground to show how the concept fits into some of Habermas's later writings on the theory of communicative action, discourse ethics, and social theory and politics. Goode looks at the criticisms of the notion of the public sphere, and while acknowledging its shortcomings (such as Habermas giving short shrift to the role of mediation in the public sphere), does an excellent job of showing its continued relevance for social theory today, such as discussing the public sphere in relation to Beck and Giddens's notions of the risk society and reflexive modernity. Goode provides insights on the public sphere and the Internet without ever falling into the tired argument on whether the Internet can be considered a public sphere or not.